Design structure matrix: Difference between revisions

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A DSM is a [[square matrix]], representing linkages between the system elements. The system elements are often labeled in the rows to the left of the matrix and/or in the columns above the matrix. These elements can represent for example product components, organization teams, or project activities.

The off-diagonal cells are used to indicate relationships between the elements. A marking of the cell indicates a directed link between two elements and can represent design relations or constraints between product components, communication between teams, information flow or precedence relations between activities. In one convention, reading across a row reveals the outputs that the element in that row provides to other elements, and scanning a column reveals the inputs that the element in that column receives from other elements. For example, in the DSM, the marking in rowcolumn A and columnrow C indicated a link from A to C (output from A, input to C). Alternatively, the rows and columns may be switched (without a change of meaning). Both conventions may be found in the literature.<ref name="DSMbook"/>

The cells along the diagonal are typically used to represent the system elements. However, the diagonal cells can be used for representing self-iterations (e.g., rework of a code that did not pass its unit testing). Self-iterations are required when a matrix element represents a block of activities/subsystems that may be further detailed, allowing hierarchical DSM structure.<ref>A. Karniel and Y. Reich, [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4255493_Simulating_Design_Processes_with_self-iteration_activities_based_on_DSM_planning “Simulating Design Processes with self-iteration activities based on DSM planning,”] in Proceedings of the International Conference on Systems Engineering and Modeling - ICSEM'07, Haifa, 2007. </ref>