Design structure matrix: Difference between revisions

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== Overview ==

A design structure matrix lists all constituent [[subsystem]]s/[[Activity diagram|activities]] and the corresponding [[information exchange]],interactions, and dependency [[Pattern recognition|patterns]]. For example, where the matrix elements represent activities, the matrix details what pieces of information are needed to start a particular activity, and shows where the information generated by that activity leads. In this way, one can quickly recognize which other activities are reliant upon information outputs generated by each activity.

The use of DSMs in both research and industrial practice increased greatly in the 1990s. DSMs have been applied in the building construction, real estate development, semiconductor, automotive, photographic, aerospace, telecom, small-scale manufacturing, factory equipment, and electronics industries, to name a few, as well as in many government agencies.

The matrix representation has several strengths.

* The matrix can represent a large number of [[Systems theory|system]] elements and their relationships in a compact way that highlights important patterns in the data (such as [[feedback loop]]s and modules).

* The presentation is amenable to matrix-based analysis techniques, which can be used to improve the structure of the system.

* In modeling activities precedence it allows representing feedback linkages that cannot be modeled by [[GANTT]]/[[PERT]] modeling techniques <ref>Browning TR, Fricke E, Negele H (2006) Key concepts in modeling product development processes. Sys Eng, 9(2):104-128</ref>

DSM analysis provides insights into how to manage complex systems or projects, highlighting [[information flow]]s, task/activities sequences and iteration. It can help teams to streamline their processes based on the optimal flow of information between different interdependent activities.

DSM analysis can also be used to manage the effects of a change. For example, if the specification for a component had to be changed, it would be possible to quickly identify all processes or activities which had been dependent on that specification, reducing the [[Risk management|risk]] that work continues based on out-of-date information.

==DSM Strcuture==