Decision Makers' Toolkit

“Decision-making is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives. Every decision-making process produces a final choice.” That’s what Wikipedia says anyway. What it doesn’t say is that some decisions must be made for outcomes that will occur in the future. However, there are a couple of tools that can be put to use in helping make complex decisions, namely, Expected Monetary Value and Decision Tree Analysis.

Expected Monetary Value (EMV)

EMV is a balance of probability and its impact over the range of possible scenarios. If you have to make a decision between two scenarios, which one will provide the greater potential payoff?

Scenario 1

Best case provides a 20% probability of making $180,000	BC = 20%	X $180,000= $36,000
Worst case provides a 15% probability of loosing [-$20,000]	WC = 15%	X(-$20,000) =(-$3,000)
Most likely case provides a 65% probability of making $ 75,000	MLC = 65%	X $75,000 = $48,750

Total Expected Monetary Value 100% $81,750

Scenario 2

Best case provides a 15% probability of making $200,000	BC=15%	X $200,000 =$30,000
Worst case provides a 25% probability of making $15,000	WC= 25%	X $ 15,000 = $ 3,750
Most likely case provides a 60% probability of making $45,000	MLC=60%	X $45,000 = $27,000

Total Expected Monetary Value 100% $60,750

Which scenario do you choose? Number one, because it has the highest EMV, or $81,750

Decision Tree Analysis

In decision tree analysis, a problem is depicted as a diagram which displays all possible acts, events, and payoffs (outcomes) needed to make choices at different points over a period of time.

Example of Decision Tree Analysis: A Manufacturing Proposal

Your corporation has been presented with a new product development proposal. The cost of the development project is $500,000. The probability of successful development is projected to be 70%. If the development is unsuccessful, the project will be terminated. If it is successful, the manufacturer must then decide whether to begin manufacturing the product on a new production line or a modified production line. If the demand for the new product is high, the incremental revenue for a new production line is $1,200,000, and the incremental revenue for the modified production line is $850,000. If the demand is low, the incremental revenue for the new production line is $700,000, and the incremental revenue for the modified production line is $150,000. All of these incremental revenue values are gross figures, i.e., before subtracting the $500,000 development cost, $300,000 for the new production line and $100,000 for the modified production line. The probability of high demand is estimated as 40%, and of low demand as 60%.

The development of a decision tree is a multi step process. The first step is to structure the problem using a method called decomposition, similar to the method used in the development of a work breakdown structure. This step enables the decision-maker to break a complex problem down into a series of simpler, more individually manageable problems, graphically displayed in a type of flow diagram called a decision tree. These are the symbols commonly used:

The second step requires the payoff values to be developed for each end-position on the decision tree. These values will be in terms of the net gain or loss for each unique branch of the diagram. The net gain/loss will be revenue less expenditure. If the decision to not develop is made, the payoff is $0. If the product development is unsuccessful, the payoff is - $500,000. If the development is successful, the decision is to build a new production line (NPL) or modify an existing production line (MPL). The payoff for the NPL high demand is ($ 1,200,000 - $500,000 development cost -$300,000 build cost) or $400,000. For a low demand, the payoff is ($700,000 - $500,000 development cost -$300,000 build cost) or -$100,000. The payoff for the MPL high demand is ($850,000 -$500,000 development cost - $100,000 build cost) or $250,000. For a low demand, the payoff is ($720,000- $500,000 development cost - $100,000 build cost) or $120,000.

The third step is to assess the probability of occurrence for each outcome:
Development Successful = 70% NPL High Demand = 40% MPL High Demand = 40%
Development Unsuccessful = 30% NPL Low Demand = 60% MPL Low Demand = 60%

Probability Totals* 100% 100% 100%

*Probabilities must always equal 100%, of course.

The fourth step is referred to as the roll-back and it involves calculating expected monetary values (EMV) for each alternative course of action payoff. The calculation is (probability X payoff) = EMV This is accomplished by working from the end points (right hand side) of the decision tree and folding it back towards the start (left hand side) choosing at each decision point the course of action with the highest expected monetary value (EMV).

Decision D2:
New Production Line vs. Modified Production Line
high demand + low demand = EMV high demand + low demand = EMV
(4 0% X $400,000) + (60%X -$100,000) (40% X $250,000)+(60% X $120,000)
$100,000 $172,000

Decision Point 2 Decision: Modified Production Line with an EMV of $172,000


Decision 1: Develop or Do Not Develop

Development Successful + Development Unsuccessful
(70% X $172,000) (30% x (- $500,000))
$120,400 + (-$150,000)

Decision Point 1 EMV=(-$29,600)

Decision: DO NOT DEVELOP the product because the expected value is a negative number.

When doing a decision tree analysis, any amount greater than zero signifies a positive decision. This tool is also very useful when there are multiple cases that need to be compared. The one with the highest payoff should be picked.

How to Learn More about This Topic

Courses

Decision-making tools are an important part of any good course on project management. Eogogics offers a couple of project management courses, both based on the Project Management Institute (PMI ®) curriculum.

Those who want a quick but intensive overview of the entire range of project management issues should consider our two-day Project Management Workshop.

Those who need to prepare themselves for the PMI Professional (PMP®) certification should take our four-day Project and Team Management Workshop which has been specifically designed to satisfy the preparation and training requirements of the PMP Professional examination.

Books

• Risk and Decision Analysis in Projects by John Schuyler. Project Management Institute, 2001.

• Project Risk Management by Bruce T. Barkley. McGraw-Hill, 2004.

• Identifying and Managing Project Risk: Essential Tools for Failure-Proofing Your Project by Tom Kendrick. AMACOM, 2003.

• Proactive Risk Management: Controlling Uncertainty in Product Development by Guy M. Merritt and Preston G. Smith. Productivity Press, 2002.

Web Resources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_tree: A good article on decision tress that also lists some of the software tools used in decision tree analysis.

• www.managementhelp.org Free Management Library is one of the world's largest collections of resources on management topics.

• www.pmi.org PMI develops project management standards as well as certifies project management professionals worldwide. Its Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard, is used worldwide as a reference on how to manage projects.