Ranking of extension alternatives of R & D projects

This article describes a planning tool which can help the decision maker both during the early stages of project evaluation and later, when selecting extension alternatives. An algebraic expression is derived for ranking the alternatives by their mission probability, error, cost and project duration. A definite order can be established, even if the calculations are based on rather rough estimates or only on educated guesses. The process is elucidated by means of an example.