Pugh Matrix

©2006 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.

 Pugh Matrix

The Pugh Matrix is a tool used to prioritize and evaluate potential

solutions against solution evaluation criteria

PUGH MATRIX
Importance Datum Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4
Characteristics

Sum of Positives 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Double Positives 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Negatives 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Double Negatives 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Sames 0 0 0 0 0
Weighted Sum of All Positives 0 0 0 0 0
Weighted Sum of All Negatives 0 0 0 0 0
Weighted Raw Score 0 0 0 0 0

Caterpillar: Confidential Yellow 2 ©2006 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.

 Pugh Matrix: Concept Selection

1. Prepare for First Run of Concept Selection

2. Prepare Representations
– Drawings
– Word descriptions
– Other characterizations of Concepts
3. Identify Criteria
– Design parameters
– Company requirements and knowledge
– Regulatory requirements
4. Determine relative importance ratings
5. Select DATUM
– Select “best-in-class” or “as-is” process as the Datum
6. Prepare Evaluation Matrix
– Enter alternative concepts across top of matrix
– Criteria in first column
– Importance ratings in second column
– DATUM in third column

Caterpillar: Confidential Yellow 3 ©2006 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.

 Pugh Matrix: Concept Selection

7. Compare each of the alternative concepts against the DATUM

‘++’ = significantly better
‘+’ = clearly better
‘s’ = about the same
‘-’ = clearly worse
‘--’ = significantly worse
Enter comparisons into Evaluation Matrix
8. Sum the (+)’s, (-)’s, and (s)’s
– The highest number may not be the best concept
9. Look for strengths and weaknesses
10. Attack the weaknesses
– What is needed in the design to reverse the negatives relative to the
DATUM?
– Does the change reverse any of the positives?
– Can strengths of other alternatives be incorporated to reverse
negatives?
11. If a modified Concept emerges, enter it into the Matrix
12. Eliminate truly weak concepts from matrix

Caterpillar: Confidential Yellow 4 ©2006 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.

 Pugh Matrix: Concept Selection

10. Attack the weaknesses

– What is needed in the design to reverse the negatives relative to the
DATUM?
– Does the change reverse any of the positives?
– Can strengths of other alternatives be incorporated to reverse
negatives?
11. If a modified Concept emerges, enter it into the Matrix
12. Eliminate truly weak concepts from matrix

Caterpillar: Confidential Yellow 5 ©2006 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.

 Pugh Matrix: Concept Selection
Examine the Positives
13. A uniform strength exhibited across a number of Concepts. This situation
is troublesome. It suggests that either the Criteria are too ambiguous to
discriminate between Concepts or that some Concepts are strongly
related (are subsets) to the others.
– In the first case, DECOMPOSE the Criteria
– In the second case, DECOMPOSE/COMBINE the Concepts
14. One Concept emerges as clearly the strongest. This situation is
desirable. When this occurs, proceed to Conduct Confirmation Run.

The Pugh Concept Selection Process usually leads to synthesized

solutions that are substantially better than any of the initial alternatives

15. Conduct a Second Run using the using the Strongest Concept as the
DATUM
16. If the second run confirms the first, proceed to Controlled Convergence
17. If the first run is not confirmed, continue to analyze and improve the
alternatives until a Strong Concept emerges

Caterpillar: Confidential Yellow 6 ©2006 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.