DSM Versus CPM: Issues for Planning Design & Construction Activities

Abstract

Construction design projects are multi-disciplinary requiring input from several players including planners and design professionals. Project managers have developed techniques for planning, organizing, monitoring, and optimizing complex design projects. The Critical Path Method (CPM) is traditionally the most commonly used to address these issues. Various techniques have been added to CPM like splitting the activities to optimize projects duration. However, the CPM approach is based on workflow and is not effective in handling iterations, which is a characteristic of design projects. Also, while CPM can effectively handle sequential and parallel activities, it cannot handle coupled activities. The Design Structure Matrix (DSM) approach represents information flows in addition to workflows in a project. The DSM method can handle sequential, parallel, in addition to coupled activities. The study reported here involves the application of DSM for design projects, and describes an algorithm to optimize planning of design processes. Using DSM and through finding critical activities, management focuses on the essential information transfer requirements in the project, thereby minimizing rework, and improving throughput and design quality.

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