In today‘s modern products, processes, organizations, and markets, complexity is ever-present. It is often seen as an obstacle to design and develop successful products and services. In fact, complexity can provide a major competitive advantage if handled the right way. Complex systems can generate better functionalities, they can be made copy-proof, and they allow for innovations otherwise not possible.

The Design Structure Matrix is a form of complexity management that has proven very valuable in designing and optimizing technical systems, complex organizations, densely networked processes and large market structures.

The International Design Structure Matrix (DSM) Conference has, since long, been the forum to exchange developments, trends, and ideas to propel complexity management in all kinds of industries. Hosted by the Technische Universität München and the BMW Group in Munich, Germany, it is intended for researchers, management and industrial practitioners to cover the breadth of the technology and its industrial application.