Design Structure Matrix (DSM) techniques support the management of complexity by focusing attention on the elements of a complex system and how they relate to each other. DSM‐based techniques have proven to be very valuable in understanding, designing, and optimizing complex system architectures such as those of products, organizations, and processes. The International DSM Conference provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and developers of DSM‐related tools to exchange experiences, discuss trends, and showcase results and tools. It also acts as a forum for developing new ideas regarding complexity management in all kinds of industries and from many different perspectives.

Complexity is an ever-present obstacle in almost every business. Especially in engineering, the design of highly integrated systems, the management of densely interwoven process organizations, the adaptation of products and their variants to different markets, and the general management of dependencies that drive any system's behavior necessitate approaches that enable the smooth and efficient modeling, analysis, and synthesis of appropriate solutions to working with such complexity.

However, complex systems have many advantages—e.g., they can generate better functionalities, be made copy-proof, and allow for innovations otherwise not possible. If well managed, complex systems provide many opportunities.

DSM methods (matrix-based as well as graph based) have proven invaluable in designing complex systems, optimizing technical systems, and understanding and managing product architectures, organizations, densely networked processes, and large market structures. With its ability to manage complexity by looking into the structure of a system, it has led to many other advances and methodologies, including domain mapping matrices (DMMs) and multidomain matrices (MDMs).

The International DSM Conference provides an annual forum for discussing the modeling and management of complex systems. During the conference, researchers, practitioners, and software developers of DSM-related tools can exchange experiences, development results, trends, and new ideas for complexity management in all kinds of industries from many different perspectives.

The 2015 DSM Conference will include the following three main topical areas:

Industrial Applications (Systems Engineering and Project Management)
◾Aerospace
◾Architectural engineering and construction
◾Automotive
◾Big data and analytics
◾Energy
◾Healthcare
◾Information technology / software
◾Infrastructure
◾Manufactured and consumer goods
◾Plant Engineering
◾Others

Research Trends
◾DSM approaches and methodologies
◾Domain Mapping Matrix (DMM) approaches and methodologies
◾Multidomain Matrix (MDM) approaches and methodologies
◾Systems Engineering, System Dynamics, General System Theory, and others
◾Developments and innovations in building, visualizing, analyzing, and understanding DSMs, DMMs, and MDMs
◾Product architectures
◾Organization architectures
◾Process architectures
◾Project management

DSM software tools
◾Commercially available tools
◾Prototypes and research projects