Project scheduling improvement using design structure matrix

Abstract

A challenging aspect of managing the development of complex projects is the notion of design iteration or rework. Traditional project management tools such as program evaluation and review technique (PERT), critical path method (CPM), and Gantt chart allow the modelling of sequential and parallel processes in projects, but they fail to address interdependency of feedback and iteration. Design structure matrix (DSM) is a new approach to project management, used to represent, analyse dependencies among tasks and show the order in which tasks are performed. In this paper, a case of the petroleum oil field development project is demonstrated. The project duration of the petroleum oil field development project is reduced significantly by applying the DSM method.