Implementation of MCDM methodology in decision support systems

An overview is presented of the extent to which multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods have already been implemented in decision-support software. Existing MCDM software is outlined and briefly discussed. The software implementation of MCDM techniques can be divided into three categories: commercially available software packages for general-purpose decision support; software packages developed primarily for research purposes that are not yet commercially available; and programs written for the experimental implementation of MCDM methods. It is noted that the use of MCDM techniques in real-life decision-making is still very limited and it is suggested that limited usage, and thus the lack of an expressed need for MCDM software, may be responsible for the lag in the development of user-friendly software for MCDM