Andrew goes to an office supply store and a sales representative shows him several copiers that can meet his needs. Which step of the decision-making process does this represent?

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Generating alternatives is the stage at which you explore a range of possible solutions to meet your needs. When the sales representative shows several copiers that could meet Andrew’s needs, they’re presenting him with multiple viable options to consider, rather than fixing on a single choice or defining what features matter. This creates a set of alternatives for comparison and evaluation. It’s different from identifying decision criteria, which would happen earlier to decide what attributes matter (speed, cost, reliability, etc.), and different from evaluating alternatives or selecting the best option, which come after the options have been laid out. It also isn’t about cognitive limits or using external evidence in decision-making. By presenting multiple copiers, the salesperson is facilitating the generation of options that Andrew can assess.