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Forms & Tools

Decision Matrix Template

Do You Want to Settle for Just Getting a Form? | Or Do You Want to Make Great Decisions? | Get the Decision Matrix Template That's Part of a System

Our Decision Matrix Template is a powerful tool that you can use to break big, unstructured decisions into small, manageable decisions. Combine it with our problem solving tools and leadership ecosystem, and you have the recipe for reliably making great decisions.
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  • Level: 101

    Core tool that can be put to use by frontline team members

  • Phase: 1

    Introduction & Exploration
    An early tool to help you select your CI path

  • Type: Form

    Resource to help you put continuous improvement concepts to use.

  • Format: Excel

    Use and edit the form on software you are already familiar with. 

  • License Type:
    Corporate

    Modify and share the form within your company.

  • License Duration:
    Permanent

    Download comes with a permanent license.

  • Access: 30 Days

    Online access to supporting content and download links. Longer access with subs.
About this Form

Improve Your Decision Making

Description
Decision Matrix and CI
Steps of the Decision Matrix
Key Info

Description

A Decision Matrix is a problem solving tool breaks big problems down into a series of small decisions and simple comparisons. The structure of the tool prevents guesswork and emotion from clouding your choices.

The Decision Matrix Template can help you…

  • Take gut feel out of your decision making
  • Break a big decision into small ones
  • Build consensus on a solution

Our Decision Matrix Template, using Microsoft Excel, breaks your big problem into a bunch of little choices.

How This Form Drives Continuous Improvement

Reduces Conflict

The Decision Matrix removes emotions from choices. It turns big arguments into small, easily resolvable micro-decisions. There will still be conflicts, but deciding whether factor "A" or factor "B" should be weighted more heavily is far less emotional than debating the whole choice at once.

Promotes Facts & Data

Big decisions, without using a process, rely heavily on gut feel and emotion. When people get entrenched in their choices, it can be a huge challenge to sway them.
Decision Matrices take emotion out of the final decision, and compiles facts and data to get there instead.

Reinforces using CI Processes

We are all familiar with using processes in production work. What many of us struggle with is when we try to apply a process to what is considered 'soft skills'. The goal of this tool is to turn as much of decision making into a process as we can. With a solid process, you can use teamwork and combine the best ideas from everyone into one final decision. Without a process, that is not possible.

Key Information About the Decision Matrix Template

Our Decision Matrix Template is built in Microsoft Excel. It is fairly easy to use but does require more than a cursory understanding of the software. It requires that you transpose a column to a row (explained in the instruction), and that you are able to sort columns (header rows are provided.)

The Matrix is Expandable

The Decision Matrix Template is expandable, allowing you to use as many options and criteria as you want. Keep in mind that the number of evaluations you will have to do are multiplicative, meaning that as the numbers of options and criteria grow, the scoring you will have to do grows by a lot.

Scoring Will Vary in Refinement

Some scoring will be 'thumb in the air' estimates. Other scoring will be much more refined where you collect data and compare it to a scoring standard. Just make sure that you define the scoring system in advance.

The Tool Helps with Weighting

This tool helps you weight the criteria. You rank them in order, then make an estimate as to how much more important the top criteria is to the bottom (set at a baseline of 1). You then fill in relative importance of all the criteria between the two.

Steps of Using the Decision Matrix

The basic steps of using this form are…

  1. Identify the criteria you will use to make your choice.
  2. Rank the criteria in order of importance to your decision.
  3. Assign weights to the criteria.
  4. Brainstorm to come up with a list of options.
  5. Pare down the list to the most likely options.
  6. Decide if any options are disqualified. Don't evaluate options that have no chance.
  7. Grade each option against each criterion.
  8. Tally you weighted scores.
  9. Rank your options.
  10. Review your ranked list and do a reality check.


Form & Supporting Lessons

The Lessons Below are Clickable to go Directly To Them.