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2. Progress Thus Far



Summaries of sixteen case histories which utilized the V(ma) software as part of the CVA consulting work during these past 12 years have been included below to give you some idea of the progress accomplished thus far. The V(ma) assignments, too specific to client identities, have been excluded from the Case Histories. However, the applications shaded in red in the Introduction include all the applications in which V(ma) has been used thus far.

The original data sets have been modified for privacy reasons, as have the names of the Alternatives as well. In some cases we have explicitly gained client permission for the use of some of the notes regarding the analyses.

We are also appreciative to those fellow consultants that we have worked with in the past, that assisted in the design and scoring of the various projects.

The Case History reviews later in this report, are in Adobe PDF files and consist of a brief description, the Hierarchy, the Voting Matrix, the top and second level Vectorgrams (for brevity purposes), the Smry Sheet and the Main Spreadsheet.

The one exception is the first case which contains the full set of Vectorgrams. It is most interesting because it was not done by CVA but rather by one of the executives of a CVA client that has used CVA many times. He decided to use it personally to evaluate three Alternatives for a vacation home. He recently gave CVA permission to use his project as a case example. His hierarchy is a beautiful example to follow for buying or selling a home. And as a matter of interest, the other fifteen cases all have hierarchies that can serve as templates for future projects.

Here is the list of Case Summaries (in alternating red and black text for easier reading). 1.
A Comparison of Three Vacation Home Prospects
Designed and Implemented by a CVA Client Manager on His Own Time using V(ma).

2.
A Competitive Analysis of Four Office Software Systems

3.
A Basic "Request for Proposals" RFP System

4.
A Comparative Evaluation of Four Large Scale Computer Storage Systems

5.
A Comparative Evaluation of Five Proposals
for a Nation Wide On Line Bartering and Exchange System
to be used by North American Power Companies

6.
A Comparative Evaluation System for Firewall Products

7.
A Comparative Evaluation of Six Proposals for an On Line Financial System
for a New Energy Company

8.
A Comparative Evaluation of Eleven Canadian Mutual Funds
for use by a Canadian Subsidiary’s Retirement Fund

9.
A Psychological Examination of Four Candidates
for a Bank Financial Officer’s Position

10.
This was a hypothetical Customer Satisfaction Evaluation case based on the book,
“The Customer Revolution” by my friend Patricia B. Seybold
Published by Crown Business, New York, N.Y. ISBN-0609-60772-3 .

11.
A Comparative Evaluation of Nine Corporate Office Automation Systems

12.
A Competitive Evaluation of Seven Intelligent Valve Systems
used by Chemical and Refinery Corporations

13.
A Customer Self Evaluation Test of Their own Computer Network Systems
as part of a Sales Plan by a Computer Network Supplier

14.
A Comparative Evaluation of Four Hospitals
including their Medical and Nursing Staffs

15.
A Comparative Evaluation of Microsoft’s NT Operating System
versus
Novell’s Netware Operating System (Mid 90’s)

16.
A Comparative Evaluation of Two Burn Salve Dressings
based on a British Medical Report*

*Burn Dressing Comparison Case Paper

Two very significant additions came as a result of assignments during the past two years. V(ma) now has the ability to use numeric performance data as well as voted scores. This means that in some applications there will be less of a need, and in some cases, no need, for seeking scoring opinions from expert committees and consultants. .

Now, any measurable Criteria can be processed in their native units such as 1.3 volts, 10.5 seconds, 0.350 batting average, first, second, and third, $250.000, etc. and V(ma) will automatically review the performance data of all the Alternatives as a group and then use proportional scoring based on the best numerical (maximum or minimum) values or a specific standard value.

This significantly opens the potential for a wider CVA client base with a demand for measured performances Criteria such as financials, sports, skill inventories. etc.

In addition, the use of “Clones” as an entity in the use of hierarchical design was added last year at the request of a client who found it quite useful for designing very large hierarchies where certain complex legs of a hierarchy had to be repeated elsewhere in the same hierarchy.

Before reviewing the Case Histories, a briefing has been prepared for each of the five major segments. Namely, The Hierarchy, The Voting Matrix, The Vectorgram, The Smry Sheet and The Main Spreadsheet.




Go to the Next Topic: 3. The Hierarchy of Criteria

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