Which approach best supports making data-driven decisions in problem solving?

• A. Relying solely on intuition.
• B. Combining qualitative insights with quantitative metrics.
• C. Ignoring stakeholder feedback.
• D. Focusing only on cost minimization.

Answer: (B)

Data-driven decision making relies on integrating qualitative insights with quantitative metrics to solve problems. Qualitative inputs—like user interviews, observations, and expert judgments—explain why things happen and reveal nuances that numbers alone can miss. Quantitative metrics—such as measurements, trends, and statistical analyses—provide objectivity, comparability, and a clear way to track impact over time. When you combine these, you get a fuller picture that supports decisions with both the reasons people experience and the hard evidence of outcomes. For example, user feedback might reveal that a feature is confusing, while usage data shows a drop in task completion after the feature’s release; together, they point to a real issue and a measurable path to improvement. Relying on intuition alone lacks evidence, ignoring stakeholder input misses important context, and focusing only on cost can overlook value, quality, and user needs.