6.3 Suspended Ceiling Design Process - Bilkent University

development. The analysis enabled understanding the relationships
between design parameters and which interactions occur within a
specific component, and which interactions cross the component
boundaries.
4.2.5 Variations on the Basic DSM Method
Since its initiation in 1980s, DSM research has widened its scope and
several variations of the basic DSM method have emerged. In fact, the
method is versatile enough to be adapted to the needs of different types
of analyses. Some modified DSM models are discussed below.
Numerical DSMs have been developed to quantify interactions. In
binary DSM notation (0/1, or X marks) only the absence or existence of
a dependency between different system elements can be shown.
However, numerical DSMs can contain a multitude of attributes that
provide more detailed information on the relationships between the
different system elements. These include the following;
1. Level numbers: They indicate the order in which the feedback
marks should be torn. The mark with the highest level number
will be torn first and the matrix is partitioned again. This process
is repeated until all feedback marks disappear. Level numbers
range from 1 to 9 depending on the designers judgement of
where a good estimate for a missing information piece can be
made (Steward, 1981).
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