A computer-implemented method of collaborative
decision making between a plurality of participant devices is described. The method comprises: establishing a connection between a
server and each of the participant devices, wherein the participant devices are remote from the
server: assigning to each of the participant devices connected to the
server one of a plurality of options; and (a) establishing, by the server, a plurality of device groups and assigning each of the participant devices to one of the device groups such that there are two or more differing assigned options across the participant devices of each device group, the set of assigned options across a device group being defined as an option set; and establishing, by the server, one or more master groups, each master group comprising one or more device groups which are assigned the same option set. Then, the method further comprises (b) within each device group: (b1) transmitting to each of the respective plurality of the participant devices data comprising the option set assigned to the device group; (b2) establishing a communications link, via the server, between the participant devices of the device group, allowing communications between all devices within the device group for a set time period; (b3) receiving, at the server, a selection from each of the respective plurality of the participant devices of one of the options of the option set transmitted to it in step (b1), where the option that received the most selections within the device group is defined as the device
group selection; and (c) assigning, by the server, the
consensus option of each master group to each of the participant devices within the master group, thereby replacing the option previously assigned to each participant device. The
consensus option comprises either: the option that received the most selections across all participant devices within the master group; or the option that received the most device group selections across all device groups of the master group. The method then comprises (d) closing the device groups; performing at least one further iteration of steps (a) to (d) and outputting a decision result comprising the one or more remaining options assigned across the participant devices.