Decision Guidance

By Thilmany, Jean

A DEVELOPER OF decision-management products, Robust Decisions Inc. in Corvallis, Ore., has adapted its team-decision software to run on a central server.

The original software, called Accord, guides teams to reach decisions and has been available for use on desktop PCs. Under the name Accord Network, the new version is designed to reside on a server, allowing for better collaboration among members of dispersed teams, the developer said.

Toward consensus: Team members rate an idea and their knowledge of issues in Accord software.

The software uses various devices to help team members quantify their levels of knowledge, confidence, and perceived risk on various questions. Managers use the information to define consensus and ultimately to reach decisions. The company said that Accord software supports teams with product development, trade studies, vendor selection, and many other business decisions.

David Ullman, CEO and president of Robust Decisions, said Accord Network keeps a database with a record of entries by various team members, allowing members to reconstruct the process. “This helps to explain the rationale behind the decision,” he said.

A renewable server license costs $10,000 a year. Accord Network can be accessed by 10 users at a time.

A quick tour of the application is posted on the company’s Web site, www.robustdecisions.com.

Copyright American Society of Mechanical Engineers Mar 2006