Knowledge Content Library

Uses and Abuses of Objectives Hierarchies

Patrick Leach, Consultant
February 15, 2017 (SDP Webinar Invited Talk)

An objectives hierarchy is a useful tool for practitioners of decision science, especially when the various stakeholders have different interests or hold different values, or even when they simply place different weights on multiple objectives. This presentation will focus on five purposes for which an objectives hierarchy is exceptionally useful: • Clarifying the relationships between objectives • Identifying competing objectives • Recognizing different stakeholders’ emphases • Forming the bases for unique strategies to consider • Identifying criteria for qualitative evaluation Examples will include a sanitized (and simplified) objectives hierarchy from a joint venture between a major oil company and a national oil company, the objectives hierarchy used by the SDP’s DAAG 2017 Logistics Committee to decide where to hold DAAG 2017, and the rather immodestly titled, "Humanity’s Objectives Hierarchy.”

This webinar will inspire newer DA professionals and advanced students with practical ideas to:

• Help business leaders move from deterministic to probabilistic thinking
• Employ tornado sensitivity analyses to focus attention
• Simplify complexity for busy managers with short attention spans
• Achieve unbiased forecasts from biased experts

Click on the file below to hear a sample of the presentation.  

Click here for access to the full video and pdf.

SDP membership is required for full access to this and all other archived webinars.

Keywords: framing framestruc, objectives hierarchy objhier

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