A high-definition design structure matrix (HDDSM) for the quantitative assessment of product architecture

Abstract

As the field of engineering design matures, new techniques and methods are continuously being developed to conceptualise and analyse product architecture. These techniques and methods require product representations with higher sophistication, granularity, and fidelity. To address these needs, the high-definition design structure matrix (HDDSM) is presented as a new and evolved product representation model that captures a spectrum of interactions between components of a product, such that characteristics of product architecture can be assessed and compared. The HDDSM includes an interaction basis to capture a variety of standardised types of interactions and a hierarchical modelling method to facilitate modular, more efficient compilation of a design structure matrix with a high level of detail. To illustrate the types of quantitative analyses supported by the HDDSM, it is used as a foundation for quantifying the degree of nesting and identifying the presence of frameworks in product architectures – two characteristics that are related to product customisation.

Keywords:

• product architecture
• functional modelling
• product structuring
• design structure matrix

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support provided from The University of Texas at Austin, the Cullen Trust for Higher Education, and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-0600474. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.

Notes

In addition to the BOM, CAD models can be used to inform the HDDSM model. CAD models are not required and may not always be available; however, if they are available, they could be used to identify some of the interactions listed in Table 1.

In its current form, it does not distinguish between intra- and inter-module interactions, as Sosa's approach does, but it could be expanded to do that by operating on HDDSMs of different levels of fidelity.