An extension of the analytic hierarchy process for industrial R&D project selection and resource allocation

The research and development project selection decision is concerned with the allocation of resources to a set of proposals for scientific and engineering activities. The project selection and resource allocation process can be viewed as a multiple-criteria decision-making problem, within the context of the long-range and strategic planning process of the firm. The purpose of this paper is explore the applicability of an extension of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for priority setting and resource allocation in the industrial R&D environment. In this paper, an AHP modeling framework for the R&D project selection decision is developed, and is linked to a spreadsheet model to assist in the ranking of a large number of project alternatives. Next, cost-benefit analysis and integer programming are used to assist in the resource allocation decision. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the suitability of this approach as an expert support system, and directions for future research and testing.