SMART Weighting — Direct importance rating normalisation (Edwards SMART weight step)
SMART-WEIGHT (SMART Weighting — Direct importance rating normalisation (Edwards SMART weight step)) is a weight subjective multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Edwards, W., Barron, F. H. in 1994. It turns a decision matrix of alternatives scored on multiple criteria into a structured, reproducible result.
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Method map
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When to use it
SMART-weight normalises DM-supplied importance ratings to sum-to-1 weights. Ratings can be on any positive scale (0–100, 1–9, etc.) — only ratios matter.
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.
- Assumes full compensation — a strong score on one criterion can offset a weak score on another.
Sources
- Edwards, W., Barron, F. H. (1994). SMARTS and SMARTER: Improved simple methods for multiattribute utility measurement. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes DOI: 10.1006/obhd.1994.1087 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). SMART Weighting — Direct importance rating normalisation (Edwards SMART weight step). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/decision-making/smart-weight
Which method?
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