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Proposal/Method [Bobancu Şerban, 2021] to replace the estimate with a

calculation of the evaluation grades (notes, grades, raww scores).

There are several areas where calculation can replace estimation.

I. Use in Advanced Multi-Criteria Analysis = AMCA

An AMCA is considered with:

1. A (finite) number of { n } predefined variants (minimum 2, maximum not

limited).

2. A complete (exhaustive) set of { N } variant evaluation criteria.

The third stage of the AMCA consists in establishing the so-called evaluation
grades (notes). In turn, each of the { N } criteria, notes (grades) must be
individually graded for each of the { n } variants subjected to the AMCA.
Grades are given in the closed range 1...10 as follows:

• for grade (note) estimates, usually using integers,

• for grade (note) calculations using decimal numbers with one decimal.

In the same AMCA, integers and decimal numbers can be used simultaneously.

It is considered a linear evaluation scale (ie a staircase with "steps" located

on the same slope or a "staircase" with zero-width steps that degenerate into a
linear function) composed of evaluation grades with the following meanings:

- 1...2 = very weak = very disadvantageous = very negative =very unimportant;

- 3...4 = weak = disadvantageous = insufficient = negative = unimportant;

- 5...6 = medium = mediocre = sufficient = neutral = of medium importance;

- 7...8 = good = positive = important;

- 9...10 = very good = very advantageous = excellent = very important.

A total of { N ✶ n } grades are awarded.

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Option 1

How to determine the evaluation grade when the cost (price) is one of the
criteria.

Grade { 1 } is awarded for maximum cost { CM } and grade { 10 } is awarded for

minimum cost { Cm }. There is a question of calculating the grade for an
intermediate cost { C } between the maximum cost { CM } and the minimum cost
{ Cm }.

The calculation formula is:

grade (note) = 10 – 9 ✶ (C – Cm) / (CM – Cm) [1]

Two calculation examples:

1. When CM = 530 lei (with grade { 1 }) and Cm = 360 lei (with grade { 1 })

for C = 413 lei results the grade = 7.2

2. When CM = € 18.350 (with grade { 1 }) and Cm = € 14.990 (with grade { 10 })

for C = € 17.270 results the grade = 3.9

Option 2

In very rare cases the mutual problem may be taken into account:

to determine the cost (price) that corresponds to a given grade.

In this case, the calculation formula is:

C = (CM – Cm) ✶ (10 – note) / 9 + Cm [2]

Calculation example:

When CM = € 8.150 (with grade { 1 }) and Cm = € 6.430 (with grade { 10 }

for grade = 7.5 results in C ≈ € 6.908

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Option 3

If, for example, the gross salary at the level of an enterprise is one of the
criteria, then the highest salary is marked with { CM } and the lowest salary
with { Cm }.

{ CM } is graded { 10 } and { Cm } is graded { 1 }. The problem is the

calculation of the grade for the salaries { C } between the maximum salary
{ CM } and the minimum { Cm }.

The calculation formula is:

grade (note) = 10 – 9 ✶ (CM – C) / (CM – Cm) [3]

When CM = 18.900 lei (with grade { 10 } and Cm = 3.600 lei (with grade { 1 })

for some salaries between these extremes we obtain:

CM Cm

Salary [lei] 18.900 15.150 12.300 9.900 6.310 4.300 3.600

grade (note) 10,0 7,8 6,1 4,7 2,6 1,4 1,0

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II. Use to compare costs (prices) of the same subject

Such a problem can arise independently of AMCA when, for the efficiency of
comparisons (and for statistical calculations), instead of large numbers to
work with grades (notes).

It is much easier to compare grades between { 1 } and { 10 } than costs

(prices) represented by numbers in the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands,
or even hundreds of thousands.

Then, a descending string with the terms large numbers must be associated with
an ascending string, with grades (notes) between { 1 } and { 10 }.

Calculation example:

It is considered the decreasing range of prices of the same type of equipment

sold by 7 different companies, as:

It is recalled that the grade { 1 } is given for the highest price,

respectively the grade { 10 } for the lowest price.

It is also recalled that the formula [1] is used in which the maximum cost is
{ CM }, the minimum cost is { Cm } and the intermediate/current cost is { C },
between the maximum cost { CM } and the minimum cost { Cm }.

You get:

CM Cm

Cost[€] 78.300 73.400 65.200 60.550 59.400 53.500 50.800

grade (note) 1,0 2,6 5,3 6,8 7,2 9,1 10,0

In the series of grades, the comparisons become conclusive and easy to make. In
addition, the understanding of statistical processing is much easier.