Decision Prep · Free · No account
Define the decision, requirements and unanswered questions.
The workbook prepares a decision. A Decision Brief states the choice and its limits, an Options sheet checks each option against your must-haves, a Criteria sheet sorts factors by importance, and a Questions sheet lists what is unknown.
- Excel 2016 and later
- Calculations checked in LibreOffice and Google Sheets
- Name the decisionWrite the choice with a date if there is one. Add the background, when it needs deciding, whether it can be undone and how many of the facts you already have.
- List options and factorsEnter the options, then the must-haves, the important criteria and the nice-to-haves, one per line. A readiness check marks what is missing as you type.
- Download and workDownload the workbook. Mark each option Yes, No or Not known yet against the must-haves on the Options sheet, then fill in the Criteria and Questions sheets.
Build your workbook
Preview: Which car to buy. Change the selected dates, categories or layout to update the preview.
JavaScript is required to use the builder. The workbook is made in your browser.
What you get
A readiness check
Too many options, overlapping criteria, vague factors and must-haves that are really preferences are marked as you type.
Must-haves listed separately
Pass-or-fail factors rule options out before any scoring starts.
A prep workbook
The brief, each option checked against the must-haves, the criteria with what good looks like, and the open questions.
Ready for The Decision File
The Decision File covers weighting, scoring and ordering; copy your prepared lists into it.
The Which car to buy example
Three options (repair the current car, buy a used hatchback, lease an electric car), two must-haves, five criteria, two nice-to-haves and two open questions, with the Decision Brief showing a readiness level.
Sheets included (6)
- Start HereHow the workbook works, what each sheet is for and the settings used.
- Decision BriefThe decision, its background and limits, the people involved and the readiness result. Every white cell can be edited.
- OptionsEach option, checked against the must-haves. An option that fails a must-have is ruled out before scoring.
- CriteriaEvery factor sorted into must-have, important or nice to have, with what good looks like and how it will be checked.
- QuestionsWhat still needs to be found out, who can answer and by when.
- ListsEdit the white lists to change dropdown choices. Shaded lists are fixed because formulas use those names.
File details
- Made for
- Excel 2016 and laterThe download is an .xlsx workbook.
- LibreOffice
- No calculation errors in our testLibreOffice recalculated every formula in the workbook with no error values, such as #VALUE! or #N/A.
- Google Sheets
- Calculations matched Excel in our testGoogle Sheets removes sheet protection and repeated print headings.
- Apple Numbers
- Every calculation matched ExcelNumbers converts list-based dropdowns to plain cells and removes colour markers, sheet protection, frozen headings and number and date validation.
- Calculations
- The Start Here sheet explains what each sheet works out. Results update from the entries you add.
- Builder privacy
- The builder runs in your browser. The entries used to make the workbook stay on your device. How the utilities work
Examples
Which car to buy
Buyers choosing between repairing, buying used and leasing, with a budget limit and another driver in the household to consult.
Job offer decision
Someone with an offer and a short deadline, who needs the questions to put to the employer listed, each with a date.
Supplier selection
Owners of small firms choosing an accountant, printer or software provider, who want the requirements written down before anyone sends a quote.
Decision brief template
Blank decision sheets for a school, venue, course or another choice.
Questions
Are my builder entries sent to Due Form?
No. The builder uses them in your browser to make the workbook on your device.
Information is sent to Due Form when you submit a form or use another service described on the How it works page.
Is anything I type uploaded?
No. The decision, options and questions are used only inside your browser to build the file, which is saved to your device. Nothing you type is sent to a server.
Can I print the brief?
Yes. The Decision Brief is laid out to print on one page, on A4 or US Letter, so it can go in front of the people involved at a meeting.
Does it weight, score or choose for me?
No. It prepares the brief, must-haves, criteria and open questions. Use those sheets to compare the options that pass, or continue in The Decision File.
What is the readiness check?
It marks missing or weak parts: fewer than two or more than seven options, more than five must-haves, fewer than two criteria, criteria that overlap, or a factor such as quality that is hard to measure.
What is the difference between a must-have and a criterion?
A must-have is pass or fail, and an option that fails one is ruled out. A criterion is something to compare across the options that pass, such as running cost.
Related Due Form edition
The Decision File
Compare viable options, record the reasoning and set a review date.
To weight, score and compare the options
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