Logical Decisions - Classweb

allocates this weight before computing the weights as above. This
results in all of the members having weights at least slightly
above the minimum weight.
LDW also lets you have ties (members with the same order
number) and lets you assign a zero to a member to show no
importance at all.
Because of the relatively crude approach the smarter method uses
to compute the weights, LDW does not let you use representatives
when using this method.
Note that LDW does not adjust the ordering of the members if
you modify a member's definition or range. Thus, if you make
significant changes to a member you should remember to go back
and review any importance orderings you have entered using the
smarter method.
Assessing Weights Using Importance Ratios
LDW provides three methods to assess weights using importance
ratios -- the "Smart" method, the pairwise weight ratios method,
and the "Analytic Hierarchy Process." An importance ratio is a
directly specified ratio between the weights for two or more
members.
The "Smart" method is a "global" method for assigning weight
ratios. That is, you assign the ratios all at once instead of for pairs
of members as in the other two ratio methods. The smart method
is sometimes called the "swing weights" method.
When using the smart method, you can encourage the decision
maker to think about the members' ranges by providing the
following scenario:
Suppose you had an alternative that had the least
preferred level on all of the active members. And further
suppose that you could improve just one active member
from its least preferred to most preferred level. Which
active member would you improve?
You should give the first member the decision maker asks to
improve a "swing weight" of one hundred. Then, for each other
active member, you ask the decision maker the relative
importance of "swinging" it over its range compared with
"swinging" the first member over its range. Thus you ask the
Section 9 -- In Depth 9-39