The subjective aspects of design structure matrices - Analysis of comprehension and application and means to overcome differences

Maik Maurer, Udo Pulm, Felix Ballestrem, John Clarkson, Udo Lindemann

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Design Structure Matrices (DSMs) are a widely spread and useful tool for structuring and analysing design processes and related aspects such as products themselves, organisations, etc. Though this tool is simple, yet quite powerful, problems might arise in using them due to the subjectivity of the set up model within the DSM, as it is with every model building exercise. This contribution looks at the individual differences in filling out a DSM, the reasons for those differences, as well as means to overcome them. This covers a clear procedure for using DSMs, extended tools using and supporting DSMs, and a better understanding of this matrix approach. The latter covers different issues and "linkage types" that can be addressed by a DSM and its use in a system theory context. It also emphasises that DSMs are just one method using a matrix approach, which is only one representation of a graph or a network, with other methods using similar approaches and covering other useful aspects. A simple, yet important contribution of our research is the appropriate direction of DSMs, i.e. the dependencies going from rows to columns or vice versa, since this is an often discussed subject concerning DSMs.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of 8th Biennial ASME Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA 2006
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers
ISBN (Print)0791837793, 9780791837795
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Event8th Biennial ASME Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA2006 - Torino, Italy
Duration: 4 Jul 20067 Jul 2006

Publication series

NameProceedings of 8th Biennial ASME Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA2006
Volume2006

Conference

Conference8th Biennial ASME Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA2006
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityTorino
Period4/07/067/07/06

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