General improvements
Fixed problem where the best-fit indicator on the pair-wise was positioned incorrectly when only using two objectives (=100% consistency)
The number format of the Budget/Benefit info now follows the number format of the first alternative’s “cost” format (the number format of the first alternative’s cost is used).
The cost-benefit chart number formats and wording now follows that of the alternatives “cost” header
Fixed a critical bug where the judgements could switch position when deleting an objective
Fixed problem where the best fit was displayed at the top of the pair-wise when consistency was 100%
Improved performance in calculation of the objectives and inconsistencies
Improved calculation of the inconsistencies - gap between current judgement and best fit now measured, and when below a threshold, the inconsistency highlight is removed
Consistency threshold changed to 90%
Fixed bug where light-grey numbers could appear below the pair-wise
Bug fixed where changing a rating could cause fD to crash if the alternatives had not yet been ranked
Link to latest release notes fixed
Modified unique code generation when requesting a license to avoid hidden characters
Fixed error displayed when showing the Ideal alternative
Fixed bug when changing from a Custom rating to a Linear rating
decisionAccelerator is now called fastDecision. The new version number is 4.0.
New licensing scheme introduced based on a License Key. The License Key is valid even if the user replaces their machine, and should therefore be kept in a safe place.
Instructions to request a license key and activate fastProject. This license key can be used for both fastProject and fastDecision, and it can be used again if you change computers, without having to contact lateralworks.
Read MoreInstructions to request a license key and activate fastDecision.
Read MoreRight-mouse click menu added for faster access to dA functionality:
Context menu items are sensitive based on whether the cell is an Objective, Alternative or Constraint
Clicking anywhere else on a model reveals a reduced set of Excel functions
Reset Priorities is always visible when on a model, no matter where the user clicks
Clicking on a non-model reveals the standard Excel menu
Bug fixed where it was possible to delete the first alternative in the list when there was only two alternatives (the user should have been prompted a model must have a minimum of two alternatives).
Calculate manually added back to the Objectives tab. This is a global “do not calculate flag” so changing the objective’s pair-wise or the alternative’s rankings does not recalculate the objectives or the alternatives. This is primarily used for those with laptops from the Stone Age.
Fixed bug where the error message “Must be on a model.” would appear, even if on a decision model.
Consistency now turned off during sensitivity analysis
Fixed problem where sorting the objectives after performing a sensitivity analysis more than two times would cause the original pair-wise judgements to be lost
Fixed problem when deleting an objective, where selecting an entire row (vs. just the objective’s name) would cause 16,364 cells to be deleted
Fixed problem where “Calculate pair-wise” remained checked when “Force rank” was unchecked
Improved representation of bars in the rankings table with only positive and negative values and when “high values are good” and “low values are good”
Decision models have three major components; goal, objectives, and alternatives. Some people use "criteria" instead of "objective." There is no "right" or "wrong" term, just different interpretations. When you look at the literature on AHP you find both, for example this good wiki descriptionuses "criterion" and it is hard to find the word objective anywhere. Others only use Objective. The more models we build the more we understand why using "objective" results in better models.
Read MoreHorizontal project scoring versus vertical prioritization (the zero-sum game). Traditional "project scoring" systems we see look like this... a list of projects in a spreadsheet scored against some sort of measurement criteria. Sometimes the criteria is weighted by importance. Each row (project) is scored against the weighted criteria. The rows are totaled and each project gets a score. Some have called this "horizontal scoring."
Read MoreTraditional "project scoring" systems we see look like this... a list of projects in a spreadsheet scored against some sort of measurement criteria. Sometimes the criteria is weighted by importance. The "weighting of criteria" approach does provide some degree of influence over the project scoring results, but it fails to capture the proportional relationships between criteria or what we like to call "Objectives."
Read MoreTraditional "project scoring" systems we see look like this... a list of projects in a spreadsheet scored against some sort of measurement criteria. Sometimes the criteria is weighted by importance.
Read MoreNew streamlined ribbon interface
Speed improvements
Pair-wise names now displayed rather than bars
Inconsistencies now permanently displayed and visible by a red (most inconsistent) or orange (second most inconsistent) border around the judgement (cell)
Note: all current dA models will need to be upgraded to see the inconsistencies
Bug fixed where an error would be caused if the pair-wise cell was < -9 or >9. This could caused if the pair-wise was automatically calculated from a force rank.
Hiding unused columns now includes columns starting with the word “Column”
Formatting of the budget on the cost-benefit chart fixed
Iterations number displayed when generating a cost-benefit chart now correct
If you are new to the concept of decision modeling and/or decisionAccelerator, or just need a refresher, we suggest you watch the following tutorials in order.
Problem fixed where the bars were shown incorrectly when "Low was set to good”
Bars in the ranking table are now split so negative values are represented by a red bar to the left of the zero position and positive values by a blue bar to the right of the zero position. To make it easier to read, the table now has vertical lines marking the boundary of each cell.
Chart now as a separate file rather than integrated into the dA model. This allows multiple Cost-Benefit charts to be created and, if needed, merged into a single file if different scenarios are being developed.
The chart now scales to the number of budget increments/alternatives
An “information” screen is now displayed reporting the progress of the creating the cost-benefit chart. This will be particularly useful for charts that take a significant time to create, reassuring the user that it is working.
For charts that take a significant amount of time to create, try reducing the number of budget increments
Improved interface for defining a Values, Values ($) and a Linear scale
Bars in the ranking table are now split so negative values are represented by a red bar and positive values by a blue bar. To make it easier to read, the table now has vertical lines marking the boundary of each score.
Problem fixed where the bars were shown incorrectly when "Low was set to good”
Chart now as a separate file rather than integrated into the dA model. This allows multiple Cost-Benefit charts to be created and, if needed, merged into a single file if different scenarios are being developed.
The chart now scales to the number of budget increments/alternatives
An “information” screen is now displayed reporting the progress of the creating the cost-benefit chart. This will be particularly useful for charts that take a significant time to create, reassuring the user that it is working.
For charts that take a significant amount of time to create, try reducing the number of budget increments
Framework sheet updated (and moved to after CostBenefit chart)
Risks, PPA and Business Cases moved to separate sheets and Grouping removed
Dependency constraints removed
Excel tabs now visible when on a regular Excel worksheet - also better handling of other Excel files that are open
Red “best fit” arrow now just a line to avoid display problems with different screen resolutions
Bug fixed where the blue bars were not updated when an alternative was excluded
% Rating fixed
Slow performance fixed when saving a Custom rating
Custom form now dynamically changes size based on the length of the custom name
Custom name now highlighted on the form
We’ve just released a new version of decisionAccelerator, so make sue to update.
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