Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
Dynamic Time- and Release Indexed Feature-Component Dependency Matrices for Representing and Analyzing Configuration Validity
Winger, Fionn (1); Schmidt, Thorsten (2); Roth, Daniel (1); Kreimeyer, Matthias (1)
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Langner, Christopher; Kreimeyer, Matthias; Panarotto, Massimo; Cascini, Gaetano; Browning, Tyson R.; Eppinger, Steven D.; Yassine, Ali A.
Author:
Series:
DSM
Institution:
1: University of Stuttgart, Germany;
2: Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg
Page(s):
061-070
DOI number:
ISBN:
NA
ISSN:
NA
Abstract:
Variant-rich product portfolios rely on configuration rules that evolve over time and become effective at different release levels. Conventional DSM-, DMM-, and MDM-based representations typically assume global validity within a single model state and therefore do not make temporal or release-specific rule applicability explicit. This paper proposes a time- and release-indexed extension of feature-component dependency matrices that represents configuration rule validity across discrete deployment epochs and parallel release states. Configuration knowledge is tructured as a cascade of time slices, with release applicability encoded directly at the matrix cell level, without modifying the underlying constraint logic or solver mechanisms. A demonstration example shows how transitional and release-induced conflicts can be distinguished from structural inconsistencies and how future configuration states can be assessed proactively. The approach remains scalable, compatible with established DSM/MDM analyses, and improves
transparency and traceability of evolving configuration logic across development stages.
transparency and traceability of evolving configuration logic across development stages.
Keywords:
