Multidimensional Scaling as an Aid for the Analytic Network and Analytic Hierarchy Processes

Abstract: Graphs are a great aid in interpreting multidimensional data. Two examples are employed to illustrate this point. In the first the many dissimilarities generated in the Analytic Network Process (ANP) are analysed using Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL). This is the first time such a procedure has been used in this context. In the second the single set of dissimilarities that arise from the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are analysed using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). The novel approach adopted here replaces a complex iterative procedure with a systematic approach that may be readily automated