Applying DSM Methodology to Improve the Scheduling of Calibration Tasks in Functional Integration Projects in the Automotive Industry

Authors

  • Thomas Gaertner BMW Group Germany
  • Sebastian Terstegen Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University Germany
  • Christopher M. Schlick Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University Germany

Keywords:

Project planning, project scheduling, functional dependencies, functional integration, design structure matrix

Abstract

Functional integration projects in the automotive industry are highly complex development projects, determined by multi-level dependencies, iterative processing, limited resources, last-minute changes, and a multi-project working environment. Given this complexity, there is a risk that problems may arise in timing and quality. This paper presents a novel generic project scheduling technique for functional integration projects based on the design structure matrix methodology. This is intended to improve the planning of delivery dates and required resources and capacities, to ensure tighter synchronization between project teams, to help prioritize tasks in parallel projects, and to help anticipate changes to the project stages when development changes or delays need to be accommodated

Author Biographies

  • Thomas Gaertner, BMW Group Germany

    Thomas Gaertner was born in Germany on June22, 1979. He received the M.S. degree (Dipl.-Ing. Univ.)in Mechanical Engineering from Technical Universityof Munich in 2005 and the Ph.D. degree (Dr.-Ing.) in Mechanical Engineering from Aachen University of Technology in 2011. In 2010 and 2011 he worked as a senior consultant in the IT industry. Since 2011 he works at the BMW Group, currently as a project manager in the design transmissions department.

  • Sebastian Terstegen, Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University Germany

    Sebastian Terstegen received the M.Sc. (Dipl.-Ing.)degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Paderborn, Germany, in 2009. He currently works as a PhD student and research assistant at the Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics of RWTH Aachen University. His research focuses on the development of simulation and optimization techniques for project management.

  • Christopher M. Schlick, Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University Germany

    Christopher M. Schlick was born in Germany on July 1, 1967. He received the M.S. degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Electrical Engineering from Berlin University of Technology in 1992, Ph.D. degree (Dr.-Ing.) in Mechanical Engineering from Aachen University of Technology in1999, and the Habilitation degree (Dr.-Ing. habil) alsoin Mechanical Engineering from Aachen University of Technology in 2004. He worked for the computer industry in 1992 and 1993 as a design engineer. From 1994 to 2000, he joined the Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics at RWTH Aachen University of Technology. From 2000 to 2004 he was the head of department of human–machine systems at the Research Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics, Wachtberg, Germany.He is now a full professor of industrial engineering and ergonomics at RWTH Aachen University and deputy director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE. His current interests are mathematical models of cooperative work indevelopment projects and information-theoretic methods to evaluate emergent complexity.

References

Browning, T. R. (2001). Applying the Design Structure Matrix to System Decomposition and Integration Problems: A Review and New Directions. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 48(3): 292-306.

Bortz, J. (2005). Statistik für Human- und Sozialwissenschaftler. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Cardoso, J. (2006). Approaches to Compute Workflow Complexity. In F. Leymann, W. Reisig, S. R. Thatte, & W. van der Aalst (Eds.), The Role of Business Processes in Service Oriented Architectures (pp. 1-15). Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany: Internat. Begegnungs- und Forschungszentrum für Informatik.

Danilovic, M., & Browning, T. R. (2007). Managing complex product development projects with design structure matrices and domain mapping matrices. International Journal of Project Management, 25: 300-314.

De Weck, O. (2007). On the Rule of DSM in Designing Systems and Products for Changeability. In U. Lindemann, M. Danilovic, F. Deubzer, M. Maurer, & M. Kreimeyer (Eds.), Proceedings of the 9th International DSM Conference (pp. 311-323). Munich, Germany.

Eppinger, S. D., Whitney, D. E., Smith, R. P., & Gebala, D. A. (1994). A Model-Based Method for Organizing Tasks in Product Development. Research in Engineering Design, 6(1): 1-13.

Gaertner, T. (2011). Simulationsmodell für das Projekt- und Änderungsmanagement in der Automobilentwicklung auf Basis der Design Structure Matrix. In C. M. Schlick (Ed.), Schriftenreihe Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics. Aachen, Germany: Shaker.

Gaertner, T., Rohleder, N., Schlick, C., & Schulz, L. (2009). A Simulation Model for the Planning and Optimization of Product Development Projects based on the Design Structure Matrix. In

M. F. Zaeh (Ed.), Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Changeable, Agile, Reconfigurable and Virtual Production (pp. 462-471). Munich, Germany: Herbert Utz.

Huberman, B. A., & Wilkinson, D. M. (2005). Performance variability and project dynamics. Comput Math Organ Theory, 11(4): 307-332.

Kerzner, H. (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling,. New York, NY: Wiley.

Knoedler, K., Poland, J., Merz, P., & Zell, A. (2005). Using Memetic Algorithms for Optimal Calibration of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines. In W. E. Hart, J. E. Smith, & N. Krasnogor (Eds.), Recent Advances in Memetic Algorithms, vol 166 (pp. 87-104). Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Krishnan, V., Eppinger, S. D., & Whitney, D. E. (1997). A Model-Based Framework to Overlap Product Development Activities. Management Science, 43(4): 437-451.

Lindemann, U., Maurer, M., & Braun, T. (2009). Structural Complexity Management: An Approach for the Field of Product Design. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Lygoe, R., Cary, M., & Fleming, P. (2010). A Many-Objective Optimisation Decision-Making Process Applied to Automotive Diesel Engine Calibration. In K. Deb et al. (Eds.), Simulated Evolution and Learning, vol 6457 (pp 638-646). Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Maurer, M. S. (2007). Structural Awareness in Complex Product Design. Dissertation, Technical University of Munich, Institute of Product Development.

Pyzdek, T., & Keller, P. (2009). The Six Sigma Handbook. New York City, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.

Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Doubleday/Currency.

Shtub, A., Bard, J. F., & Globerson, S. (2005). Project management: Processes, methodologies, and economics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Steward, D. V. (1981). The Design Structure System: A Method for Managing the Design of Complex Systems. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 28: 71-74.

Sung, A., Kloepper, F., Mitterer, A., Wachtmeister, G., & Zell, A. (2007). Model-based online optimisation in simulation and on the engine test bench. MTZ worldwide 68(1): 16-19.

Tatikonda, M. V., & Rosenthal, S. R. (2000). Technology Novelty, Project Complexity and Product Development Project Execution Success. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 47: 74-87.

Weber, J. (2009). Automotive Development Processes: Processes for Successful Customer Oriented Vehicle Development. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Wilcoxon, F., & Wilcox, R. (1964). Some rapid approximate statistical procedures. New York, NY: Pearl River.

Wynn, D. C., Wyatt, D. F., Nair, S. M. T., & Clarkson, P. J. (2010). An introduction to the Cambridge Advanced Modeller. Presented at the 1st International Conference on Modelling and Management of Engineering Processes, Cambridge, UK.

Yassine, A. (2004). An Introduction to Modeling and Analyzing Complex Product Development Processes Using the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) Method. Quaderni di Management (Italian Management Review), 9: 72-88.

Yassine, A., Whitney, D., Daleiden, S., & Lavine, J. (2003a). Connectivity Maps: Modeling and Analysing Relationships in Product Development Processes. Journal of Engineering Design, 14(3): 377-394.

Yassine, A. A., Joglekar, N., Braha, D., Eppinger, S. D., & Whitney, D. (2003b). Information hiding in product development: the design churn effect. Research in Engineering Design, 14(3): 145-161.

Yassine, A. A. (2010). Multi-Domain DSM: Simultaneous Optimization of Product, Process & People DSMs. In M. Kreimeyer, K. Eben, M. Maurer, U. Lindemann, & J. Clarkson (Eds.), Managing Complexity by Modelling Dependencies: Proceedings of the 12th International DSM Conference (pp. 319-332). Munich, Germany: Hanser.

Downloads

Published

2022-05-20

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2015): The Journal of Modern Project Management

Section

Articles-JMPM

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Thomas Gaertner, Sebastian Terstegen, Christopher M. Schlick

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Applying DSM Methodology to Improve the Scheduling of Calibration Tasks in Functional Integration Projects in the Automotive Industry. (2022). The Journal of Modern Project Management, 3(2), 137. https://journalmodernpm.com/manuscript/index.php/jmpm/article/view/200

Similar Articles

1-10 of 430

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.