Method, server, database and computer program for enriching comparison data of a decision making application
A method, a server, a database and a computer program product by means of which comparison data of decision making applications can be enriched so that they may be utilized in other decision making applications. An application specific default database is first defined by selecting attributes to be assessed; selecting items to be compared; linking the selected attributes to the items by default attribute values and saving the defined default database of the decision making application to a global database. From the saved default attributes of items it is then calculated global attribute values to said items. The global attributes are then saved also to the global database. A second decision making application may be converted from the global attributes by first selecting a sub-group of items from all items of the global database. Then global attributes of items of the sub-group are converted to the local attributes, whereby speeding up creation of the second decision making application.
1. A method for enriching comparison data of decision making applications, by which an application user makes decisions by utilizing at least one evaluation frame, the method comprising:
defining in a development environment implemented on a processor unit a first decision making application by defining an application specific default database by:
selecting attributes to be assessed;
selecting items to be compared;
linking the attributes to the items by default attribute values; and
saving the defined default database of the first decision making application to a global database;
in the global database:
calculating with the processor unit global attribute values to items from linked default attribute values of said items of decision making applications included in the global database, wherein the global attributes of items are defined from their original attribute values as follows:
an item having the biggest attribute value of all items of all decision making applications in a utilized scale retains its original attribute value as the global attribute value or is set to a specific attribute value;
items originating from the same decision making application as the item having the biggest global attribute value retain their original attribute values, or get attribute values that are proportional to the specific attribute value of the item having the biggest attribute value, as their global attribute value;
global attribute values of other items of other decision making applications are defined by multiplying the original attribute value by at least one factor where each of the factors are defined by one common item of two decision making applications by dividing a smaller attribute value of said item of a decision making application by a bigger attribute value of the same item of another decision making application; and
converting with the processor unit from the global attribute values at least one local attribute to be included in a second decision making application, which has at least one attribute or item linked to an existing attribute or item in the global database, thereby speeding up creation of the second decision making application.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein both original attributes and global attributes of items have one numerical attribute value in a scale from 0 and 1.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein local attributes of a sub-group of items from the items of the global database are converted as follows:
an item having the smallest global attribute value gets a local attribute value that is ≧0;
an item having the biggest global attribute value gets a local attribute value that is bigger than the local attribute value of the item having the smallest global attribute value; and
local attribute values of other items of said sub-group that have global attribute values between the smallest global attribute value and biggest global attribute value are calculated by formula:
(
[
(
global
attribute
value
of
the
item
-
smallest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
)
]
×
1
largest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
-
smallest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
)
]
.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a new decision making application with items and attributes associated with the items is created by the selection of the sub-group.
5. A Server comprising:
a processor unit;
a memory unit;
input and output means, and;
a user interface;
the processor unit and the memory unit configured to implement a development environment that is configured at least to:
define an application specific default database of a first decision making application by:
enabling selection attributes to be assessed;
enabling selection items to be compared;
enabling linking the attributes to the items by default attribute values; and
enabling saving the defined default database of the first decision making application to a global database;
calculate global attribute values to items from linked default attribute values of said items of decision making applications included in the global database;
retain original attribute value of an item having the biggest attribute value o all items of all decision making applications or set said attribute value to a specific attribute value;
retain original attribute values of items originating from the same decision making application as the item having the biggest global attribute value or scale said attribute values to be proportional to the specific attribute value of the item having the biggest global attribute value; and
define global attribute values of other items originating from other decision making applications by multiplying the original attribute value by at least one factor where each of the factors are defined by one common item of two decision making applications by dividing a smaller attribute value of said common item of a decision making application by a bigger attribute value of the same common item of another decision making application; and
convert from the global attributes at least one local attribute to be included in a second decision making application, which has at least one attribute or item linked to an existing attribute or item in the global database, thereby speeding up creation of the second decision making application.
6. The server according to claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to define one numerical attribute value in the scale from 0 and 1 to original attributes and global attributes of items.
7. The server according to claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to convert local attributes of a sub-group of items from the items of the global database by:
giving to an item having the smallest global attribute value a local attribute value that is ≧0;
giving to an item having the biggest global attribute value a local attribute value that is bigger than the local attribute value of the item having the smallest global attribute value; and
defining local attribute values of other items of said sub-group that have global attribute values between the smallest global attribute value and biggest global attribute value by formula:
(
[
(
global
attribute
value
of
the
item
-
smallest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
)
]
×
1
largest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
-
smallest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
)
]
.
8. The server according to claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to create a new decision making application by the selection of the sub-group with selected items and associated attributes.
9. A computer-readable, non-transitory data storage medium comprising computer executable components for enriching comparison data of decision making applications, the computer executable components comprising:
computer readable code for defining a first decision making application by defining an application specific default database by:
selecting attributes to be assessed;
selecting items to be compared;
linking the attributes to the items by default attribute values; and
saving the defined default database of the first decision making application to a global database;
computer readable code for calculating global attribute values to items from linked default attribute values of said items of decision making applications included in the global database
wherein the global attribute values are defined from their original attribute values as follows:
an item having the biggest attribute value of all items of all decision making applications in a utilized scale retains its original attribute value or is set to a specific attribute value;
items originating from the same decision making application as the item having the biggest global attribute value retain their original attribute values, or get attribute values that are proportional to the specific attribute value of the item having the biggest attribute value, as their global attribute value;
global attribute values of other items of other decision making applications are defined by multiplying the original attribute value by at least one factor where each of the factors are defined from one common item of two decision making applications by dividing a smaller attribute value of said item of a decision making application by a bigger attribute value of the same item of another decision making application; and
computer readable code for converting from the global attribute values at least one local attribute to be included in a second decision making application, which has at least one attribute or item linked to an existing attribute or item in the global database, thereby speeding up creation of the second decision making application.
10. The computer-readable non-transitory data storage medium according to claim 9 , comprising computer readable code for assigning to original attributes and global attributes of items one numerical attribute value in the scale from 0 and 1.
11. The computer-readable non-transitory data storage medium according to claim 9 , comprising computer readable code for converting local attributes of a sub-group of items from the items of the global database by:
giving to an item having the smallest global attribute value a local attribute value that is ≧0;
giving to an item having the biggest attribute value a local attribute value that is bigger than the local attribute value of the item having the smallest global attribute value; and
defining local attribute values of other items of said sub-group that have attribute values between the smallest global attribute value and biggest global attribute value by formula:
(
[
(
global
attribute
value
of
the
item
-
smallest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
)
]
×
1
largest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
-
smallest
global
attribute
value
of
the
sub
-
group
)
]
.
12. The computer-readable non-transitory data storage medium according to claim 9 , comprising computer readable code for creating by the selection of the sub-group a new decision making application with the selected items and attributes associated with the items.
13. A database stored on a non-transitory data storage medium, the database comprising:
a plurality of items of decision making applications each item representing an object included in a comparison process;
a plurality of attributes of the items with associated default attribute values;
a plurality of links between items and associated attributes;
a plurality of global attribute values of the items that are defined from the default attribute values of the items;
wherein the global attribute values are defined from their original attribute values as follows:
an item having the biggest attribute value of all items of all decision making applications in a utilized scale retains its original attribute value or is set to a specific attribute value:
items originating from the same decision making application as the item having the biggest global attribute value retain their original attribute values, or get attribute values that are proportional to the specific attribute value of the item having the biggest attribute value, as their global attribute value;
global attribute values of other items of other decision making applications are defined by multiplying the original attribute value by at least one factor where each of the factors are defined from one common item of two decision making applications by dividing a smaller attribute value of said item of a decision making application by a bigger attribute value of the same item of another decision making application; and
a plurality of local attribute values of a sub-group of items of the database, which local attribute values are defined from the global attribute values of all items; whereby a creation of a decision making application is speeded up by utilizing the defined local attributes of items in a decision making application development environment.