Information visualization for the Structural Complexity Management approach

The handling of complexity poses an important challenge and a success factor for product design. A considerable percentage of complexity results from dependencies between system elements - as adaptations to single system elements can cause far-reaching consequences. The Structural Complexity Management (SCM) approach provides a five-step procedure that supports users in the identification, acquisition, analysis and optimization of system dependencies. The approach covers the handling of multiple domains (e.g. components, functions and people).Additionally the application of the SCM approach requires intensive support by information visualization, e.g. matrix and graph representations. However, one single technique does not satisfy all demands. Each phase of the SCM approach possesses individual requirements on the visual support. Whereas many specific techniques exist for visualizing systems and their dependencies (e.g. mind map or DSM), a suitable combination that supports the entire SCM approach is not available. For this reason, practical applications of the SCM approach are only restricted to small systems so far. In this contribution, we classify available techniques of information visualization and match them with the requirements of the SCM approach. Then we assemble a comprehensive model of visualization techniques which will provide the implementation basis for an appropriate software support.