A multi-criteria model for the justification of IT investments

Investments in Information Technology (IT) are in essence strategic decision processes. However, many decision makers, given the complexity of their problems, end up by reducing them to an approach that is usually monetary to the detriment of those possibly related to strategic benefits associated with IT. This paper presents the development of a multi-criteria decision-making model for the justification of IT investments, offering a validated minimal set of attributes that form the basis to formulate Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) models for specific IT justification problems. The implementation of the model was accomplished with the AHP method, using the Team Expert Choice software. The model was validated through its submission to twenty specialists in the area and through its application in real decision problems. The results obtained in the validation show both the generality and the potential of the model as a decision tool in the process of justifying IT investments.