Managing the Interdependencies in Complex Development Projects with Matrix-Based Methods

The design structure matrix or the dependency structure matrix is a modeling framework used in many areas of research and practice. It is suitable for illustrating the dependencies between product, organization, and the development processes in a complex development project. “The products” considered in this paper are the unique product, service or result of the complex development projects; “the organizations” have a complex, interrelated networked organizational structure; and “the process” is the product development processes involved in a complex development project. The inter-organizational networks created in such development projects are temporary, and the critical parameters are cost, time, and product quality, as it is in other projects. The potential of Design structure matrices and domain mapping matrices to illustrate the dependencies between such complex product, process, and organization systems is analyzed. The review investigates the existing literature in the mainstream of project management discussing the design structure matrix and other related matrix-based methods.