A strategic decision model for the justification of technology selection

In this paper a new approach to the decision making on technology selection is proposed. In this approach a strategic decision-making model is used in which the tangible benefits of a technology are evaluated by addressing both cost and time dimensions, and the intangible benefits are evaluated using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). In AHP, experts' in the functional area give judgemental values required for the comparison matrices. However, the opinions of the experts may deviate, and also a single estimate is not realistic, hence, in this approach of evaluating alternative technology, a range of judgemental values are taken and three different levels are considered in the range. The change in the preference level of the alternatives with the change in objective factor weightage (alpha), and the range of a at which the transition in the choice of technology takes place, are analysed, which assists the decision maker.