Decisionmaking as a Competitive Advantage Choosing by Advantages (CBA)

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the Choosing by Advantages (CBA) sound decisionmaking* process, essential for professionals in capital-intensive industries. Participants will delve into foundational principles, models, and methods of CBA, learning to effectively describe differences, decide importance, and recognize unsound methods. The course covers various decisionmaking* contexts and simple to complex situations, applying either a quick mental process or practical written tools like the Tabular Method and MS Excel CBA Workbook. Attendees will also explore priority and resource allocation decisions, life cycle cost considerations, and the integration of CBA with Lean practices.

Through demonstrations, interactive Q&A sessions, and hands-on activities, this course equips participants with the skills to soundly make informed, strategic decisions that enhance efficiency and profitability.

*Please note that the term "decisionmaking" is used intentionally in accordance with the formal CBA methodology, which employs this non-traditional spelling. 

• Organizational Leaders: Executives and managers in capital-intensive industries wanting to improve decisionmaking practices and enhance team collaboration.
• Project Managers: Individuals responsible for overseeing large-scale projects and making key decisions.
• Team Leaders: Those who lead teams and facilitate collaborative decisionmaking in manufacturing investment, facilities improvement, and construction projects.
• Business Analysts: Professionals who review business proposals, assess financial viability, and provide recommendations for major investments.
• Consultants: Advisors who guide organizations in various practices or seek to gain expertise in the Choosing By Advantages decisionmaking system.
• Engineers and Technical Leads: Individuals who evaluate multiple technical options and select the best one for large-scale projects.
• Stakeholders: Individuals or customers who want to ensure decisions affecting them or their constituents are soundly made in large, capital-intensive projects.

This course is part of the Technical Leadership Certificate. Each course may be taken individually as well.

Day 1, Part I: Foundational Information

• Definitions, Principles, Models, Methods
• The Discovery and Recognition of CBA
• Correctly Describing Differences
• The Principles of Deciding Importance
• Unsound Methods

Day 1, Part II: Mutually Exclusive Alternatives Context

• Methods for Simple Decisions
• Methods for Moderately Complex Decisions
• Methods for Complex Decisions

Day 1, Part III: Tools & Techniques

• Hints and MS Excel CBA Workbook
• Three Answers about Process
• Toyota’s Principle 13
• Online Software

Day 2, Part I: Foundational Information

• Demonstration
• Deciding Importance
• CBA Usage Q&A

Day 2, Part II: Priority and Resource Allocation Decisions

• Four Basic Contexts of Decisionmaking
• Nonexclusive Proposals Defined
• Priority Ratio
• “With Minus Without” Increment
• Margin

Day 2, Part III: Complex Allocation Decisionmaking

• Nonexclusive Proposal Prioritization for Allocations
• Testing Weight of Importance in Allocation Decisionmaking

Day 2, Part IV: Special Situations

• Decisions using Life Cycle Cost
• Integrating CBA in the Lean A3
• Supplementary CBA Info
• Special Techniques

John Koga