This paper describes an application in group decision making, aimed at developing a procedure to help define priorities in preventive maintenance activities. The method applied is called DRV Processes (Decision with Reduction of Variability) and it combines both statistical techniques and multicriteria decision aid procedures. Among its advantages, we may highlight the possibility of reducing the noise affecting information in group decision making and of reaching a consensual decision. This approach generally improves the level of shared knowledge and helps to avoid conflict within the group. The application was carried out in a major pharmaceutical production plant. The experience showed an eighty per cent reduction in the original amount of process noise. Moreover, the paper describes evidence of improvement in interpersonal relationships.

Este trabalho busca auxiliar na solução de um problema de seleção de uma aeronave enfrentado por uma empresa aérea que estuda o investimento na atividade de voo charter regional. A empresa em análise, pertencente a um grupo econômico cujo negócio principal é a logística, dispõe de oito alternativas a serem avaliadas sob onze diferentes critérios. A metodologia utilizada para a solução do problema é um novo método de apoio à decisão multicritério derivado do método de Borda, denominado Método de Borda com Utilização das Medianas. A utilização do método se justifica por sua característica de ser menos influenciado que o método original pelas alternativas irrelevantes e por sua facilidade de entendimento e baixa complexidade computacional. O método forneceu resultados consistentes, dando suporte confiável à decisão.

This article tries to solve a problem of selecting an airship for an airline company whose core business is regional charter flights. The company belongs to an economic group whose main activity is logistics. The decision problem that the company faces has eight alternatives to be accessed according to eleven criteria. For approaching the problem a novel multicriteria decision aiding method is used. This new method is one variant of the classical Borda method denoted by Modified or Median-based Borda Method. Using this new method is justified by the fact that it is less influenced by the irrelevant alternatives as well as by its easy of understanding and its low computational complexity. The thus Modified Borda Method provided for consistent results and thus led to a reliable decision support.

This paper presents an application of three multiple criteria methods to determining rank of residential real estate options. Methods SAW and TODIM are based on eliciting the decision maker's preferences (weights and values) directly in a quantitative form while using linear (SAW) and non-linear (TODIM) aggregation functions for alternatives' evaluation. ZAPROS seeks and uses preferences in an ordinal form as an indirect comparison of trade-offs between criteria. Advantages and disadvantages of different approaches are discussed.

The aim of this article is to present, through a real case, a practical way, based on Multicriteria Decision Aiding, to support decision making in Plastic Surgery. The case studied was a Caucasian woman of 36 years of age with mammarian hypertrophia with ptosis and abdominal lipodystrophy, making it necessary to select the most adequate techniques for the best aesthetic result. For this purpose, the multicriteria methods Even Swaps and PrOACT were used. Three plastic surgeons working in the city of Rio de Janeiro with equivalent professional experience were consulted as decision agents. In order to define the objectives to be achieved, the criteria relevant to the making of the decision and the alternatives which could be used were identified. Throughout this identification and in the later analysis the surgeons participated in the application of the methods, which contributed towards facilitating their acceptance of the multicriteria analysis in their decision making. It was confirmed, in this case study, that the use of Multicriteria Decision Aiding tends to make the medical decision more wide ranging and, above all, transparent. The plastic surgeons themselves validated the analysis, considering it fully consistent with their professional experience.

The main objective of this article is to develop a transparent and efficient model, using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method as a basis and applying the software SuperDecisions, which makes it possible to evaluate the performance of employees, aligning the individual objectives defined and the competences required for the organisational mission. The methodology used was of an investigative and exploratory nature, due to the need to increase knowledge on the use of the AHP in the process of classifying employee performance. Starting from a high performance culture, it is possible to highlight the employees who present the best performance and improve the remuneration policies, as well as invest in the training of the skills lacking in a clear and assertive manner. The results found in this research prove the viability of the respective application, which is directly related to the meeting of targets and, consequently,to sustaining competitiveness and increasing added value for shareholders.

An increasingly competitive market means that many decisions must be taken, quickly and with precision, in complex, high risk scenarios. This combination of factors makes it necessary to use decision aiding methods which provide a means of dealing with uncertainty in the judgement of the alternatives. This work presents the use of the MAUT method, combined with the INTERVAL SMART/SWING WEIGHTING method. Although multicriteria decision aiding was not conceived specifically for tackling uncertainty, the combined use of MAUT and the INTERVAL SMART/SWING WEIGHTING method allows approaching decision problems under uncertainty. The main concepts which are involved in these two methods are described and their joint application to the case study concerning the selection of a printing service supplier is presented. The case study makes use of the WINPRE software as a support tool for the calculation of dominance. It is then concluded that the proposed approach can be applied to decision making problems under uncertainty.

Evaluation of real estate properties is an important factor in any economy. The appraisal process is rather subjective, based on the appraiser's experience and intuition. Attempts are being made to help appraisers produce more stable and reliable results. In the paper the authors present an integrated approach to the problem based on the multicriteria decision making framework. The process is carried out through three phases using the multicriteria method TODIM. An "adjusted value" iterative procedure for market value estimation is proposed. The final property price ensures that the overall quality of the alternative obtained through the TODIM method is not farther from the comparable properties on the market than the stated threshold. The process is illustrated through an application in the city of Volta Redonda (Brazil). The results are compared with the "proportional approach". The "adjusted value" approach showed significant improvement compared to the "proportional" adjustment of market values

Este artigo tem como propósito selecionar a melhor alternativa para usar o gás natural proveniente das reservas do campo de Mexilhão existente na Bacia de Santos. O principal objetivo do estudo é a criação de mecanismos que permitam a análise e posteriormente possibilitem a escolha da alternativa não-dominada de destinação do gás natural; e dar apoio ao decisor na seleção da melhor alternativa de investimento considerando as expectativas e os objetivos estratégicos da companhia. O estudo é feito fazendo uma comparação das sugestões a partir dois sistemas, um implementando o Método THOR e outro o método TODIM. A aplicação simultânea dos métodos permite auxiliar o decisor neste processo em função dos cenários e dos conjuntos de critérios identificados.

This article approaches the problem of selecting the non-dominated alternative for the destination of the natural gas reserves in the Mexilhão field in the Santos Basin, Brazil. Major aims of the case study reported here were to create a mechanism for assisting in the process of analyzing and selecting the best options for the destination of natural gas, and to enable the decision agent to choose the investment options best aligned to the expectations and objectives observed in the company strategies. The decision analysis employed in the study made use of the TODIM method and the THOR multicriteria decision support system. The application of both demonstrated that a decision analytic framework can be extremely useful when recommending options for upstream projects, owing to the fact that it can clearly identify the most important alternatives in the face of the scenarios tested and in relation to the criteria expressed.

As decisões com relação à mobilidade profissional tomadas por executivos em grandes corporações causam mudanças em suas vidas pessoais e profissionais. A presente pesquisa foi desenvolvida com o objetivo de estruturar o problema da mobilidade profissional através de uma ferramenta de suporte à decisão: o mapa cognitivo. Esta ferramenta promove uma maior compreensão do problema pelos tomadores de decisão. Através da pesquisa desenvolvida foi possível identificar os principais fatores que levaram os profissionais a tomar a decisão de mobilidade de forma o mais coerente e consistente com os aspectos subjetivos de sua realidade profissional.

Decisions which are made by executives in large corporations regarding professional mobility cause changes to both their personal and professional lives. This research was carried out with the aim of creating the structuring of a professional mobility problem through the use of a decision support tool, the cognitive mapping. Through the use of this tool, a decision making structure for professional mobility was developed, taking into consideration some important aspects of this process. The cognitive mapping proposed here was a problem structuring tool which leads decision makers to a greater understanding of the problem, giving them support towards good decision making in professional mobility. Through the research carried out it was possible to identify the principal factors which lead these professionals to a professional mobility decision which is as coherent and consistent as possible with the subjective aspects of their professional reality.

Os métodos de Apoio Multicritério à Decisão aplicam-se sempre que se deseje selecionar, ordenar, classificar ou descrever alternativas presentes em um processo decisório na presença de múltiplos critérios - quantitativos e qualitativos. Este artigo aborda o emprego dos métodos UTA e UTA-CR para a determinação das funções de utilidade dos critérios empregados para avaliar o ingresso de candidatos ao curso de graduação de Engenharia Metalúrgica da Universidade Federal Fluminense. Após apresentarem-se os métodos e o problema estudado, mostra-se, por uma análise dos resultados, que as funções de utilidade dos critérios obtidos com o método UTA-CR estão mais próximas das preferências dos decisores do que aquelas obtidas com o método UTA. Observa-se ainda que, pelo método UTA-CR, não há necessidade de realizar-se a análise de pós-otimização feita no método UTA, pois, com apenas uma única implementação de um programa linear, os resultados obtidos são melhores que os obtidos pelo método UTA.

The methods of multi-criteria decision aid are applied to problems of selection, ranking, classifying, and describing alternatives in the presence of multiple criteria, both quantitative and qualitative. This article tackles the problem of using the UTA and UTA-CR methods for determining the utility function of criteria used to evaluate candidates for the undergraduate program in metallurgical engineering in the Fluminense Federal University. After presenting the methods and outlining the problem, an analysis of the results shows that the utility functions of criteria obtained using UTA-CR are closer to decision-maker preferences than those obtained using UTA. It is also shown that, by using UTA-CR, it is not necessary to perform the post-optimization analysis that is required by the UTA method. In other words, implementation of a single linear program leads to results that are better than those obtained using UTA.

Este artigo apresenta uma aplicação de dois métodos de Apoio Multicritério à Decisão (AMD), ELECTRE IV e TODIM, a fim de resolver um problema de ordenação de importantes projetos com conseqüências econômicas e sociais no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Estes projetos são ordenados empregando critérios qualitativos e quantitativos. O ELECTRE IV é um método da Escola Francesa de AMD, que não utiliza peso para os critérios. O TODIM é um método que está baseado no paradigma da Teoria do Prospecto, têm elementos da Escola Francesa e Americana de AMD. Embora as ordenações de ambos os métodos sejam diferentes, um mesmo projeto foi ordenado como a melhor alternativa de acordo com ambos os métodos. A experiência prática descrita neste artigo sugere que o uso de métodos de AMD na avaliação de projetos pode, significativamente, tornar mais claro o processo decisório.

This paper presents an application of two methods of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), ELECTRE IV and TODIM, in order to tackle the problem of ranking projects with important economic and social consequences in the Rio de Janeiro State. These projects are ranked under the presence of quantitative and qualitative criteria. ELECTRE IV is a method of the French School of MCDA whose use does not rely on knowledge of criteria weights. TODIM, on the other hand, is a method that is based on the paradigm of Prospect Theory and that has elements of both the French and the American School of MCDA. Although ranks obtained by both methods were different, the same project was ranked as the best alternative according in both. The practical experience described in this paper has suggested that the use of MCDA methods in the ranking of project can significantly clarify the decision making process.

Este artigo apresenta uma aplicação do método Utilité Additive - UTA e de sua variante Utilité Additive- CRiteria - UTA-CR à determinação das funções de utilidade para se abordar o problema da avaliação de imóveis residenciais. Ambos os métodos pertencem à Escola Americana de Apoio Multicritério à Decisão e visam determinar funções de utilidades dos critérios presentes na análise, baseando-se em informações a priori dos decisores. Pelo emprego dos modelos matemáticos referentes a cada uma das metodologias, verificam-se as vantagens do método UTA-CR. Observa-se ainda que o método UTA-CR faz uso das preferências dos decisores em relação ao conjunto de critérios, obtendo funções de utilidades o mais próximo possível das preferências dos decisores.

This article presents an application of the UTA method and its variant UTA-CR to the determination of the utility functions for tackling the problem of evaluating residential real estate. Both methods belong to the American School of Multicriteria Decision Aiding. By using these methods, it is possible to determine the utility function of the CRiteria present in the evaluation analysis making use of previous information from the decision makers. The advantages of UTA-CR method over UTA are identified through the employment of the mathematical models embedded in each method. It can be observed that UTA-CR method makes use of decision-makers' preferences with respect to the CRiteria that lead to utility functions which are as close as possible to their preferences.

As avaliações de alternativas em presença de múltiplos critérios, quantitativos e qualitativos, são realizadas nas mais diversas áreas. Este artigo apresenta um estudo dessa natureza, conduzido junto às imobiliárias da cidade de Volta Redonda, RJ, visando auxiliar a definição do valor de referência de aluguel de imóveis residenciais. Para isto, faz-se uso do método TODIM, do Apoio Multicritério à Decisão. Com a finalidade de obter os valores de referência o mais próximo possível dos valores de mercado, alguns imóveis que tinham acabado de ser alugados foram inseridos na pesquisa, conhecendo-se desta forma o seu valor de aluguel. Assim, ao empregar o Método TODIM para realizar a ordenação dos imóveis com diferentes características, em função dos critérios empregados na análise e de suas importâncias relativas para os decisores, obtém-se a ordenação de todos os imóveis, e, como conseqüência disto, chega-se às diversas faixas de valor de aluguel dos imóveis em estudo. Uma análise de sensibilidade dos resultados numéricos obtidos complementa o estudo.

Setting rent reference values for residential housing units is normally performed under multiple, conflicting criteria. This article shows how the TODIM method of Multicriteria Decision Aiding can be of a significant help in that task. A case study was carried through in the city of Volta Redonda, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The TODIM method allows considering quantitative as well as qualitative evaluation criteria and is founded on Prospect Theory. In order to obtain a maximum adherence of rent reference values to market values, some housing units that had just been rent were taken into account in the study. The application of the TODIM method produced the ordering of all such housing units and then led to identifying ranges for rent. A sensitivity analysis complemented the study by providing useful insights on the numerical results that were obtained.

Nos estudos que envolvem aeroportos é recomendável que estes sejam divididos em categorias, de acordo com seu tamanho. Apesar de essa divisão ser um problema de análise multicritério, os dados são disponibilizados de forma desagregada, ou seja, cada aeroporto é avaliado em cada critério de tamanho de forma isolada. Este artigo apresenta uma variante de um método multicritério da Escola Francesa, nomeadamente o ELECTRE I, para avaliar o tamanho de nove aeroportos portugueses e agrupá-los por categorias de tamanho. Os critérios utilizados referem-se à movimentação de aeronaves, à movimentação de passageiros e à movimentação de cargas. Os resultados obtidos são comparados com outros dois modelos baseados em soma ponderada e análise de envoltória de dados.

In airport studies it is quite common to define categories of airports according to their sizes. Regarding size, each airport is usually classified according to only one criterion, although the problem of determining the airport size is clearly a multicriteria one. This paper employs a new approach for classifying airports according to their sizes by making use of a variant of the multicriteria method ELECTRE I. The new approach is applied to evaluate the size of Portuguese airports and to allocate these airport to well-defined size categories. The amount of cargo and the number of passengers, as well as number of aircraft landing in the airport, are the used criteria. The obtained results are compared with two additional models based on weighted sum and data envelopment analysis.

Sporting activities apply various multi-criteria (and multi-decision maker) methods in their championship regulations. In the majority of cases, the organizers are not aware that they are using them and indeed often apply them incorrectly. Variations of the Borda voting and lexicographic methods are among those most widely used. In the case of the Formula 1 World Championship, a variation of the Borda method is employed. This article shows that some of the problems that occurred during recent seasons are a result of the use of this method with consequent aggravation of the inherent distortions. Furthermore, the use of the Condorcet method is suggested as an alternative. Its limitations are shown, as well as how to overcome them by employing the Copeland method. Lastly, an analysis of the results of the 2002 championship is conducted.