A method for developing a wiring design for a complex system includes creating a master wire harness network (MWHN) within pathway space reservations of a pathway space-reservation network of the complex system. In this regard, the MWHN can comprise a model of possible wiring pathways between equipment of the complex system, and can include wire harness elements interconnecting termination device elements. The method can also include importing a subsystems definition capable of being represented by interconnections between the equipment. Thus, one or more logical net harnesses (LNHs) can be created based upon the MWHN and the subsystems definition. The LNH, then, can comprise a collection of interconnections routed within the MWHN. One or more logical wire harnesses (LWHs) can be created based upon the LNHs, after which one or more end-item configurations (EICs) can be created based upon the LWHs.