← Applying business knowledge to a complex global problem
Two options, one recommendation (twice in every paper)
The single biggest block of marks. Criteria, then figures, then decide.How to build the comparison
- Set out two or three criteria that matter for THIS decision, drawn from the resource.
- Score each option against each criterion, using the resource's figures.
- State your recommendation in one sentence.
- Acknowledge the strongest argument for the option you rejected.
- Settle it with new information — a risk, a cost you calculated, a timeframe, a condition.
| Decision type | The criteria that decide it |
|---|---|
| Two suppliers / manufacturers | Unit cost, lead time, minimum order, quality consistency, ethics, reliability |
| Two sites / a relocation | Freight cost and time, rent, labour, access to customers, room to grow |
| Two software or machine options | Cost, capacity, compatibility, training, scalability, features actually used |
| Whether to act at all | Cost of acting vs cost of the status quo, and the risk of each |
Both options are always defensible. Markers reward the reasoning and the use of figures, never the choice itself.
✕Listing both sides without deciding
An answer that lays out criteria for both options and stops there is describing, not recommending — it cannot reach Merit. A recommendation needs a stated DECISION, and the justification needs something the earlier parts of the answer have not already used: a cost you calculate yourself, a risk, a timeframe, or a condition under which the choice would change.A fast check before submitting a recommendation
- Have I stated a clear decision, not just weighed both options?
- Have I acknowledged the strongest point FOR the rejected option?
- Does the justification use something not already stated earlier in the answer?