Using multiple design structure matrices

In product development, multiple aspects of engineering design methodology interact with each other. In this paper, we present an approach that integrates these aspects (product design domains) into one coherent matrix representation form by combining the DSM (Design Structure Matrix) and DMM (Domain Mapping Matrix) methodologies. We developed an algorithm to calculate and visualize indirect implications of adjacent information that evolve through the integrative view onto the engineering system. Our methodology complements the DSM and DMM methodologies and is designed to help developers to identify important elements of an engineering system more quickly and to improve the process of data collection for matrix based design analysis.