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Design Structure Matrix and Project Management: bibliometric analysis

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DOI: 10.4322/pmd.2017.008

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Design Structure Matrix and Project Management: bibliometric analysis

Isabela Neto Piccirillo, Luis Fernando Magnanini de Almeida, Luciano Queiroz de Araújo Júnior, Sergio Luis da Silva
Department of Industrial Engineering, Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar
e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract: The Design Structure Matrix (DSM), also called dependency structures matrix has been used in different
areas. DSM has advantages like simplicity and it can organize the flow of data. Therefore, an area that DSM brings
some important benefits is in project management. This tool can identify the cycle that iteration occurs, it also can
minimize some revisions that are unnecessary, which accelerates the deliveries. The objective of this paper is to do
a bibliometric analysis that focuses on identifying the most co-cited papers about DSM literature (only journals)
that is connected with project management. The result shows that DSM can be used with different approaches like
traditional, hybrid or agile project management.

Keywords: DSM, design structure matrix, project management, bibliometric analysis.

1. Introduction 2. Literature review

The projects’ design and development require the The DSM provides a simple, compact, and visual
efforts of different participants that results in a complex representation of a complex system that supports innovative
relationships. Some conventional scheduling and control solutions to decomposition and integration problems
techniques are used to control the project such as Critical (BROWNING, 2001).
Path Methods (CPM) and Project Evaluation and Review The structure of the problem is seen as a spreadsheet
Technique (PERT). However, those traditional tools showing for each requirement to solve the problem
failed to address interdependency (feedback and iteration) what other items it directly depends on (DANILOVIC;
(YASSINE, 2005). SANDKULL, 2005) These relations are mapped in a square
Due to this lack, Steward (1981) introduced the Design matrix with identical row and column labels that shows the
Structure Matrix (DSM) to identify dependencies and
dependency of one element on another (GUALBERTO,
relations between items to find the most efficient way
2012). The diagonal cells represent the system elements
of sequencing tasks or activities. However, it was not
and the off-diagonal cells represent relationships among
until 1990s that this method received attention by many
the elements (BROWNING, 2016).
researchers and practitioners to represent and to analyze
the flow of interactions between activities (CHEN; LING; A sample task-based DSM is illustrated in the Figure 1.
CHEN, 2003). DSM consists of an N-square diagram The “X” in the matrix shows tasks interaction. For example,
showing the interaction of each element with the other the marked cell at roll 7, column 5, represents an information
elements in the model, and it can highlight important flow from Task 5 to Task 7 (CHEN; LING; CHEN, 2003).
patterns in the architectures system such as modules and As you can see in Figure  1, there are three types of
cycles (BROWNING, 2016; CHEN; LING; CHEN, 2003). task interactions: independent (tasks need to be executed
In the project management, it is common to find simultaneously), dependent (tasks need to be performed
significant cost (time and money) associated with rework. in series) and coupled (tasks need multiple iterations to be
According to Zhang et al. (2015), DSM can reduce these completed).
costs when is used to sequence the project’s critical chain, In this way, this method provides insights about how
to measure directions and intensities of information flows to manage a complex project and highlights issues of
between activities. Even in innovative projects like New information needs and requirements, task sequencing, and
Product Development (NPD), the DSM has been shown a iterations (YASSINE, 2005).
realistic and effective tool for managing (CHEN; LING; According to Gualberto (2012), the DSM also has others
CHEN, 2003; DANILOVIC; SANDKULL, 2005). advantages like:
The aim of this article is to identify the most co-cited
papers about DSM literature that is connected with project • It provides a simple and concise way to represent a
management. complex system;

86 Product: Management & Development Vol. 15 nº 2 December 2017

Figure 1. Sample task-based design structure matrix. Source: Chen, Ling and Chen (2003).

• It is amenable to analysis of existing dependencies the frequency that two documents appear in the reference
in the process; list of a third document (PILKINGTON; MEREDITH,
2009). A cluster analysis was also performed to verify the
• It can manage schedules and anticipate risks;
connection and the proximity among those important papers,
• It is a quick and accurate way to examine potential as shown in Figure 2 (GARFIELD, 2001).
changes to the sequencing of project activities and These relations and clusters can be analyzed through the
their effects; graphs and edges. Graph is a mathematic structure made
• It provides visually means for capturing, by points and edges (BELLIS, 2009). In this bibliometric
communicating, and organizing activities. analysis, graph is made by articles (dots) and the edges
connecting them.
The literature is full of successful DSM implementations in These analyzes were made by bibliometric software and
project management including automotive (YASSINE et al., the research steps are shown in the Figure 3.
2000), aerospace (BROWNING; EPPINGER, 2002), The Sci2 Tool and Gephi software were used for
construction (GUALBERTO, 2012), telecom (EPPINGER, the bibliometric analyses. The Sci2 Tool is the software
2001), and software (MACCORMACK; RUSNAK; that imports “.txt” files from the Web of Science database
BALDWIN, 2006). According to Browning (2016) DSM (ISI  format) and it generates the network of authors and
applications have only recently begun to touch these areas, co‑authors. The Gephi is the free software for visualization
which offer very promising opportunities for future research. and for analysis of networks graphics. Through this software
you can explore, manipulate, analyze, build clusters
3. Research method and export network graphics (BASTIAN; HEYMANN;
The relevant references were checked through the JACOMY 2009).
bibliometric analysis. According to Potter (1981) bibliometric The input data for this bibliometric analysis were
studies are divided into two categories: descriptive obtained through ISI Web of Knowledge (WOS). The reason
(researcher may count and rank the frequencies of articles of this scientific database was the compatibility with the
by countries, authors, journals, year of publication) and Sci2 Tool. The key words established for the papers were:
citation analysis (researcher may analyzes the most cited (“DSM” or “design structure matrix” or “Dependency
papers and the most co-cited paper in a specific field and Structure Matrix” or “problem solving matrix” or “design
period of time). precedence matrix”) AND: (“agile” or “apm” or “agile
In this research, a citation analysis was conducted to project management” or “scrum” or “project management”
identify the most co-cited papers about DSM that are related or “xp” or “lean agile” or “adaptative software” or “agile
with project management. Co-citation analysis describes method” or “agile methodology” or “agile methodologies”).

Vol. 15 nº 2 December 2017 Product: Management & Development 87

Figure 2. Co-cited analysis. Source: Garfield (2001).

Figure 4. Cluster analysis.

Table 1. The most co-cited papers.

Papers Frequency
Steward (1981) 30
Smith and Eppinger (1997a) 15
Eppinger et al. (1994) 12
Browning (2001) 11
Cho and Eppinger (2005) 6
Chen, Ling and Chen (2003) 6
Eppinger and Browning (2012) 6
Denker, Steward and Browning (2001) 5
Meier, Yassine and Browning (2007) 5
Figure 3. Steps of bibliometric analysis. Karniel and Reich (2009) 5
Lévárdy and Browning (2009) 4
Warfield (1973) 4
4. The results
As mentioned, this research was collected in WOS
database with the key words showed in the research Some of those papers bring the basis for the theory
method. Forty-one papers were imported and they resulted of Design Structure Matrix. Warfield (1973) brings the
in 949 nodes, 21,182 edges and one cluster. The Table 1 primarily tutorial on the use of binary matrices in system
shows the frequency of identify the most co-cited papers modeling. It brings the decomposition of binary matrices
about DSM that are related with project management. Only into levels such that all feedback is contained. For that, the
those are discussed in this paper. development procedure partitions the matrix on the basis of
Almost all these papers were also found in the co-citation supplied data entries and then the interconnections between
cluster analysis. For better visualization of the cluster, the subsystems are added, allowing the transitivity to be used
filter of the degree interval was applied as shown in Figure 4. in the developing the matrix. This method permits one to
As you can see in the Figure 4, there are 13 papers and construct a reachability matrix with computer assistance
11 are also in Table 1. The only paper in the cluster that are and to convert it to structural model of a system.
not in the Table 1 is the Eppinger et al. (1994), that use DSM Steward (1981) goes one step further in the method
for organizing task in product development. for managing the design of complex system. The author

88 Design Structure Matrix and Project Management: bibliometric analysis Piccirillo et al.

argues that systems design involves the determination of problems related to process modeling logic verification of
interdependent variables that implies in the precedence iterative processes.
ordering for the tasks involved in project. Those require Thus, the DSM literature had a great development going
planning decisions about how to iterate and where to from binary to higher order matrices and from sequential
use estimates is not addressed in conventional planning to iterative processes. Browning (2001), Browning and
techniques such as critical path. These techniques can be Eppinger (2002), Eppinger and Browning (2012) address
used to develop an effective plan, showing where estimates this evolution in their works. The first one is a paper that
are to be used, how to design iterations and reviews and how reviews the use and problems of design structure matrix in
information flows during the design work. This information decomposition and integration processes. The analysis takes
flow can also be used to determine the consequences of in account two types of DSMs: the static and the time-based.
a change in any variable and which documents must be It also consider four DSM applications: (1) component‑based
changed. One special case of process that can use the DSM or architecture, useful for modeling system component
is the interactive. relationships and facilitating appropriate architectural
Smith and Eppinger (1997a) present a model describing decomposition strategies; (2) Team-Based or Organization
sequential iteration to be used in complex engineering DSM, for designing integrated organization structures that
design projects. The model is based upon the design account for team interactions; (3) activity‑based or schedule
structure matrix representation and assumes that each DSM, for modeling the information flow among process
individual design activity is of deterministic duration with activities and (4) parameter-based (or low-level schedule),
probabilistic repetition, where the repeated probabilities for integrating low-level design processes based on physical
are defined by the strength of the task coupling. This model design parameter relationships. The paper also makes
allows computing the expected duration of the iterative a discussion of each application and show an industrial
solution process and, suggesting an initial ordering of the example. Lastly, it leads to conclusions regarding the
coupled design tasks to minimize the expected duration.
benefits of its use and the barriers to their use and discusses
The  model demonstrates that it is better in a sequential
research direction and new applications for DSM.
iteration process to attempt a task only after the execution
The second one is a book that makes an introduction
of tasks upon which it is strongly dependent, and to attempt
of design structure matrix methods and then discusses in
the longer tasks later in the design process so the longer
detail the use of DSM in products architecture models,
tasks are repeated a minimum number of times.
organization architecture models, process architecture
In another paper, Smith and Eppinger (1997b) apply
model and multi-domain architecture models. It also
DSM model to an automotive brake-system development
addresses the future of DSM.
process in order to illustrate the model’s utility in describing
the main features of an actual design process. The others papers address the use of DSM in project
On the other hand, Meier, Yassine and Browning (2007) management of product development. Eppinger  et  al.
apply Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to an information flow (1994) present a design management strategy which focuses
model to find an optimized sequence for a set of design attention on the essential information transfer requirements
activities. The optimality of a solution depends on the of a technical project. This strategy was developed after
objective of rearrangement. In an activity sequencing using the matrix representation to capture the sequence
context, objectives vary: reducing iteration/feedback, off and the technical relationships among the many design
increasing concurrency, reducing development lead-time tasks to be performed in order to find alternative sequences
and cost or some combination of these. They adopted and/ or definitions of the tasks to offer opportunities to
matrix-based representation scheme, the DSM, for the speed development progress by streamlining the inter-task
information flow models. Their tests indicate that certain coordination. Browning and Eppinger (2002) use the DSM
DSM characteristics (e.g., size, sparseness, and sequencing for modeling impacts of process architecture on cost and
objective) cause serious problems for simple Genetic schedule risk in product development. Denker, Steward
Algorithm (SGA) designs and to cope with the SGA and Browning (2001) discuss using the dependency
deficiency, they investigate the use of a competent GA: structure matrix to design project plans that produce greater
the ordering messy GA (OmeGA). concurrency and better iteration management. Chen, Ling
Karniel and Reich (2009) identify a gap between the and Chen (2003) present a scheduling and rescheduling
literature concerning activities sequencing based on DSM framework based on Design structure Matrix to deal with the
and the process modeling literature concerning process difficult to scheduling and managing the global collaborated
verification. They made a survey that systematically new product development process for large projects,
classifies the approaches used in DSM-based process especially in sequencing, monitoring and controlling de
planning, and discusses their strengths and limitations with NPD process.

Vol. 15 nº 2 December 2017 Product: Management & Development 89

 Cho and Eppinger (2005) present a process modeling BROWNING, T. R. Applying the design structure matrix to
and analysis technique for managing complex design system decomposition and integration problems: a review
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Vol. 15 nº 2 December 2017 Product: Management & Development 91

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