Multikriterienanalysen

MultiKriterienAnalysen, often abbreviated as MCA, is a methodology used to support decision-making when faced with multiple, often conflicting, objectives. It provides a structured approach to evaluating and comparing different alternatives based on a set of criteria. The core idea is to systematically assess how well each option performs against each of the defined criteria, and then to aggregate these performances into an overall ranking or evaluation.

The process typically begins with identifying the decision problem and defining the set of possible alternatives. Next, the relevant criteria that will be used to evaluate these alternatives are established. These criteria should be comprehensive and cover all important aspects of the decision. Following this, the performance of each alternative against each criterion is assessed, often involving the assignment of scores or values. A crucial step is then to assign weights to the criteria, reflecting their relative importance. Finally, an aggregation method is applied to combine the weighted scores, leading to an overall evaluation of the alternatives and, ideally, a clear recommendation for the best course of action. Various MCA techniques exist, differing in their specific aggregation methods and the way they handle qualitative and quantitative data.