View source for Analytic Hierarchy Process

The '''Analytic Hierarchy Process''' (AHP) is a problem solving framework used in decision making. Developed in the 1970s, it is a systematic process for representing the elements of a problem, for relating those elements to overall goals, and for choosing among alternative solutions. It has the proven ability to resolve or assist in resolving a wide range of important decision problems in business, government, transportation, and other fields. 

While AHP can be used by individuals working on straightforward problems, it is best suited to situations where teams of people are working on problems that are highly complex. 

==Uses of AHP==
Applications of AHP to complex decision situations number in the thousands.<ref name='de Steiguer 2003'> {{Citation| first=J.E. | last=de Steiguer| coauthors=Jennifer Duberstein, Vicente Lopes| contribution=The Analytic Hierarchy Process as a Means for Integrated Watershed Management| title=First Interagency Conference on Research on the Watersheds| editor-first=Kenneth G.| editor-last=Renard| coeditors=et al| publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service| place=Benson, Arizona| pages=736-740| date=October, 2003| year=| id= | contribution-url=http://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/icrw/Proceedings/Steiguer.pdf| format=| accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> It finds its widest use where problems are important and complex, and where a number of competing factors demand consideration. Because many such uses take place at high levels of governments, institutions, and corporations, security and privacy considerations prevent them from being published or publicized. Fortunately, many others ''are'' reported in the literature. Recent cases have included these, among dozens or hundreds of others: 
:*Deciding how best to reduce the impact of global climate change (Italy)<ref> {{Citation| first=M. | last=Berrittella| coauthors=A. Certa, M. Enea, P. Zito| contribution=An Analytic Hierarchy Process for the Evaluation of Transport Policies to Reduce Climate Change Impacts| title=Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (Milano)| editor-first=| editor-last=| coeditors=| publisher=| place=| pages=| date=January, 2007| year=| id= | contribution-url=http://www.feem.it/NR/rdonlyres/A25B9563-2940-423B-A086-6842D51DF29B/2242/1207.pdf| format=| accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> 
:*Deciding how best to manage U.S. watersheds (U.S. Department of Agriculture)<ref name="de Steiguer 2003"/>
:*Quantifying the overall quality of software systems (Microsoft Corporation)<ref name='MSDN'> {{cite journal|title=Test Run: The Analytic Hierarchy Process|journal=MSDN Magazine|date=June, 2005|first=James|last=McCaffrey|coauthors=|volume=|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/05/06/TestRun/|format=|accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref>
:*Selecting university faculty (Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania) <ref> {{cite journal|title=Improving the Faculty Selection Process in Higher Education: A Case for the Analytic Hierarchy Process|journal=IR Applications|date=August, 2005|first=John R.|last=Grandzol|coauthors=|volume=6|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://airweb.org/images/IR%20App6.pdf|format=|accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref>  
:*Deciding where to locate offshore manufacturing plants (University of Cambridge)<ref> {{Citation| first=Walailak | last=Atthirawong| coauthors=Bart McCarthy| contribution=An Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process to International Location Decision-Making| title=Proceedings of The 7th Annual Cambridge International Manufacturing Symposium: Restructuring Global Manufacturing| editor-first=Mike| editor-last=Gregory| coeditors=Yongjiang Shi| publisher=University of Cambridge| place=Cambridge, England| pages=1-18| date=September, 2002| year=2002| id= | contribution-url=http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/cim/imnet/symposium2002/papers/Atthirawong.pdf| format=| accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> 
:*Assessing risk in operating cross-country petroleum pipelines (American Society of Civil Engineers)<ref> {{cite journal|title=Analytic Hierarchy Process Analyzes Risk of Operating Cross-Country Petroleum Pipelines in India|journal=Natural Hazards Review|date=November, 2003|first=Prasanta Kumar|last=Dey|coauthors=|volume=4|issue=4|pages=213-221|id= |url=http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=NHREFO000004000004000213000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes|format=|accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> 
AHP was recently applied to a project that uses video footage to assess the condition of highways in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Highway engineers first used it to determine the optimum scope of the project, and then to justify its budget to lawmakers.<ref> {{Citation| first=Charles D. | last=Larson| coauthors=Ernest H. Forman| contribution=Application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Select Project Scope for Videologging and Pavement Condition Data Collection| title=86th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM| editor-first=| editor-last=| coeditors=| publisher=Transportation Research Board of the National Academies| place=| pages=| date=January, 2007| year=| id= | contribution-url=http://pubsindex.trb.org/document/view/default.asp?lbid=801508| format=| accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> Aspects of AHP are sometimes used in designing highly specific procedures for particular situations, such as the rating of buildings by historic significance.<ref> {{cite journal|title=HIST 1.0; Decision Support Software for Rating Buildings by Historic Significance|journal=National Institute of Standards and Technology, NISTIR 5683|date=October, 1995|first=Barbara C.|last=Lippert|coauthors=Stephen F. Weber|volume=|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://www.fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build95/PDF/b95044.pdf|format=|accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref>

AHP is widely used in countries around the world. Its methods are highly compatible with the traditional Chinese decision making framework, and both research and applications of AHP have made remarkable progress there since it was introduced in 1982. The process has been used for many decisions in the fields of economics, energy, management, environment, traffic, agriculture, industry, and military applications.<ref name='Sun 2005'> {{Citation| first=Hongkai | last=Sun| coauthors=| contribution=AHP in China| title=Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on the Analytic Hierarchy Process| editor-first=Jason| editor-last=Levy| coeditors=| publisher=| place=Honolulu, Hawaii| pages=| date=July, 2005| year=2005| id= | contribution-url=http://www.superdecisions.com/~saaty/ISAHP2005/Papers/SunHC_ApplicationofANPinChina.pdf| format=| accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref>

==Teaching AHP==
Though using AHP requires no specialized academic training, AHP is considered an important subject in many academic institutions, including schools of engineering<ref> {{cite journal|title=Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process in Engineering Education|journal=International Journal of Engineering Education|date=1998|first=P.R.|last=Drake|coauthors=|volume=14|issue=3|pages=191-196|id= |url=http://www.ijee.dit.ie/articles/Vol14-3/ijee1017.pdf|format=|accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> and graduate schools of business.<ref> {{cite journal|title=Exercises for Teaching the Analytic Hierarchy Process|journal=INFORMS Transactions on Education|date=January, 2004|first=Lawrence|last=Bodin|coauthors=Saul I. Gass|volume=4|issue=2|id= |url=http://ite.pubs.informs.org/Vol4No2/BodinGass/index.php|format=|accessdate=2007-08-20 }}</ref> AHP is also an important subject in the quality field, and is taught in many specialized courses including [[Six Sigma]] and [[QFD]].<ref> {{cite journal|title=Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) -- Getting Oriented|journal=iSixSigma.com|date=January, 2005|first=David L.|last=Hallowell|coauthors=|volume=|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://software.isixsigma.com/library/content/c050105a.asp|format=|accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref><ref> {{cite journal|title=Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)|journal=QFD Institute|date=|first=|last=|coauthors=|volume=|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://www.qfdi.org/workshop_ahp.htm|format=|accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref><ref> {{cite journal|title=Analytical Hierarchy Process: Overview|journal=TheQualityPortal.com|date=|first=|last=|coauthors=|volume=|issue=|pages=|id= |url=http://thequalityportal.com/q_ahp.htm|format=|accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref>

In China, nearly a hundred schools offer courses in AHP, and many doctoral students choose AHP as the subject of their research and dissertations. Over 900 papers have been published on the subject in that country, and there is at least one Chinese scholarly journal devoted exclusively to AHP.<ref name="Sun 2005"/>

==References==
<div class='references-small'>
<references/>
</div>

==External links==
*[http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/dstools/choosing/ahp.html Short nontechnical summary from University of Cambridge]
*[http://mat.gsia.cmu.edu/mstc/multiple/node4.html Simple example with math from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business]
*[http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/tools/ahp/index_e.asp Interactive demonstration of pairwise comparison from the Canadian Conservation Institute]
*[http://decisionlens.com/ Decision Lens software]
*[http://www.expertchoice.com/ ExpertChoice software]
*[http://www.vanguardsw.com/DpHelp4/dph00687.htm Vanguard Software AHP scripts for handhelds]

==Potential References==
*[http://search.barnesandnoble.com/BookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780792370765 Book: Natural Resource and Environmental Decision Making]
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=c35YVifvGekC&dq=analytic+hierarchy+process&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=EOE5PdZFR_&sig=fthbM7AMO4h0-zWUIeSBZ84BUWo Book: Naveet Bhushan]

===Older and/or less useful===
*[http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/251 Abstract: The Analytic Hierarchy Process and Participatory Decisionmaking (USDA Forest Service, 1995)]
*[http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/ja_schmoldt013.pdf Full text of the above]
*[http://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/S6_weighting.htm Composite Indicators/Weighting (European Commission)]
*[http://mdm.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/1/40 Abstract: The Analytic Hierarchy Process in Medical Decisionmaking (1989)]
*[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0160-5682(199011)41%3A11%3C1073%3ASCOTAH%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K Paper: Some Comments on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (Criticism, 1990)]