A decision support system for multiattribute utility evaluation based on imprecise assignments

Abstract

This paper describes a decision support system based on an additive or multiplicative multiattribute utility model for identifying the optimal strategy. This is intended to allay many of the operational difficulties involved in assessing and using multiattribute utility functions. The system admits imprecise assignments for weights and utilities and uncertainty in the multiattribute strategies, which can be defined in terms of ranges for each attribute instead of single values. Inputs can be subjected to different sensitivity analyses, permitting users to test the robustness of the ranking of the strategies and gain insight into and confidence about the final solution. An application of the system to the restoration of a contaminated lake is illustrated throughout the paper.