Synthesis involves putting together or combining parts into a whole. Analysis - the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements - is the opposite of synthesis.1
Organizations have become quite good at doing analysis; however, few organizations know how to synthesize. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) might as well be called the Synthesis Hierarchy Process because, at its core, AHP helps us measure and synthesize the multitude of factors involved in complex decisions.1
In order for an organization to make a rational decision (i.e., one that best achieves the multitude of their objectives) they must be able to synthesize.1
Next: Inconsistency
1 Forman, Ernest H. and Mary Ann Selly. Decision by Objectives: How to Convince Others That You Are Right. World Scientific Publishing Company, 2001.
