Kluster: A Very Practical Application of Management Science You Could Be Making Better Decisions With

I am perhaps one of six people in advertising who use management science frequently as a decision aid when faced with complex and intricate problems. The tool I use is an Excel spreadsheet that lists the tasks in the left hand column and the columns are each occupied by a criterion on which the decision would be made. Each column is rated in importance on a 3 point scale, and each task is evaluated on a three point scale. By taking a weighted average you get a recommended answer that is less filled with the biases of vividness and personal preference.

Look, I just put you to sleep. Remember this post the next time you have insomnia.

Anyway, an application called Kluster automates the processes of such a model, and adds an additional layer of allowing you to include multiple raters in the process. The result is an easy to collect and manage multiple rater model. Check out their video for an eminently clearer explanation:


Private Kluster Tour! from on Vimeo.

What we have here, folks, is an actually usable and manageable collaboration tool. It is also extremely actionable, which is the fulfillment of a need that many people I know working with collab tools are facing.

By being able to rate raters and to decide on which criteria they should have a voice, we also offer a weighting apparatus that will help teams an organizations make far better decisions.

Pricing is pretty reasonable. More than my spreadsheet but then the offering has a lot more value than my spreadsheet as well:



A very practical add on to the tool is their ancillary offering namethis, which provides an easy way to make a group influenced product name decision.

This is good stuff people, and they are offering a risk free trial so you can see the value it could provide your org.

Take them up on it.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.