Decision Tree: Risk & Opportunities

Abstract

Uncertainty is a massive issue in project management and can lead to high cost and disadvantages if not handled correctly. The project manager must therefore be able to make the best decisions based on the information available.
The decision tree is a tool that can aid the project manager to ensure the best outcome of a problem.
It is based on a tree-like model where each branch is a path of decisions and possible events. Each step include the cost and possibility of that event to occur.
By identifying all the possible events and their chance to occur it gives the project manager the ability to calculate the highest probability for each path.
When combining this with the cost of each event the project manager is able to estimate the cost/benefits for each decision.

Method Description

The decision tree is used to evaluate the risk and cost within a project. It can be used for feasibility studies, reassessment of existing structures or shutdown of old structures. An example to use this is: a production factory is being build but would need a source of water which could provide 100 units of water per day. They have two options to comply the requirements. One is establishing a local well which cost 10 monetary units. The well have one problem it only has 40% chance that it would be able to provide the 100 units of water each day. The other option is til establish a pipeline with 100% chance of delivering the amount of water needed but a cost of 100 monetary units.