# Decision Matrix

> Score each option against weighted criteria and compare the totals.

Chapter II, Decision making · 2.04 · Origin: Stuart Pugh (1981) · Time: 20 to 40 min · Solo or group

**Use it when** you are choosing between several options on several factors.

Interactive workspace: https://kogu.tools/tools/decision-matrix

## Abstract

When options differ in several ways at once, it's easy to fixate on one vivid detail, like a salary figure or a nice office. A decision matrix puts every option against the same list of criteria, so they're all judged on the same terms.

Each criterion gets a weight for how much it matters to you, and each option gets a score on each criterion. The weighted totals show which option fits best overall. Often the most useful part is the argument you have while setting the weights.

## Method

1. **List the options.** Write down the alternatives you're actually choosing between. Two to five works well.
2. **Choose the criteria.** Name the factors that should decide it, such as cost or risk. Keep them separate so nothing gets counted twice.
3. **Weight the criteria.** Give each criterion a weight from 1 to 5. Settle the weights before you score anything.
4. **Score each option.** Rate each option from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on each criterion. Work across a row so you compare options directly.
5. **Read the result and test it.** Look at the totals, then check how much the winner depends on the weights. If the result feels wrong, ask which criterion is missing.

## When to use it

- You're choosing between a few options that differ on several factors, like job offers or suppliers.
- A group needs an open way to compare options and see exactly where people disagree.
- You keep going back and forth and want the trade-offs written down.

## Common pitfalls

- Using too many criteria, which waters down the important ones.
- Overlapping criteria, like price and total cost, which count the same thing twice.
- Tweaking the weights until your favourite wins. Set them first.
- Treating the total as the final word. If the winner feels wrong, your gut may be picking up on a criterion you left out.

## References

- Pugh, S. (1990). Total Design: Integrated Methods for Successful Product Engineering. Addison-Wesley.
- Pugh, S. (1981). Concept selection: a method that works. Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED), Rome.