QUALItative FLEXible multiple criteria method
QUALIFLEX (QUALItative FLEXible multiple criteria method) is a ranking multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Paelinck, J. H. P. in 1978. It turns a decision matrix of alternatives scored on multiple criteria into a structured, reproducible result.
Read the full method
Sign in with a free account to read this section.
Method map
The neighbourhood of related methods — select a node to explore.
When to use it
QUALIFLEX finds the permutation π* that maximises the weighted concordance index I(π). It is exact (exhaustive) for small m; for m > 7–8 use branch-and-bound or heuristic search. QUALIFLEX handles ordinal and cardinal weights equally well and naturally reveals near-optimal permutations (alternatives with similar I(π) values).
Strengths & limitations
- Follows a transparent, reproducible computational procedure that can be audited step by step.
- Handles multiple criteria of differing scales and units within a single decision matrix.
- Results depend on the chosen normalisation, weights, and parameter settings.
Sources
- Paelinck, J. H. P. (1978). Qualiflex: A flexible multiple-criteria method. Economics Letters DOI: 10.1016/0165-1765(78)90023-X ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). QUALItative FLEXible multiple criteria method. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/decision-making/qualiflex
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- AHPDecision-making↔ compare
- ANPDecision-making↔ compare
- BWMDecision-making↔ compare
- BWM-BAYESIANDecision-making↔ compare
- CCSDDecision-making↔ compare
- CILOSDecision-making↔ compare
- CIMASDecision-making↔ compare
- CRITICDecision-making↔ compare