What is pairwise method?

The pairwise method, also known as pairwise comparison or pairwise ranking, is a decision-making technique that helps in comparing and ranking two or more options or alternatives.

The method involves comparing each alternative with every other alternative on a given criterion and evaluating them based on a carefully chosen rating scale. This rating scale could be numerical, alphabetical, or visual. The pairwise comparison process then produces a matrix of comparisons, which ranks the alternatives in order of preference.

The pairwise method is widely used in fields such as industrial design, marketing, management, and psychology, to name a few. This method helps users to make better-informed decisions by considering all possible outcomes and identifying the best alternative using a structured approach.

One important note is that the pairwise method requires a clear understanding of the criteria being used for comparison and a well-defined rating system that assigned relative weights to each factor. Without a clear understanding of these, there could be inconsistencies in the results.