Experiences with Decision Making Models

Running head: EXPERIENCES WITH DECISION MAKING MODELS

Experiences with Decision Making Models

Experiences with Decision Making Models

There are many aspects attributed to making a decision. Although people are faced with decision making on a daily basis, there are established models of which are practiced in the business world to help systematically make the right decision effectively. I have used both Reflective and Expedient decision making techniques in my position with both successes and failures of each (Hich, Kunreuther, & Gunther, 2001). However, for the purpose of this brief paper, I will focus on my experience with the managerial decision making model outlined in Management: The New Competitive Landscape (Bateman & Snell, 2004) and how it was applied to purchasing a data acquisition system.

The stages of decision making in this model can be summarized as follows: identifying and diagnosing the problem, generating alternative solutions, evaluating solutions, making a decision, implementing the decision and evaluation of the decision (Bateman & Snell, 2004, p. 8). As supervisor of a lab at a pharmaceutical company, I was given the task of upgrading our data acquisition system. The identified problem was our current technology had become outdated and was no longer supported by its manufacturer. Generating alternative solutions was performed by creating a small task force comprised of supervisors and key users to research product information available. The team generated a list of potential products suitable for our needs. Some of the team members were able to perform competitive benchmarking to assist in generating potential prospects. After the team produced a list of possible alternatives, it was time to evaluate each for functionality. To accomplish this portion of the task, vendor demonstrations and interviews of supplied references were conducted. The benefits and drawbacks of each available system