Employing Simulation to Study the Role of Design Structure Matrix in Reducing Waste in Design

The design process is a complex and dynamic system owing to the interdependencies of tasks which need to be coordinated between different involved parties. As the design process continues to grow in complexity with the progress of design, and since the early stages are the most complex to manage, this paper proposes the use of the design structure matrix (DSM) to overcome the encountered challenges within the design management process. This study is based on the implementation of the DSM method to manage information flow in the preliminary design of a building project following a traditional design approach. Based on interviews with multidiscipline practitioners, tasks are identified and presented in a Base DSM. To better manage dependencies and improve performance, tasks are re-sequenced in a Partitioned DSM. Accordingly, two simulation models were developed for the Base DSM and the Partitioned DSM. Results show that the flow of tasks in traditional design leads to an increase in the design duration due to negative iterations representing rework in tasks receiving modified input from subsequent activities. Results also show the cyclic dependency between considered tasks and the effect of information change on work progress. This paper concludes by suggesting the application of an integrated design approach to manage the current planning system of the design process at early stages, where intensive coordination is required.