Weighted utilities in the client simulator

Question

Hi there,

I have set up some client simulators, and have specified that while weights should be available they should not be changeable. However, now I am testing the simulator and while the weighting is fine for the actual simulations, it will only run utility estimates using unweighted data. What is the use of that? If I want weights, I want it for ALL analyses, not just the simulations.

I realise I can potentially 'fix' this by allowing the client to change the weights themselves, but I really don't want to give them that opportunity to run the results incorrectly. Is there any way I can set this up so the utilities are weighted without giving the client control?

Thanks,
Sharon

Comments

Sharon, can you give us a bit more detail so we can chase down what you are referring to?  Are you using an online (web-based) client simulator?  Or, a client simulator that is a desktop installed "Choice Simulator"?  

When you refer to "only run utility estimates using unweighted data", I think you might be referring to reporting the utilities as utilities and importances charts, right?  And that these are not being weighted as the simulations are being weighted?

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Hi Bryan,

My apologies, I'll try to be clearer. I have set up a client simulator using the desktop Choice Simulator. In the Simulator, on the Home tab, there is an option "Utility Report" which produces utility values (and importances if you wish) in an Excel format as well as showing a graph. These utility values are currently not weighted. My client wants these to match what we reported (which were weighted), and want to be able to re-run these by segments if desired.

Cheers,
Sharon

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Thanks for the clarification.  I've pointed our main developer for that product to your report.  He might be able to look at it tomorrow to chime in.  Seems like it might be a bug you are reporting...and if so, I'm sorry for the inconvenience it causes!

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Ok, thanks :)

Answer 1

As Bryan mentioned, this is due to an issue in the Choice Simulator. I am contacting you with a temporary fix, and we will work to get it into the next release.