Step 3: Rank the Concepts
Once the ratings are entered for each concept, weighted scores are calculated by multiplying the raw scores by the criteria weights. The total score for each concept is the sum of the weighted scores:
where
S I r..w.
J i=l I) 1
ru =raw rating of concept) for the ith criterion
wi = weighting for ith criterion
n =number of criteria
S1 =total score for concept)
Finally, each concept is given a rank corresponding to its total score, as shown in
Exhibit 8-7.
Step 4: Combine and Improve the Concepts
As in the screening stage, the team looks for changes or combinations that improve concepts. Although the formal concept generation process is typically completed before concept selection begins, some of the most creative refinements and improvements occur during the concept selection process as the team realizes the inherent strengths and weaknesses of certain features of the product concepts.