What is MyDecisionHelper?
MyDecisionHelper is the Internet's greatest resource for making decisions Our patent-pending system helps you quickly and easily work through each option in your decision using a variety of relevant criteria. Use one of our pre-defined decisions (or create your own!) and MyDecisionHelper will help you decide what fits you best. It's fun, quick, and easy!

When should I use MyDecisionHelper?

• When you are having a difficult time making a decision.
• When you need help organizing your thoughts.
• When you want to remove or lower the "emotional" level of a difficult decision.
• When you want to save time making a decision.
• When you must explain your reasons to someone else.
• When you want to use a logical, scientific approach to make an important decision.

How does it work?
Our process lets you analyze each option in your decision using a variety of criteria. Your answers indicate your preferences in a variety of important areas. Our patent-pending, state-of-the-art technology examines your preferences and rates your options. It then displays the results, showing you which option makes the most sense and which do not.

May I try a decision for free?
Yes! Please use our state-of-the-art service to help make a decision, tailored to fit your unique interests and values. MyDecisionHelper will save you time by targeting the options that are most likely to suit you. We know decision-making is not always easy, but MyDecisionHelper is here to help! You will not be able to save your decision for future use unless you register with us.

How do I register with MyDecisionHelper?
Simply click on 'Register now' on the opening screen and complete the information requested. You will assign yourself a unique username and password. Your e-mail address is required for technical support follow-up should you need any help.

Finally, review the Terms of Use and check the agreement box. That's it! Now you're ready to GO!

The next time you use MyDecisionHelper, enter your unique username and password, and simply click on 'Sign In'. You have the option of restarting a decision previously saved in an earlier session or starting a new decision. MyDecisionHelper automatically saves your decisions as you work, so you can exit and restart as often as you like or need.

What do I do if I'm lost and confused? Every page in the actual Decision process has a dark green bar with page specific directions to help guide you. It is labeled "Confused? Click here for detailed help." Also check out the "How This Works" link at the bottom of the page. And read through this FAQ page. If you are really stuck, click "Technical Support", drop us a line, and we'll send help as soon as we can!

How do I begin to work on a decision?
You may access our library of decisions through the "Browse Decisions" feature on the home page. Simply click the name of a category and all the decisions within that category will display. You may narrow your search by clicking on any of the sub-categories that display at the top of the page until you find the decision you need. Or, after registering, simply select 'Start Making a Decision' to view our library of decisions, as well as any you created previously. Please note your previously created decisions are shown first at the top of the page. Next you will see any 'Shared' or 'Teamed' decisions you have issued. Further down the page you'll find our category listing. If you've been working on a decision and wish to resume, simply click on the decision.

How is the Libraries page organized?
Any decision(s) you have worked on previously will appear at the top of the page. This let's you quickly return to your prior work. Below that you will find any decisions you have 'Shared' or 'Teamed' with relatives, friends, co-workers, business partners, or others. Near the bottom of the page you will find our Decision Library.

How do I find the decision I need within your existing library?

We try to make this process as easy as possible!

On the Home page, you may browse a categorical listing of all the Decisions on the site. Click on the category that fits your Decision and choose one of the decisions displayed. You may also click on the sub-categories that display to narrow your search.

On the Libraries page, scroll down to the 'Decision Library'. There are three tabs: 'Decision Categories', 'Decision Text Search', and 'Decision Tag Search'. The default view shows the Decision Categories again. Click a category to find the decision you need.

Choosing the 'Decision Text Search' lets you enter a name or keyword that will match to a decision name or description. For example, typing in "University" in the search field will direct you to all decisions with "University" in the name or description. When you find the one you want, simply click "Choose" to load it and begin working through it!

Selecting the 'Decision Tag Search' will give you a list of terms associated with a particular decision. For example, choosing 'home' will give you all available decisions related to housing options.

Once you find a Decision to use, click on 'Choose' to start it. You will then see a screen giving you more detail about the decision, including links to related types of decisions, plus a button where you can review all of the predefined criteria for the decision. In the upper right corner are two buttons to guide you further. If you are ready to start, simply click the "Get Started" button. The system will generate a unique copy of the decision for you and load it so you can work with it. If you would rather try a different decision, simply click on "More Decisions" to return to the Libraries Page and the Decision Library.

How do I work with Criteria?

The Criteria page displays all the criteria defined for the current Decision. They are arranged in a hierarchy, which you can expand or contract as needed. To expand the hierarchy, simply click the "+" button next to the criteria name. If the category is left contracted, only the criteria actually displayed on the screen will be used to guide you through your decision. The more criteria categories you expand and use, the more comprehensive your decision making process will be. You control how in-depth you want to go. If there is a category of criteria or a particular criterion that does not fit your decision, simply click the box in the "Use This?" column to deselect it. The line will turn gray to show it is not being used. You may deselect any criterion at any level as you need. You can manipulate the decision criteria using the five buttons at the top or bottom of the page. (They are identical!)

To expand the entire criteria hierarchy, click the "Show All Criteria" button. This will display ALL the predefined criteria for the decision. To collapse the hierarchy, simply click the button again.

To add criteria to the decision, click "Add Criteria." This will open a pop up window where you can type in a name for the new criterion and a description. The name can be anything you like. The description, we have found, is best used to ask yourself a question, such as, "How well does this thing suit my needs?" Then select the answer list - this is how you will evaluate your options using this new criterion. If you have more criteria to add, click "Save and New." A fresh pop up window will appear. If you are done and wish to save your criterion, click "Save." Your criterion will be added to your decision and the window will close. If you decide you do not want to add your criterion, click "Close" and your work will not be saved.

In the Add Criterion window, clicking on the "MORE" button opens an additional section where you can adjust the value assigned to each answer. Simply slide the green bar up or down to adjust the value to what you think is best. The higher the number, the better something is. You can also assign a "Cutoff Value"- this is the minimum score an option must meet on this criterion in order to continue to be considered. If the option falls below the cutoff value, it is immediately highlighted in red as having "lost" in the decision making process. At the bottom of the window is an additional option where you can define your own unique answer lists. Follow the on-screen instructions and remember to assign the appropriate score to each answer! To save your work, click "Save" when you are all done.

If you wish to reorder the criteria list, click the "Reorder Criteria" button. This will pop up a screen where you can shuffle the criteria to match your needs. Simply click and drag the criteria into the order you want. When you are done, click "Back to the Criteria list page", the system will update itself to match your choices and take you back to the criteria page.

The "Reset Importance Levels Back to Zero" will return all of the importance levels to zero (Completely Unimportant.) Use this if you need to start over in setting the criteria importance levels.

You can also print out the criteria for the Decision and use it as a checklist when you go shopping or interviewing or whatever best fits your Decision needs. To do this, make sure the criteria you wish to print out are checked in the "Use This" column. Also, only the criteria to which you have assigned an importance level with the red slider bar will print out. Once you have done that, click the "Print Selected Criteria" button. A new page will open showing each criteria and the predefined questions used to evaluate them. Click the "Print" button at the top of the page and you are ready to use this as a checklist. When you are done, enter your results into MyDecisionHelper and let the system help guide you to your best decision!

How do I assign an Importance Level to each criterion?
To assign a relative importance to any individual criterion, simply position the red slider under 'Importance Level' where you want it. The resulting value will display in the next column under 'Percentage of Total'. Remember, you are rating the criteria by how important they are to YOU.

For example, if you are deciding which car to purchase, you might rank "Maintenance History" at "Critically Important" and "Color" at only "Moderately Important". This means that as you rank each car you are considering, "Maintenance History" will pull more weight in the calculations than "Color." (Then again, "Color" may be more important to you than "Maintenance History." So, you would give "Color" a higher weight than "Maintenance History." MyDecisionHelper will aid you in deciding what is most important to you as you consider all your options!) You can modify the weights you assign at the end of the process on the Worksheet page. When you are finished, select the "Next Step" button at the bottom of the page.

What are decision options and how do I enter or edit them?
Decision options are the alternative choices you have. For example, when choosing an airline you may choose between Delta, United, USAir, or any other airline you care to enter as an option. These are your options.

To add a decision option, select the 'Add' button at the top or bottom of the page. Enter a name and add a description if you desire at the top of the page, then click the 'SAVE' button. If you have more than one option, click 'SAVE & NEW' and you will be prompted to enter another option. After entering your last option, click 'SAVE' and the prompt will close and all your options will be listed in alphabetical order on the screen.

To edit an option, simply click on it. This opens a dialog box where you can edit the name or the description. When done, click on the 'OK' box to save your changes.

To delete an option, click on the 'More' tab at the end of the row. Here, you can edit the name and description, copy them, or delete them if you need to.

When you finish entering all your options, click 'EVALUATE' at either the top or bottom of the page to rate your options against the criteria.

If you need to later review or change any of your entered Options, simply click the 'Options' button at the top of the page. This will show you any options you have already entered, permit you to add new options, or delete any you no longer need.

What are cutoff values and how do I assign them?
Cutoff values are your minimum acceptable requirements. You can set cutoff values for each criterion to represent what is acceptable or unacceptable to you. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10 you may decide that anything lower than a 3 is unacceptable. To set cutoff values, click the 'EDIT CRITERION' button. This opens the Criterion Edit page. On the edit page under Advanced Features you'll notice a single red bar to the right of the answer list. Simply move the red bar to the position you want as your minimum acceptable level. The results of your actions will be shown in the 'Cutoff Grade' column. Then, if one of your options fails to meet the cutoff grade on that criterion, it will be highlighted in red to show that it has failed to pass.

How do I evaluate my options against the criteria?
After typing in your options and clicking the 'EVALUATE' button, MyDecisionHelper displays the first criterion for your decision. They display based on the weight you assigned, from highest to lowest in value. The highest weighted criteria will be asked first, then the next highest, and so on until you reach the end.

How do I rank or grade my options for their suitability?
Just answer the questions for each criterion and MyDecisionHelper will grade each one.

What does the 'Summary' page show me and what does it do?
The 'Summary' page shows which options scored where, with the highest score highlighted. It also displays each criterion for your decision, the individual criterion weights, and the grades you gave to each option for each criteria. This gives you a chance to review your prior entries and double check your answers for each criterion against each option.

You will also notice the rank of each option (i.e., 1 of 4, 3 of 4, etc).

What does the 'CHARTS' page show me?
The Charts page will show you rankings with graphs and other output to help you understand the final decision you arrived at within MyDecisionHelper. A wide variety of charts and graphs are available for you to use to better understand your decision and to explain it to others.

What does the 'WORKSHEET' page show me? The WorkSheet page gives you the ability to manipulate your decision. If you make a mistake entering an answer or change your mind about an answer, you can fix it on the WorkSheet page. This page gives you total control over all aspects of your decision and makes it possible for you to fine-tune every aspect. Go ahead, try it out and see what MyDecisionHelper can do to help you make your decision!

What if the decision I wish to make is not listed on the site? Can I still use MyDecisionHelper? Of course! In this case, you will need to create your own decision. First, click the "Create a new decision" button. Fill in a unique name and description. (For example, Should I open a bank account?) Click 'Save and Continue.' Click 'Add Criterion'. For each Criterion, give it a name (Like Bank Vault) and then write a brief question in the description box (Does this bank have a decent vault?). We find that asking questions is the easiest way to work through the decision process. Then assign the answer list. These are the possible answers MyDecsionHelper will use to help you rate each option against each criterion. The default is a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest or best. Click the down arrow at the end of the list to see other predefined answer lists available to you. You can even modify these lists to make them fit your decision. When done, click 'Save & New' to add another criterion. When you are done adding criteria, click 'Save' and the dialog box will close. The rest of the Decision process follows the normal pattern as outlined above and in the on-screen help and instruction blocks on each page.

Why can't I just type in what decision I am facing and have MyDecisionHelper tell me what to do? If only life were that easy! We can help you organize your thoughts, simplify the process, rate your options, and point you to the best and most likely decision for you, but we cannot make the decision for you! We are here to help you make the best possible decision with the information you provide. If you will follow all the steps outlined here, we can help you! But, we cannot tell you which decision may be best for you unless you provide all the options and criteria that are important to you!

What if I need help in crafting a decision process or if I have a suggestion for future decisions to add to your library? We'd love to hear from you! Click the Contact Us link at the bottom of any page and tell us what you're thinking or what you need. We will have one of our professional consultants look over your proposal or thoughts and contact you if we think we can use your idea. We can also custom design decision-making solutions for your company or business and would be glad to speak with you about that possibility. Let us hear from you today!