Analytic Hierarchy Process

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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.

AHP has been used in many places, including engineering education, [1] graduate schools of business, [2] watershed management,[3] deciding how best to reduce the impact of climate change,[4] deciding where to locate offshore manufacturing plants,[5] assessing the risk in different ways of operating cross-country petroleum pipelines,[6]


Aspects of AHP have been used in designing highly specific procedures for particular situations, such as the rating of buildings by historic significance.[7]



References

  1. Drake, P.R. (1998). "Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process in Engineering Education". International Journal of Engineering Education 14 (3): 191-196. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  2. Bodin, Lawrence; Saul I. Gass (January, 2004). "Exercises for Teaching the Analytic Hierarchy Process". INFORMS Transactions on Education 4 (2). Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  3. de Steiguer, J.E. (October 27-30, 2003), The Analytic Hierarchy Process as a Means for Integrated Watershed Management, in Renard, Kenneth G., First Interagency Conference on Research on the Watersheds, Benson, Arizona: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, at 736-740
  4. Berrittella, M., An Analytic Hierarchy Process for the Evaluation of Transport Policies to Reduce Climate Change Impacts, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (Milano)
  5. Atthirawong, Walailak, An Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process to International Location Decision-Making, in Gregory, Mike, Proceedings of The 7th Annual Cambridge International Manufacturing Symposium: Restructuring Global Manufacturing, Cambridge, England: University of Cambridge, at 1-18
  6. Dey, Prasanta Kumar (November, 2003). "Analytic Hierarchy Process Analyzes Risk of Operating Cross-Country Petroleum Pipelines in India". Natural Hazards Review 4 (4): 213-221. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  7. Lippert, Barbara C.; Stephen F. Weber (October 1995). "HIST 1.0; Decision Support Software for Rating Buildings by Historic Significance". National Institute of Standards and Technology, NISTIR 5683. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.


Rough References