Design Structure Matrix used as Knowledge Capture Method for Product Configuration

The present work focuses on the study of a method to acquire and formalise the design knowledge in a way usable for implementing a knowledge-based software system to support the NPC. The approach is based on the representation of corporate knowledge within a structured framework where market requirements, product specifications and functional aspects are interrelated. A hierarchical multi-level DSM structure allows representing such knowledge in a rationale manner. This paper presents the methodology to formalize the product knowledge, the used structure to define the specifications for implementing the knowledge-based product configuration system and, finally, a practical example to illustrate our proposed framework.