## 4 Results and Discussion
### Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model Based on AHP
#### 4.2.6 Decision Matrix  
This segment presents the calculation of final ranking of alternatives regarding the offshore outsourcing decision of application maintenance. The final ranking of the sourcing alternatives (onshore model, nearshore model and offshore model) was determined by combining the calculated weights of the criteria and alternatives in Sections 4.2.3 and 4.2.5 respectively. The ranking of alternatives, as well as the overall ranking calculation, are shown in Table 13 and Figure 6.  
Table 13, shows the overall ranking of the sourcing alternatives. The onshore model had the highest value, i.e., 40.5%. Clearly, this was the most appropriate alternative among the available models for application maintenance. Similarly, the nearshore model stands on the second position with 31.5% of priority, whereas the offshore model remained on third position by having a priority of 28%.  
Similarly, our proposed MCDM model ranked the sourcing alternatives for application maintenance offshoring as shown in Figure 6. The priorities of the sourcing alternatives were calculated for case study-1. For this case study, the criteria scores and alternative values are presented according to the nature of the project and client's requirements by an application maintenance expert of IBM Stockholm, Sweden. Based on the provided input of the project regarding the offshore outsourcing decision, the onshore model was ranked first among the available alternatives.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Critical Success Factors**} & \multirow{2}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{c} **Weights** \\ **(Wc)** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Onshore Model**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Nearshore Model**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Offshore Model**} \\ \cline{3-8}  & & **Wa** & **Wc\({}^{\star}\)Wa** & **Wa** & **Wc\({}^{\star}\)Wa** & **Wc\({}^{\star}\)Wa** \\ \hline Employee skills & 0.153 & 0.114 & 0.153* 0.114 = & 0.405 & 0.405* 0.153 = & 0.481 & 0.481* 0.153 \\ \hline Poor communication & 0.092 & 0.443 & 0.092* 0.443 = & 0.387 & 0.387* 0.092 = & 0.169 & 0.169* 0.092 \\ \hline Cost & 0.153 & 0.128 & 0.153* 0.128 = & 0.276 & 0.276* 0.153 = & 0.595 & 0.595* 0.153 \\ \hline Legal requirements & 0.302 & 0.669 & 0.302* 0.669 = & 0.243 & 0.243* 0.302 = & 0.088 & 0.088* 0.302 \\ \hline Infrastructure & 0.035 & 0.400 & 0.035* 0.400 = & 0.400 & 0.400* 0.035 = & 0.200 & 0.200* 0.035 \\ \hline Maturity level & 0.059 & 0.413 & 0.059* 0.413 = & 0.327 & 0.327* 0.059 = & 0.260 & 0.260* 0.059 \\ \hline Frequent requirements & & & & & & & \\ changes & 0.080 & 0.443 & 0.080* 0.443 = & 0.387 & 0.387* 0.080 = & 0.169 & 0.169* 0.080 \\ \hline Language barrier & 0.017 & 0.333 & 0.017* 0.333 = & 0.333 & 0.333* 0.017 = & 0.333 & 0.333* 0.017 \\ \hline Domain knowledge & 0.055 & 0.333 & 0.055* 0.333 = & 0.333 & 0.333* 0.055 = & 0.333 & 0.333* 0.055 \\ \hline Project management & & & & & & & \\ \hline Alternatives’ ranking & & & & & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 13: Decision Matrix calculating the ranking of alternatives.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**DK** & **OM** & **NM** & **OfM** & **Weights** & **PM** & **OM** & **NM** & **OfM** & **Weights** \\ \hline Onshore Model & & & & & & & & \\ Model & 1.000 & 1.000 & 1.000 & 0.333 & \begin{tabular}{c} Onshore Model \\ \end{tabular} & 1.000 & 2.000 & 2.000 & 0.500 \\ Nearshore Model & 1.000 & 1.000 & 1.000 & 0.333 & \
\begin{tabular}{c} Nearshore Model \\ \end{tabular} & 0.500 & 1.000 & 1.000 & 0.250 \\ Offshore Model & & & & & & \\ Model & 1.000 & 1.000 & 1.000 & 0.333 &
\begin{tabular}{c} Offshore Model \\ \end{tabular} & 0.500 & 1.000 & 1.000 & 0.250 \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{2}{l}{\(\text{Amax}=3.003\), C I = 0.002, C R = 0.003 \textless{} 0.1} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\(\text{Amax}=3.000\), C I = 0.000, C R = 0.000 \textless{} 0.1} \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 12: Weights of the alternatives with respect to domain knowledge and project management.