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1. Introduction

V(ma) is a Decision Analysis Software system based on CVA's patented decision tool methodology which utilizes statistics and vector analysis to provide managers and analysts with a hierarchical graphic database of VectorStringTM matrix charts called, "Vectorgrams" TM for more effective access, evaluations and decisions.

At the outset of this paper, it is imperative that we stay with one word to be consistent in our reference to those entities being evaluated in a comparative analysis. (e.g. such as products, people, ideas, vendors, etc.). After some discussions with those familiar with V(ma), we have chosen the word, “Alternatives” from among; Alternatives, applicants, aspirants, candidates, choices, competitors, contenders, options, and vendors.

The V(ma) software was written with the explicit goal of improving the means by which managers can review the results of comparative analyses.

Its task is to provide visual representations of the various Criteria being compared for each Alternative, as vectors; in such a way, that managers, as well as their analysts, can graphically interpret the vectors’ attributes. And should they want more information or to drill down to another level of detail, they need only to point and click at the vectors in question.

No knowledge of how the data is stored or how the hierarchical tree is constructed is needed. And even more important, one does not need to be an expert in the functionality of the Criteria being tested, to know its importance and how well each Alternative performed in that test.

For example, in cases where products are being compared, the mystique of product functionality is no longer a barrier to non technical participants in order to correlate product strength with customer need.

Senior managers and professionals need a straightforward way to make decisions. That means reducing the time necessary for them to review and understand Alternatives. The use of the Vectorgrams is intended, first, to show the manager and analyst the strengths or weaknesses of the Alternatives for each Criteria in the hierarchy and to ensure that the side by side graphic comparisons trigger the manager's pattern recognition and business experience to be part of the assessment process.

CVA’s consulting role in a Comparative Analysis Project

is to coordinate the design of a hierarchy of Criteria that sufficiently describes the domain of the project’s problem, the priorities of the Criteria, the weights of importance of each Criteria, the acquisition of the votes from the various expert committees and consultants and the execution of the V(ma) software to support the above efforts as well as generating:

A Hierarchy of Required Criteria,

A Voting Matrix of Weights of Importance and Criteria Evaluations,

A Database of Vectorgrams

and

A Criteria Smry Sheet

showing

Who Won and Why


CVA is also prepared to train one or more of a client’s personnel during a project’s comparative analysis so that V(ma) can be used in future projects via an annual subscription lease using their own people as V(ma) coordinators and CVA for technical support.

If companies were to encourage the use of this comparative analysis and decision tool throughout their organizations,

 1. Enormous amounts of time can be saved in meetings.

 2. Problems can be better understood.

 3. The quality of decisions can be improved and

 4. Every major decision can have a detailed audit trail.

In the early days it was assumed that such an analytic tool was to be used only when the domains and information content were large and complex.

Now the simplicity of this tool is such that analyses on smaller issues can be used for decisions facing weekly meetings.

The following is a list of Domains in which V(ma) can be effectively used:
(Those in red and marked with an asterisk are domains in which V(ma) has already been used.)

  1 Products, *
  2 Real estate, *
  3 Insurance Policies,
  4 Stocks, *
  5 Software, *

  6 Employee Candidates, *
  7 Romantic Candidates,
  8 Political Candidates,
  9 Political Issues,
 10 Political Debates,
 11 Appointees,

 12 Academic Report Cards,
 13 Military Fitness Reports,
 14 SAT Scores,
 15 Federal Academic School Examinations and Reports,
 16 Employee Training Examinations and Reports, *
 17 Interview Evaluations,

 18 Skill Inventories, *
 19 Sales Analyses,
 20 Corporate Performances, *
 21 Project Plans, *
 22 Financial Reviews,
 23 Business Plans,
 24 Management Styles,
 25 Strategies,
 26 Ideas,
 27 RFP Requests for Proposal Evaluations, *
 28 Commercial Advertising Evaluations,

 29 Litigations,
 30 Jury selections,
 31 Trial Defense and Prosecution Evaluations,
 32 Patent Infringements,
 33 Divorces,

 34 Books, Theatre and Film Critiques,
 35 Salary Negotiations,
 36 Union Negotiations,

 37 Sports Scoring Analyses
  (both off line and in real time in Television Commentaries),
  a. Olympics,   b. Baseball,   c. Football,   d. Hockey,   e. Basketball,   f. Golf,

 38 Medical Physical Examinations,
 39 Psychological Examinations, *
 40 Comparative Analysis of Drug and Medicine Tests, *
 41 Comparative Evaluations of Physicians, Nurses and Technicians, *
 42 Comparative Evaluations of Hospitals, *
 43 Comparative Evaluations of Health Plans, *

In other words,
if your project is scorable it's a candidate for V(ma)!


Go to the Next Topic: 2. Progress Thus Far

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