Part Part II: II: Tutorials Tutor ials
[email protected] [email protected] www.expertchoice.com
Quick Start Guide and Tutorials Copyright 2000-2004 Expert Choice, Inc., Arlington, VA, USA Software Copyright Expert Choice 1982-2004, Patents: 4,613,946; 5,995,728; 6,067,719; other patents pending. Expert Choice, Inc., Arlington, VA USA
Expert Choice Tutorials Table of Contents Abou Ab ou t the t he Exper Ex per t Choi Ch oice ce Tuto Tu to rials ri als Introduction to Expert Choice Overview of Expert Choice Features Features What What Expert Choice is used for: Installing Expert Choice Starting Expert Choice
1 3 5 7 9 9
Conventions Used in the Tutorials
11
Lesson 1 - Buildin g A Model
13
Building a Model Overview
13
Starting / Creating a New Model (File)
13
Adding (Entering) Objectives to the TreeView
15
Renaming Nodes and Deleting Nodes
15
Trash Can
16
Adding Sub-Objectives in the TreeView
16
Saving Your Model
16
Moving and Copying Nodes in the TreeView / Hierarchy
16
Reverting to an Older Version of your Model
17
Adding (Entering) Alternatives in the Alternatives Pane
17
Assessments / Pairwise Comparisons Overview
18
Changing the Paired Comparison Type
19
Making Verbal Judgments for the Objectives Overview
19
Inconsistency
22
Examining and Improving Inconsistency
23
Judgments for the Sub-objectives, Using the Graphical Mode
24
Comparing the Alternatives, Using the Numersical Mode
25
Once All Judgments are Made and Priorities are Derived
27
Redraw Commands
27
Making an Objective or Alternative Dormant in the Pairwise Comparison Matrix
28
Synthesis - Getting the Results
29
Synthesis Commands
30
Sensitivity Analyses - Graphs
31
Dynamic Sensitivity
32
Performance Sensitivity
33
Gradient Sensitivity Graph
35
Head-to-Head Graph
35
Two-Dimensional (2D Plot)
36
Lesson 2 - Structuring - Another Way Way to Build A Model
39
______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials Structuring Overview
39
Theoretical Foundation of Structuring
39
Building a Model Using Top-down Structuring - Affinity Diagramming
40
Adding / Entering Objectives
41
Clustering Ideas
42
Entering Alternatives
43
Viewing the Hierarchy
44
Grouping Nodes in the Hierarchy
44
Bottom-up Structuring using Pros ad Cons – Building a Model Using Bottom-up Structuring
45
Entering Pros and Cons of the Alternatives
45
Viewing the All Pros and Cons List
47
Building the Hierarchy
47
Converting the Remaining Pros and Cons to Objectives
48
Information Documents and Notes
49
Object Linking and Embedding
50
Lesso n 3 - Data Grid and Ratings
53
Data Grid Overview
53
Why Use the Data Grid?
54
When to Use Ratings
54
Resizing and Moving Around the Data Grid
56
Viewing the Totals Column
57
Adding an Alternative to the Data Grid
58
Entering Ratings
58
Copying Formula Types
60
Deleting a Formula Type
60
Revert Command
60
Creating a Ratings Scale
61
Diagonal Pairwise Comparisons
62
Modifying an Existing Ratings Scale
64
Selecting Alternatives from the Data Grid to Include in the ModelView
65
Entering an Ideal Alternative
67
Lesso n 4 - Other Data Grid Functi ons
69
Other Data Grid Formula Types Overview
69
Step Function Overview
69
Creating a Step Formula from a Ratings Formula
69
Steps to Create a Step Formula from Scratch
70
Increasing or Decreasing Utility Curves Overview
71
Decreasing Utility Curves
73
Steps to Create a Decreasing Utility Curve from Scratch
75
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Increasing Utility Curves
76
Steps to Create an Increasing Utility Curve from Scratch
77
Direct Formula
78
Formula Type None
78
Must Constraints
78
Lesso n 5 - User Defined Column s & Data Mapping
81
User Defined Columns and Mapping Overview
81
User Defined Columns
81
Mapping in the Data Grid to an External Database
82
Importing Data from an External Database
83
Exporting Data to an External Database
86
Lesson 6 - Group Capabilities
89
Group Expert Choice Overview
89
Facilitator vs. Participant Functions – What the facilitator can do.
89
Creating a Group Model
90
Access and SQL Databases
90
Adding Participants to and Group Enabling your Group Model
91
Copying Judgments and/or Data when Adding New Participants
91
Deleting Participants
92
Group Decision Making Using Keypads
92
What the Facilitator Does
93
What the Participant Does
94
Using Keypads to Make Verbal Judgments
94
Using Keypads to Make Numerical Judgments
96
Group Decision Making Using a Network
98
Opening a Group Model on a Network
98
Group Decision Making Using a Network
99
Practice Opening a Group Model on a Network
103
When and How to Combine Judgments and Data in a Group Model
104
Combining Judgments and/or Data
105
Combining From the ModelView
107
Combining from the Data Grid
107
Combining from the Participants Window
107
Lesso n 7 - Web Models and the Internet
109
Web Models and the Internet Overview
109
System Requirements:
109
Creating a Remote DSN Model for an Access Expert Choice Model
109
Creating a Remote DSN for a SQL Expert Choice Model
116
Accessing a Model over the Web
117 iii
______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials
Lesson 8 - Resource Aligner - Resource Allocation
119
Resource Allocation Terminology
119
Resource Aligner - Main Window
121
Discrete Alternative Resource Allocation Optimization (DARA)
123
Discrete Alternative Resource Allocation Example - Hawthorne Valley
123
Activity Level Resource Allocation Optimization
131
Activity Level Resource Allocation Example - Hotspots
132
Resource Aligner Menu Commands
137
Resource Aligner File Menu
137
Resource Aligner Custom Constraints Menu
137
Resource Aligner View Menu
138
Resource Aligner Go To Menu
138
Dependencies
139
Funding Pools
140
Groups
141
Colon Notation for Activity Level Resource Allocation
143
Risks
143
Increasing Budgets
144
Lesson 9 - About Reports and Output to Word & Excel
147
Reporting and Output to Word and Excel Overview
147
Printing and Report Functions
147
Input/Output to Word & Excel from the File Menu
148
Hierarchy to Word
148
Alternatives to Word
149
Importing (Input) from Word
149
Data Grid Information to Excel
150
Area Validatio n Exerc ise Appen di x
153
Area Validation - Numerical
155
Validation Questions
156
Area Validation - Verbal
156
Results & Conclusion
157
Receiver and Keypad App endix
159
Programming the Keypads
160
How the Hardware and Keypads are Activated
161
Selecting Keypad Options
161
Facilitator Keypad
162
Using Keypads Anonymously
163
Default Facilitator Menus
163
Common Keypad Troubleshooting Questions
165 iv
Expert Choice Glossary
167
Absolute Measurement
167
Active Alternatives
167
Active Participants
167
Activity Level Resource Allocation
167
Affinity Diagramming
167
Alternatives
167
Assessment
167
Autoadvance
168
Autoredraw
168
Base Case Maximum
168
Best Fit
168
Bottom Up Structuring
168
Budget Limit
168
Child Node
168
Cluster
168
ClusterView
169
Comparisons - Modes of
169
Complete Hierarchy
169
Covering Objective
169
Criterion / Criteria
169
Data Grid
169
Diagonal Pairwise
169
Distributive Synthesis
169
Feasible/Infeasible Solution
170
Formulas Grid
170
Formula Type
170
Gap Analysis
170
Geometric Average
170
Geometric Indicator
170
Geometric Variance
170
Global Alternatives
171
Global Priority
171
Goal Node
171
Grandchild
171
Graphical Comparison Mode
171
Hierarchy
171
Ideal Synthesis
171 v
___________________________________________________ ________________________ ______________________________ ___ Expert Choice Tutorials Ideal Synthesis and Resource Allocation
172
Incomplete Hierarchy
172
Inconsistency Ratio and Index
172
Information Document
173
Instensity Scales
173
Invert
173
Judgment
173
Judgment vs. Data
174
Local Priority
174
ModelView
174
Musts in the Data Grid
174
Node
174
Note
174
Numerical Comparison Mode
174
Objective
174
Optimal Solution
175
Pairwise Comparisons/Paired Comparisons
175
Parent Node
175
Plex
175
Priority
175
Pros and Cons - Structuring
175
Ratings
175
Redraw
175
Relative Measurement
176
Resource Allocation
176
Sensitivity Analysis
176
Sibling Node
176
Step Function
176
Structural Adjust
176
Structuring
177
Sub-objective (Sub-Criterion)
177
Synthesis
177
TreeView
177
Top Down Structuring (Affinity Diagramming)
177
Utility Curves
177
Verbal Comparison Mode
177
What-if
177
Index
179 vi
Abou Ab ou t the t he Exper Ex per t Choi Ch oi ce Tuto Tu to rials ri als The purpose of the tutorials is to teach you how to use the major f eatures of the Expert Choice software. Consider the decision process involved in selecting a vendor for an IT project. When an organization selects a vendor, they usually have several objectives they want to satisfy before they will be happy with their selection. Examples of these objectives may be to maximize performance and reliability, while minimizing cost. Additionally, some objectives may have subobjectives and sub sub-objectives. sub-objectives. In the following tutorials you will learn how to use Expert Choice to evaluate alternatives and measure their relative benefits to t he decision-maker(s) objectives.
Lesson 1, Building a Model, will guide you through building a hierarchical model with objectives, sub-objectives and alternatives, viewing the overall results (synthesis) and performing sensitivity analyses.
Lesson 2, Structuring, illustrates other ways to build a model. With the top-down approach, you cluster objectives and then add alternatives; this process is known as Affinity Diagramming. With the bottom-up approach you convert alternatives' pros and cons to objectives.
Lesson 3, the Data Grid , explains the grid and demonstrates Ratings, the first of several different approaches for applying values to a model.
Lesson 4 continues to explain the remaining Data Grid approaches: Step Functions , Utility Curves , and Entering Priorities Directly .
Lesson 5 explains how to define and use: user defined columns that are not part of the objectives hierarchy; link data fro m external databases databases to Expert Choice; and import data from Expert Choice to external databases.
Lesson 6 shows shows you how to group enable a model for use in a team setting using either a local area network or the Internet.
Lesson 7, Web Models and the Internet, is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to access models on a network. In addition, Expert Choice’s Decision Portal (ECDP) , a hosted service, enables you to make your models available to your participants via via the Internet. Then participants can make judgments about objectives or alternatives in a model from any where and at time using a browser and an Internet connection. This function is outside the scope of this document; for more information contact Expert Choice.
Lesson 8, the resource allocation component, known as Resource Aligner , is a way to select a combination of alternatives that maximize (optimize) the attainment of objectives while not exceeding a specified budget.
Lesson 9 discusses discusses how to produce produce reports reports and export information information to Word and Excel. Excel. The Area Val id ati on Exerc is e Ap pen di x shows you how Expert Choice converts seemingly meaningless words into accurate ratio scale priorities.
The Keypad and Receiver Appendix explains how to use radio frequency reply system with Expert Choice. This feature enables an organization to have a portable decision room where many participants can evaluate a group model.
A Glossary of Expert Choice Terminology is presented in this section. We recommend that you perform each lesson in order. Lesson 2, S tructuring, can be bypassed although it is highly recommended. You can perform the area validation exercise after performing Lesson 1. Lessons 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 describe various functions of Expert Choice. At the beginning of each section we reference models, if applicable, which are found 1
______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials in the sample models directory (ecsamples) that is usually stored under the root directory. Lesson 7 and the Receiver and Hardware Appendix can be read as needed. We also recommend that you use the Expert Choice Contents and Index found on the Help Menu when using Expert Choice as this document contains information not presented here.
2
Introduction to Expert Choice Expert Choice (EC) software is a multi-objective decision support tool based on t he Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a mathematical theory first developed at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania by one of Expert Choice's founders, Thomas L. S aaty. The AHP is a powerful and comprehensive methodology designed to facilitate sound decision making by using both empirical data as well as subjective judgments of the decision-maker. The AHP assists with the decision making process by providing decision-makers with a structure to organize and evaluate the importance of various objectives and the preferences of alternative solutions to a decision. Following are the steps used in AHP and EC:
Brainstorm and structure a decision as a hierarchical model
Set the type and mode of pairwise comparisons or data grid functions
Group enable the model
Import data to Expert Choice from external databases
Pairwise compare the objectives and sub-objectives for their importance in the decision
If applicable, pairwise compare the alternatives for their preference with respect to the objectives, or assess them using one of the following: ratings or step functions, utility curves, or entering priorities directly
Synthesize to determine the best alternative
Perform sensitivity analysis
Export data to external databases.
To perform resource allocations using Expert Choice’s Resource Aligner to optimize alternative projects subject to budgetary and other constraints
Expert Choice has a unique method of using pairwise comparisons to derive priorities that can more accurately reflect your perceptions and values than any other way. Expert Choice synthesizes or combines the priorities that you derive for each facet of your problem to obtain the overall priorities of your alternatives. By performing "what-if" and sensitivity analyses, you can quickly determine how a change in the importance of an objective would affect the alternatives of choice. If the results of your decision model dif fer from your intuition; you can modif y the model and/or judgments until the model incorporates your intuition. Then the model results will either change to conform to your "gut" feeling, or your intuition will change based upon your modeling. In the former case, you will not only have verified your "gut" feeling, but you will have a detailed justification, if one is required. In the latter case, you will have learned something and avoided a costly mistake. Expert Choice provides for the synthesis of different peoples' judgments. Expert Choice is also useful for forecasting, assessing risk and uncertainty, and deriving probability distributions.
3
Overview of Expert Choice Features These are some of the features available in Expert Choice.
User friendly displays that make decision model building straightforward and simple
ModelView containing one of the following:
TreeView pane – a hierarchy of objectives, plus the Alternatives and rich text end-user documentation in the form of Information Documents
Affinity Diagramming pane – a presentation of the decision hierarchy (objectives, sub-objectives) that look much post-its with one node dropped inside another, plus alternatives and information documents
Pros and Cons associated with a selected alternative, the alternatives and information documents
TreeView with automatic expansion and collapsing of branches including:
Long objectives/names of the criteria to allow for in-depth explanations
Drag and drop manipulation of objectives and sub-objectives in the TreeView or Affinity Diagramming
Unlimited Levels in Hierarchy – build larger, more complex decision models Information Documents – easily accessible from most windows, enabling you to import videos, sound or text or even run other programs
Notes – another form of documentation, where each group participant can enter their own comments related to the decision process
Data Grid Approaches
Ratings
Step Functions
Increasing and Decreasing Utility Curves
Direct Entry of Priorities
User Defied Columns
Data Conversion – ability to rapidly convert large amounts of raw data from existing databases to prioritized information to be used for decision-making
Resource Aligner – ability to optimize resources and allocate funds (budgets) with varying constraints, groups, funding pools and risks
Printing/Reporting – easily exportable reports to Microsoft Word and Excel
Network capabilities for group decision-making including Expert Choice’s Decision Portal using a browser
Reply System Receiver and Keypad capability for group decision making
Resource Allocation – a way to select a combination of alternatives that maximize (optimize) the attainment of objectives while not exceeding a specified budget – available as an Expert Choice add on.
Group Expert Choice
Expert Choice helps participants of a group define objectives, sub-objectives and alternatives and then organize them into a structured hierarchical tree. Once participants compare and 5
______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials prioritize the relative importance of the decision objectives, Expert Choice is then used to synthesize the group's judgments to arrive at a conclusion. Then the team can examine how changing the priorities of any objective affects the outcome by manipulating one of four dynamic sensitivity graphs. By keeping the participants focused on the problem, Expert Choice contributes to more efficient use of meeting time. Abo ut th e Int ern et an d In tr anet Featu res
In addition to the features described above Expert Choice is a decision-support software tool designed to help groups enhance the quality of their decisions by bringing structure to the decision making process. It enables group members any place in the world to solve decisions together through the Internet using their own n etwork. Expert Choice’s Decision Portal provides web capability and works as a virtual meeting place allowing for each participant's input to be officially heard and included in the final decision. This not only reinforces buy-in from all members but also saves on travel time and costs. For more information about this feature contact Expert Choice. Abo ut th e Key pad s
If Expert Choice is keypad enabled you can create a group decision room where members of your team can brainstorm and answer questionnaires. Then the results can be structured into a decision hierarchy. Using the electronic keypads, up to 150 people can make judgments about the objectives or sub-objectives and alternatives of a decision problem. Like the Internet version, the keypad version keeps the participants focused on the problem, while contributing to more efficient use of meeting time.
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What Expert Choice is used for: Expert Choice is designed to help individuals and groups in the analysis, synthesis and justification of complex decisions and evaluations. Thousands of businesses and government agencies worldwide use Expert Choice for a variety of applications including:
Resource Allocation
Source Selection
Human Resource Management
Employee Performance Evaluation
Salary Decisions
Formulating Marketing Strategy
Selecting Alternatives
Predicting Likely Outcomes
Analytical Planning
Facilitating Group Decision Making
Benefit/Cost Analysis
Engineering Design Evaluations
Production and Operations Management
Policy Formulation and Evaluation
Evaluating Acquisitions and Mergers
Supplier Evaluation
Credit Analysis
Customer Feedback
IT Portfolio Management
Product Pricing Decisions
Innovation Management
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Installing Expert Choice To install Expert Choice with Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 or higher, Windows 2000 and Windows XP:
Insert the CD into CD drive. If the CD does not automatically start then from Windows:
1.
Select Start , and then select Run.
2.
Select Browse; then select the launch.exe file from your CD Rom directory.
Follow the instructions on the screen. When prompted, enter your name, company name and Expert Choice serial number .
Note: If you do not have a serial number or do not enter a valid serial number, then only the trial version features will be enabled. Dependent upon your computer policies you may need administrative privileges to install Expert Choice . In this guide we use t he words SELECT and CLICK interchangeably.
Starting Expert Choice
From Windows click the Start button; then select Programs .
From the list select Expert Choice.
From the second list, select Expert Choice.
Alternatively, if an Expert Choice icon has been installed on your desk-top you can click the icon.
9
Conventions Used in the Tutorials
Window refers to one of several EC windows: ModelView Data Grid Formulas Grid Resource Aligner
Pane is a portion of a window. A window can have several panes that change as different portions of Expert Choice are accessed. Mouse Conventions
If you have a multiple-button mouse, the left mouse button is the primary mouse button, unless you have configured it differently. Any procedure that requires you to click the secondary button will say, "right-click." Click
Items following the word "Click" will appear in bold typeface.
Select…, then…
Press the mouse button once on the menu bar item. Move the cursor to the specified item within the sub-menu and press the mouse button again or slide the cursor to the specified item and release the mouse button. For example: Select File, then Open . Then move the mouse to the word File on the menu bar and click once. Move the mouse to the word Open on the drop-down menu and click once.
Drag
Press and hold the left-mouse button on the indicated item as you move the mouse to the designated location, dragging the item with the mouse pointer, and then release the mouse button on t he desired destination.
Type
When you are required to enter data, we use the word "Type", followed by what is to be entered in bold print; for example: Type Performance
Scroll Bars
Click and drag the arrows on a scroll bar, located at the right-side or bottom of a window, to scroll within a window.
Using the Keyboard t o Select a Menu Command
Special keys are in bold and should be pressed to perform an action include: Enter , Esc , F1, Tab, Alt . For example, you can press Alt plus F to select the Files command from the menu bar. This will drop the file menu down and you can then select the item you want by again pressing one of the underlined keys. Getting Help while using Expert Choic e – press Alt H or select Help from the menu. Context sensitive help is available by pressing function key F1. Hot Keys – Most menu items have hot keys that are underlined and can be invoked by pressing the Alt key in combination with the hot key. The hot keys may not be underlined in Windows 2000 until the Alt key is pressed. Shortcut keys exist for some, but not all of the menu commands. You can see the shortcuts when a drop-down menu is selected using the keyboard or the mouse.
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______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials Standard Editing Keys
Text can be edited using the same keys you would use for a typical word processor. arrow keys
move the cursor horizontally and vertically through the text
Delete
deletes character immediately to the right of the cursor
backspace key
deletes character immediately to the left of the cursor
Home
moves the cursor to the beginning of t he line
End
moves the cursor to the end of the line
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Lesson 1 - Building A Model Building a Model Overview
This lesson describes how to build an Expert Choice model. In this lesson you will learn how to insert objectives, sub-objectives and alternatives into the decision model, make judgments (paired comparisons), synthesize to get your results and view sensitivity analyses. Building a hierarchy is as much an art as it is a science. Following are guidelines that you need to keep in mind before beginning to build any model. By keeping these two simple guidelines in mind, you will be able to model complex decisions correctly and efficiently. Guideline 1: Try not to include more t han nine elements in any cluster because experiments have shown that it is cognitively challenging for human beings to deal with more than nine factors at one time and t his can result in less accurate priorities. Guideline 2: Try to cluster elements so that they include elements that are "comparable", or do not differ by orders of magnitude. In other words, try not to include items of very small significance in the same cluster as items of greater significance. The purpose of a hierarchy is to cluster the more important elements with each other and the less important elements with each other. Differentiating B etween Objectives and Criteria
In practice, the words objectives and criteria are used interchangeably. An objective is something that is sought after or aimed at, whereas, a criterion is a principle or a standard that an idea or objective is judged by. When dealing with choice models, we will use the word objectives rather than criteria because it better describes the purpose of the evaluation – to select the alternative that best meets an individual’s or group’s objectives.
Starting / Creating a New Model (File)
In this lesson we are going to b uild a new model. Figure 1 shows our ModelView window consisting of three panes that contains our completed model. I f you make the same judgments that we suggest during this lesson then your model will look like this.
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______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials
Figure 1 – Lesson One Sample Model
TreeView pane – displays the hierarchical listing of the objectives and sub-objectives. This is where you will enter the objectives and sub-objectives of your decision. Each element in the TreeView is also referred to as a Node. Al ter nat iv es pane – displays the active alternatives. A lternatives can be added to your model from this pane or from the Data Grid (the latter to be explained in Lesson 3). Information document pane – displays information about the highlighted objective or alternative in either the TreeView or Alt ernatives pane. To create a model
Click the Windows Start key, select Programs ; select Expert Choice program group and then select Expert Choice. Then a blank ModelView window consisting of three panes will appear with a Welcome to Expert Choice dialogue box superimposed over the ModelView.
Tip: If you have already created an icon for Expert Choice on you r desktop, you m ay double click the icon to start.
Using the Welcome to Expert Choice dialogue box, select Create new m odel and click OK . Note: To open a recently opened model, select Recent; then select a model from the drop-down list or select Browse existing files.
Tip: If you don 't want use the Welcome dialogue box, select Esc; then from the ModelView, select File, then New.
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Expert Choice T utorials_______________________________________________________
A dialogue box will appear that prompts you to type a file name. Type Laptop; then click Open.
Another dialogue box will appear prompting you to "Enter a description for your goal." Type To purchase a laptop comput er ; then click OK . Notice your model has no elements below the goal; this is indicated by the gray rectangle next to your goal description. Now you will enter the objectives and subobjectives of your decision model.
Add in g (Ent eri ng ) Obj ect iv es t o t he Tr eeView
To enter your first objective:
Select Edit , then Insert Child of Current Node, then a node will appear below the Goal.
Type your first objective, Performance: a laptop that is fast and hol ds a lot of data, then press Enter . Notice that the gray rectangle next to t he Goal changed to yellow after you have entered the first objective; this means that there are items below the goal.
Tip: A quick way to insert an objective is to right-click on the Goal and select Insert Child of Current Node from t he drop down m enu. Once you have entered an objective, you may right-click on it and select Insert Sibling of Current Node to enter other objecti ves on the same level.
Type your second objective, Reliability: a laptop that is durable, then press Enter . Notice when you add the second objective the yellow rectangle, to t he left of the goal node, now includes a red rectangle in its center; this means that the objectives below the goal have not been assessed.
We will now continue entering in our objectives. Notice that we briefly define our objectives to help clarify what we are trying to accomplish.
Type your third objective, Customer Service: easily accessible Technical Support , then Enter .
Type your fourth objective, Price: affordable with some bells and whistles ; then press Enter .
Press Enter to stop inserting children.
Renaming Nodes and Deleting Nodes
If you make mistakes while entering nodes or feel that you have added too many, move to the node that you would like to either be renamed or deleted and do either of the following:
Select Edit, then select Edit Node to rename a node, or 15
______________________________________________________ Expert Choice Tutorials
Select Edit ; then select Delete Node to delete a node.
Trash Can
Trash receives nodes that have been deleted from the model (Edit, Delete Node) or copied using Edit, Copy Plex to Trash Can.
From the ModelView, select View, Trash Can . Once items are in the trash can t hey appear in a Trash window and can be dragged and dropped back into the hierarchy by positioning the cursor over the node t hat will receive them.
Add in g Su b-Ob jec ti ves i n t he Tr eeView
In this tutorial, we will enter sub-objectives for only one of the top-level objectives. In a "real" decision model you might add sub-objectives for most top-level objectives . To illustrate how to do this, we use our objective: Performance: a laptop that is fast and can hold a lot of data. To enter the first sub-objective under an objective:
Click the objective, Performance, and it will become highlighted.
Select Edit ; then Insert Child of Current Node. Type Speed ; then press Enter .
To enter the second sub-objective:
Type Size of Hard Drive; then press Enter . Press Enter again to stop inserting children.
Saving Your Model
Since some of your model is stored in memory versus the database, it is important to continuously save your model additions or modifications; to do so:
Select File; then Save. Alternatively, you can click the save button on the button bar or use the shortcut keys Ctrl S.
Tip: If you termi nate your Expert Choice session now by selecti ng File, Exit you can easily retrieve the most recently accessed models by selectin g one of the entries in th e bottom portion of the File, Open menu dropdown list.
Moving and Copyi ng Nodes in t he TreeView / Hierarchy
You have the ability to re-order the nodes in the hierarchy any way you want. To move nodes follow the steps below. 16
