What is AHP?

Complex or important decisions should not be based solely on instinct. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a mathematically rigorous, proven process for prioritization and complex multicriteria decision-making. By reducing complex decisions to a series of pair-wise comparisons, then synthesizing the results, AHP helps decision-makers arrive at the best decision with a clear rationale for that decision.

AHP can help managers and developers combine all of this information and make informed decisions — whether prioritizing customer needs, sorting product features, making budget decisions involving a variety of tangible and intangible strategic goals, managing conflicting stakeholders, or selecting from hundreds of alternative initiatives to be pursued.

AHP is now the recommended prioritization method specified by ISO 16355. This standard obsoletes the classical House of Quality matrix (HoQ) that still uses ordinal scale math. Those who still use the traditional HoQ method and/or 4-phase model urgently need to modernize their practice now.

AHP Tutorial

Although the AHP is introduced in the QFD Green Belt® training, this tutorial goes deeper, providing participants step-by-step, hands-on practice for:

  • Aligning their decisions with their organizational objectives

  • Implementing a structured, repeatable and justifiable decision making approach combining both objective and subjective criteria

  • Leveraging organizational expertise

  • Improving top-down and bottom-up communication

  • Building consensus

  • Used for prioritizing strategies, project selection, prioritizing customer segments and use cases,. prioritizing customer needs, technology selection (with Super Pugh), vendor selection, designating facilities and locations, and other complex decisions.

  • Prioritizing customer needs

Includes AHP templates (MS Excel).

Who should attend?

Product development specialists, Design for Lean/Six Sigma (DFLS / DFSS) black belts and master black belts, project managers, marketing teams, specialists in customer requirement management (CRM), and anyone who is involved in decision making, financial decisions, risk analysis, strategy.