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May 15, 2002 -- Product Development Processes -- Tom Carbone, host

Title: An Introduction to Modeling and Analyzing Complex Product Development Processes Using the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) Method

Abstract:
The design and development of complex engineering products require the efforts and collaboration of hundreds of participants from diverse backgrounds resulting in complex relationships among both people and tasks. Many of the traditional project management tools (PERT, Gantt and CPM methods) do not address problems stemming from this complexity. While these tools allow the modeling of sequential and parallel processes, they fail to address interdependency (feedback and iteration), which is common in complex product development (PD) projects. To address this issue, a matrix-based tool called the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) has evolved. The DSM method is an information exchange model that allows the representation of complex task (or team) relationships in order to determine a sensible sequence (or grouping) for the tasks (or teams) being modeled. This presentation will cover how the basic method works and how you can use the DSM to improve the planning, execution, and management of complex Product Development projects.

Speaker Biography:
Ali A. Yassine
MIT Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development (CTPID)
Cambridge, MA 02139

Ali Yassine is a research scientist at MIT Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development (CTPID). Previously, he was a project manager at Chrysler Corporation, International Operations group. At MIT, His research involves managing the development process of complex engineering products, design process modeling, and IT-enabled concurrent engineering methodologies. His publications appeared in Management Science, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, International Journal of Production research, and several other international journals. He also consulted on numerous occasions for the automotive (Ford Motor Company) and telecommunications (Global One) industries in the areas of decision analysis and product development management.

Dr. Yassine received the B.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1988 from the American University of Beirut. He received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1989 and 1994 in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He is a member of INFORMS, ASME and PDMA.

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