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Decision Support by Interval SMART/SWING—Incorporating Imprecision in the SMART and SWING Methods
Author(s) -
Mustajoki Jyri,
Hämäläinen Raimo P.,
Salo Ahti
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
decision sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.238
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1540-5915
pISSN - 0011-7315
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-5414.2005.00075.x
Subject(s) - weighting , interval (graph theory) , swing , computer science , preference , multiple criteria decision analysis , process (computing) , operations research , decision support system , decision maker , analytic hierarchy process , machine learning , artificial intelligence , mathematics , statistics , engineering , medicine , mechanical engineering , combinatorics , radiology , operating system
Interval judgments are a way of handling preferential and informational imprecision in multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). In this article, we study the use of intervals in the simple multiattribute rating technique (SMART) and SWING weighting methods. We generalize the methods by allowing the reference attribute to be any attribute, not just the most or the least important one, and by allowing the decision maker to reply with intervals to the weight ratio questions to account for his/her judgmental imprecision. We also study the practical and procedural implications of using imprecision intervals in these methods. These include, for example, how to select the reference attribute to identify as many dominated alternatives as possible. Based on the results of a simulation study, we suggest guidelines for how to carry out the weighting process in practice. Computer support can be used to make the process visual and interactive. We describe the WINPRE software for interval SMART/SWING, preference assessment by imprecise ratio statements (PAIRS), and preference programming. The use of interval SMART/SWING is illustrated by a job selection example.