34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0118

Tiered application of decision quality and Choosing By Advantages across managerial project levels

Jon Lerche1 & Annett Schöttle2

1Founder & Advisor, Upscale Performance, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-7076-9630
2Independent Consultant, [email protected], and Founder and Co-Director, CollabDecisions, orcid.org/0000-0001-6001-7320

Abstract

Decision-making in megaprojects is challenging due to uncertainty, time pressure, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders with diverse roles and interests. Decision Quality (DQ) provides a structured framework for assessing the quality of the decision-making process, but it offers limited guidance for systematically identifying and evaluating alternatives. Suhr’s Choosing by Advantages (CBA) complements DQ by enabling transparent comparison of alternatives based on the importance of their advantages. This paper investigates how DQ and CBA can be linked to improving decision-making throughout the project life cycle, using a case from the renewables industry. The study proposes a DQ–CBA framework in which DQ serves as an overarching framework to ensure decision readiness, while CBA is applied when clearly defined alternatives require rigorous and bias-resistant evaluation. When no viable alternative is identified, the process loops back to DQ to revisit problem framing and option generation. The paper further distinguishes between strategic and operational decisions, identifying situations where rapid, “quick-and-dirty” decisions are appropriate (often based on a CBA-informed mindset) and where the additional effort of CBA Tabular method is justified. The findings support more effective, transparent, and implementable decisions in megaprojects.

Keywords

Choosing by advantages (CBA), complexity, decision-making, decision quality, value.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Lerche, J. & Schöttle, A.. (2026). Tiered application of decision quality and Choosing By Advantages across managerial project levels. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 1382–1394). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0118

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Lerche, J. & Schöttle, A.. (2026). Tiered application of decision quality and Choosing By Advantages across managerial project levels. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0118

 

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