Identifying critical features of complex systems under prior known conditions

Identifying critical activities or subsystems is usually the first step in reducing the complexity of systems. The design structure matrix (DSM) is a highly effective tool for managing a complex system by identifying and prioritizing critical activities. However, a standard DSM has limited application to systems with prior known conditions or practical application constraints. In this paper, we develop a conditional DSM method in order to identify critical features under some prior known conditions or existing constraints. This method of analysis is applied to a wafer fabrication case to verify its utility. In addition, this paper aims to make the DSM far more effective and broad in its application.