How to “Measure” a Mirage: Assessing Inconsistency in Mechatronic and Cyber-Physical Development Projects

The development of cyber-physical systems (CPS) is characterized by high complexity and interdisciplinary collaboration, often leading to inconsistency in engineering artifacts. This study investigates the systemic origins of such inconsistencies in the setup of development projects by identifying 35 influencing factors derived from literature and expert input. A Design Structure Matrix (DSM) is used to analyze the interdependencies of these factors, classifying them into system knots, levers, indicators, and independents. By applying different environmental settings a project can be found, the variation of the factors is investigated. Validation through a systems engineering expert workshop confirms the relevance of the findings while highlighting the underrepresentation of communication-related aspects. The study concludes with a refined set of 14key factors and outlines the need for further research to operationalize these insights for practical inconsistency risk assessment in CPS development projects.