The options are scored against a set of factors important to the decision. The factors themselves are weighted numerically to put them in order of least to most important. A decision is reached by giving a score for each option against each of the factors and then multiplying the score by the weighting. This is done on a grid which can be paper based or built in an .xlsx excel spreadsheet. To save you the time, there is a weighted decision matrix template on our downloads page.

Once a matrix is completed, it is easy to quickly change scores and weightings to influence the result. It is most helpful in that it allows a user to think through all options associated with a decision and forces them to assess the relative importance of all the factors involved. This can be done in isolation or as a group where others are affected by the decision. The technique encourages simple decisions to be thought through and systematically analysed helping to avoid those, “I wish I’d thought of that” moments.

You can see an example of a decision to be reached, the options and the factors involved clearly in this simple decision matrix below: