Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Software Development (Digital Short Cut), The

This is the eBook version of the printed book. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is an advanced technique that supports decision makers in structuring complex decisions, quantifying intangible factors, and evaluating choices in multiobjective decision situations. It is a comprehensive and rational decision-making framework that provides a powerful methodology for determining relative worth among a set of elements. AHP is especially suitable for complex decisions that involve the comparison of decision elements which are difficult to quantify. The AHP, and its more recent version the Analytic Network Process (ANP), were developed by Dr. Thomas Saaty and have been applied in a wide variety of decision situations in organizations worldwide. AHP is particularly applicable in managing software complexity, and in Quality Function Deployment (QFD), as presented in Chapter 11 of the book Design for Trustworthy Software. This short cut illustrates the application of AHP in prioritizing complex design issues. It also shows how AHP and its supporting software, Expert Choice (EC), can handle much higher levels of complexities accurately and expeditiously than the prioritization matrices introduced in Chapter 7 of Design for Trustworthy Software. In addition to solutions facilitated by EC, this short cut also illustrates two known approximations to AHP solutions using manual calculations. Manual calculations can be used to solve relatively less complex problems. They are presented in this short cut to illustrate the first principles and the steps involved in AHP. This short cut is a reproduction of Chapter 8 of the book Design for Trustworthy Software and introduces AHP with a simple example. It can be used either as a methodology in trustworthy software design process or as a standalone introductory presentation on AHP. This short cut should be of interest to software and quality professionals. In particular, it would be of value to the CMMI, Six Sigma, and DFSS communities worldwide, especially those who have acquired or plan to acquire Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt, or similar competencies in various quality management disciplines. It should also be a useful resource for students and academicians of various programs at senior undergraduate and graduate levels, and for those preparing for ASQ's Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) examination. What This Short Cut Covers 3 Introduction 4 Prioritization, Complexity, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process 4 Multiobjective Decision-Making and AHP 5 Case Study 1 Solution Using Expert Choice 12 Approximations to AHP with Manual Calculations 22 Conclusion 33 Key Points 33 Additional Resources 34 Internet Exercises 34 Review Questions 34 Discussion Questions and Projects 35 Problems 36 Endnotes 45 What's in the Book Design for Trustworthy Software 47 About the Authors 52 The Design for Trustworthy Software Digital Short Cut Compilation 53

Table of Contents:
What This Short Cut Covers 3 Introduction 4 Prioritization, Complexity, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process 4 Multiobjective Decision-Making and AHP 5 Case Study 1 Solution Using Expert Choice 12 Approximations to AHP with Manual Calculations 22 Conclusion 33 Key Points 33 Additional Resources 34 Internet Exercises 34 Review Questions 34 Discussion Questions and Projects 35 Problems 36 Endnotes 45 What's in the Book Design for Trustworthy Software 47 About the Authors 52 The Design for Trustworthy Software Digital Short Cut Compilation 53

About the Author :
Bijay K. Jayaswal is the CEO of Agilenty Consulting Group, LLC. He has held senior executive positions and has consulted in quality and strategy for the last 25 years. His consulting and research interests include value engineering, process improvement, and product development. He has taught engineering and management at the University of Mauritius and California State University, Chico and has directed MBA and Advanced Management programs. He has helped introduce corporate-wide initiatives in reengineering, Six Sigma, and Design for Six Sigma and has worked with senior executive teams to implement such initiatives. Dr. Peter C. Patton is professor of Quantitative Methods and Computer Science at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. He also is Chairman of Agilenty Consulting Group. He has taught at the Universities of Minnesota, Paris, and Stuttgart and has held the position of Chief Information Officer at the University of Pennsylvania. He was Chief Technologist at Lawson Software from 1996 to 2002. He was Lawson's representative on the Technical Advisory Committee of IBM's SanFrancisco(TM) Java Framework project. He has been involved in computer hardware and software development since 1955. Dr. Ernest H. Forman is a professor of Decision Sciences at George Washington University's School of Business. He has extensive experience with executive decision-making methodologies, resource allocation, project portfolio management, operations management and statistics. He received one of the first United States patents issued for computer software and designed Expert Choice, a computerized implementation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, which is now used extensively worldwide. Dr. Forman's expertise is widely recognized and he is frequently consulted by organizations such as IBM, MERCK, General Motors, Ford, AOL, NIST, Boeing, GAO, IRS, NASA, CIA, DoD, state, and local governments. Dr. Forman has authored Decision by Objectives, and has coauthored An Analytic Framework for Marketing Decisions, The Hierarchon–A Dictionary of Hierarchies, and Advances in Telematics.