Multi-Attribute Decision Modeling: Industrial Applications of DEX

DEX is an expert system shell for qualitative multi-attribute decision modeling and support. During the last decade, it has been applied over fifty times in complex real-world decision problems. In this article we advocate for the applicability and great potential of this approach for industrial decision-making. The approach is illustrated by a typical industrial application in land use planning, and supplemented by an overview of some other completed industrial applications. The learned lessons indicate the suitability of the qualitative DEX methodology particularly for "soft", i.e., less structured and less formalized, decision problems. Practical experience also indicates the importance of methods that facilitate the analysis, simulation, and explanation of decisions.