Weighted scoring model
List your options and the criteria that matter, weight each criterion, then score every option. The matrix multiplies through and ranks them.
A decision matrix turns a fuzzy ‘which one feels right’ into an explicit, inspectable calculation. You name the things that actually matter (the criteria), decide how much each one counts (the weights), and rate each option against them. The tool multiplies each score by its weight and sums the result, giving every option a single comparable total.
Its real value is less the number it produces than the thinking it forces. Setting the weights before you score keeps you honest — you commit to what matters before you know which option it favours, which guards against quietly rigging the criteria to justify a choice you have already made.
Add your options as rows and your criteria as columns. Give each criterion a weight — higher numbers for the things that matter more. Then score each option against each criterion, typically one to five. The ‘Score’ column updates live, and the winner is called out beneath the table.
Add or remove options and criteria freely; rename anything by typing over it. There is no right number of criteria, but three to six usually captures what matters without drowning the decision in detail.
The totals rank your options, but treat the result as a prompt, not a verdict. If the winner surprises you or sits wrong, that reaction is information: usually it means a criterion is missing or mis-weighted. Adjust the weights openly and see whether the ranking holds — don't quietly override the arithmetic to reach a predetermined answer.
Use it for choices with several real options and several competing considerations — hiring between finalists, picking a vendor or tool, choosing between roles or locations — anywhere ‘it depends’ hides a set of trade-offs you can make explicit.
Choosing a laptop, you weight cost 5, battery 3 and weight 2. A cheaper model scores well on cost but poorly on battery; a premium one the reverse. Once weighted and summed, the cheaper machine edges ahead — and if that feels wrong, it usually means battery matters more to you than the weight of 3 you gave it.
Underlying idea: Decision Matrix ›