Decision support tools

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Decision support tools are tools, methods, and practices that help in one or more parts of decision making. This list is based on a Cambridge University website, which has nice summaries of each tool.

⇤--#: . Decision support is primarily perceived here (and on the website and within the domains of operations research, decision analysis and management sciences in general) as facilitating the execution of the decision making process. E.g in the field of environmental modeling decision support tools usually mean models which help to understand natural systems and thereby inform (i.e. support) decision making. Similarly, e.g. environmental health assessments aim to support decisions primarily by increasing decision makers understanding about the phenomena anticipated decisions have influence on, not so much in terms of structuring the decision process. All these views are related and belong to the broad definition of decision support. In its current form this page, however, seems to take a relatively narrow view to decision support, that of operations research, decision analysis and management sciences. --Mikko Pohjola 08:45, 5 June 2013 (EEST) (type: truth; paradigms: science: attack)

Information control

Brainstorming
Clustering Processes
Customer Surveys and Interviews
Data Sources (including links to some www sources)
Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA)
Soft Systems Methodology
Spreadsheets and databases
Statistical Process Control external link
Statistical Software

Paradigm models

4 Ps of marketing
Balanced Scorecard (Kaplan and Norton)
Boston Plot (see also Product life cycle model below)
Capability and Maturity - Hayes and Wheelwright's Four Stages
Capabilities and Competences
Corporate Strategy
Flexibility Framework
Innovation Funnel
Manufacturing Decision Areas
Mintzberg's 5 Ps for Strategy
Porter's 5 Forces
Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies (ways of competing)
Porter's Value Chain
Product Life Cycle (See Boston Plot above)
Quality Framework
Quality, Time, Cost & Flexibility
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
Time Framework
Trade-off Models
Vroom's expectancy theory external link

Simulation models

Cost / Benefit / Risk Analysis
Critical Path Analysis (CPA, CPM)
Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Robustness Analysis
Sensitivity Analysis

Ways of Choosing

Analytical Hierarchy Process
Conflict Analysis
Criteria Rating Form, Weighted Ranking
Gap Analysis
Importance / Performance Matrix
Quantitative Decision Making
Strategic Assessment Model
Strategic Assumptions Surfacing and Testing
Strategic Choice Approach

Representation Aids

Affinity Charting
2x2 matrix
Cause and Effect Diagram, Fishbone, Ishikawa Diagram
Check Sheets and Check Lists
Control Charts
Decision Trees
Drawing Packages
Flow Charts
Force field Analysis
From/to Chart
Graphs, Gantt, Histograms and Bar charts
Hewlett-Packard Return Map
Histogram or Bar Graph
Matrices
Media for Communication
Polar charts, Radar charts
TQM Tools
Pareto Principle external link
Scatter Plots external link

Other

Benchmarking
Deming's 14 points
Deming Cycle (Plan, do, check, act)
Finite Capacity Scheduling
JIT (Just-In-Time)
Kanban
Materials Requirements Planning (MRP)
Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRPII)
Quality Organisations and awards

References

Related files