The "fuzzy front end" of product development: An exploratory study

The aim of this paper is to describe front-end activities in practice and get first hints for effects of the front end on project outcome and the meaning of contextual factors. The results of an exploratory study of fourteen product development projects are contrary to the wide-spread opinion that the quality of execution of front-end activities in practice is low. Although, due to the small sample size, our findings are limited, there seems to be an indirect impact of the fuzzy front end on project outcome: Front-end activities may reduce deviations during the following development phase. Furthermore, company size and the degree of newness of a project to a firm seem to have an influence on the fuzzy front end. Therefore, for future research, we suggest large-scale studies which examines direct and indirect effects and consider contextual factors, e.g., by evaluating structural equation models. --Fuzzy front end,idea generation,project selection,project planning

The "fuzzy front end" of innovation

The fast transformation of technologies into new products or processes is one of the core challenges for any technology-based enterprise. Within the innovation process, we believe, the early phases (fuzzy front end) to have the highest impact on the whole process and the result (Input-Output Process), since it will influence the design and total costs of the innovation extremely. However the Fuzzy Front End is unfortunately the least-well structured part of the innovation process, both in theory and in practice. The focus of the present chapter is on methods and tools to manage the fuzzy front end of the innovation process. Firstly, the activities, characteristics, and challenges of the front end are described. Secondly, a framework of the application fields for different methods and tools is presented: Since a product upgrade requires a different approach compared to radical innovation, where the market is unknown and a new technology is applied, we believe such a framework to be useful for practitioners. Thirdly, a selection of methods and tools that can be applied to the fuzzy front end are presented and allocated within the framework. The methods selected here address process improvements, concept generation, and concept testing. --fuzzy front end,innovation management,stage-gate process,frontloading,triz,dsm-matrix,lead user

A causal model of the impact of the "fuzzy front end" on the success of new product development

In a study of New Product Development (NPD) projects, the fuzzy front end of innovation is explored. The New Product Development process is a multistage process. Therefore, the study examines two sorts of impact that the fuzzy front end has on the success of New Product Development: a direct impact and an indirect impact by influencing the next stage of the NPD process, i.e. project execution. Furthermore, the degree of newness of the NPD projects in accordance with the contingency theory, is considered. We develop and test a causal model of relationships among key variables related to the fuzzy front end, project execution, and success. The causal model is tested with AMOS using information from 144 completed projects from German measurement and control technique firms. For the most part, the responses from these firms support the hypothesized relationships. The frequently claimed importance of the fuzzy front end is confirmed. The results offer strong support for the importance of the early involvement of all functions in an NPD effort to enhance communication and ultimately project success. This can be advanced by a draft initial planning prior to development. Furthermore, the responses highlight the importance of reducing market and particularly technical uncertainty during the fuzzy front end, both of which have a negative influence on communication and increase deviations during project execution. The technical uncertainty that remains at the start of the project has a direct, negative influence on project efficiency and overall it has the most far reaching implications for the success of the project. With regard to contingency theory, the results indicate that effort spent on the reduction of uncertainty for improving project execution and project success may be influenced by the degree of newness. The degree of newness is found to influence the reduction of technical uncertainty, deviations from specifications, and efficiency. Overall, the results of this study support previous research regarding the strong influence that front end activities have on NPD success. The model presented here provides several insights that can help managers to improve their NPD success and inspire researchers to carry out further studies regarding the fuzzy front end. --New Product Development , fuzzy front end

The innovation process: an introduction to process models

In research as well as in practice, process models are an expatiated element of innovation management. They fulfill different tasks. In practice, for instance, process models are used as a management tool to standardize development activities. Researchers try to identify activities to be found in every product development process. The design of the different process models is as manifold as their application. It heavily depends on the intention of the practitioner or academic. Therefore, there exists no one best way. Partially, one academic uses different process models for different research designs. The aim of this working papaer is to give management scholars and practitioners a review of different fields of application and design of innovation process models. For this purpose, a brief retrospection of the emergence and advancement of process models and a selection of process models is provided. --innovation management,new product development,concurrent engineering,success factors,stage-gate-process

Approaches to the "fuzzy front end" of innovation

In new product development (NPD) unacceptably high failure rates have often been related to insufficiencies during the early development phases. Nevertheless, only little effort is devoted to the early phases, in theory as well as in practice, and managers often indicate the front end as being one of the greatest weaknesses in product innovation. Therefore, it is surprising that only little research has treated the so called fuzzy front end of innovation. In this paper we discuss if process models lead to success in the early development phases. Therefore, the discussion about process models for the whole innovation process is briefly summarized and findings applied to the fuzzy front end. Due to high uncertainties with a wide range between different innovations in the early phases, process models are found to lead to success for incremental innovations with low market and technological uncertainty only. For innovations with a high market and/or technological uncertainty, a learning-based approach is suggested. --breakthrough innovation,fuzzy front end,innovation management,innovation process,new product development,stage-gate process

Einstellungen gegenüber älteren ArbeitnehmerInnen: Eine Analyse mit Hilfe des "Beliefs About Older Workers Questionnaires" unter Berücksichtigung des Geschlechts

Das vorliegende Arbeitspapier untersucht Einstellungen und Verhaltensabsichten gegenüber älteren ArbeitnehmerInnen unter Berücksichtigung des Geschlechts von sowohl Einstellungssubjekt als auch -objekt. Hierzur wurde der "Beliefs About Older Workers Questionnaires" eingesetzt und erweitert. Der Fragebogen wurde von 208 Studenten und 228 Studentinnen der BTU Cottbus vollständig ausgefüllt. Der Gesamtscore des Originalfragebogens zeigte im Vergleich zu früheren Studien relativ niedrige Werte auf, was auf negative Einstellungen gegenüber älteren ArbeitnehmerInnen hindeutet. Während die Studentinnen nicht zwischen Arbeitnehmern und Arbeitnehmerinnen differenzierten, schätzten Studenten Arbeitnehmerinnen negativer als ihre männlichen Kollegen ein. Negative Einstellungen schlagen sich auch in negativen Verhaltensabsichten gegenüber älteren ArbeitnehmerInnen nieder. Allerdings können Einstellungen nur bis zu 24% der Varianz der Verhaltensabsichten erklären. Es zeige sich, dass sich sowohl das Geschlecht der Einstellungssubjekte (Studentinnen/Studenten) als auch das Geschlecht der Einstellungsobjekte (Arbeitnehmerinnen/Arbeitnehmer) auf Einstellungen und Verhaltensabsichten auswirkten. Die Effekte sind jedoch relativ gering. Der erweiterte Fragebogen erwies sich gegenüber dem Originalfragebogen als vorteilhaft und könnte als Basis für zukünftige Forschung dienen. --

The impact of the fuzzy front end on new product development success in Japanese NPD projects

In a study of Japanese New Product Development (NPD) projects, the fuzzy front end of innovation is explored. Our conceptual model is based on the information-processing perspective. A structual equation model was fitted to data from 497 NPD projects from Japanese mechanical and electrical engineering firms to test the proposed model. The empirical analysis found support for all hypotheses except for one. Our study suggests that an early reduction of market and technical uncertainty and a draft initial planning prior to development have a positive impact on NPD project success. The model accounts for 17% of the variance of the efficiency and 24% of the variance of the effectiveness dependent variable. Thus, the front end phase is an important driver of NPD project success. Implications of the model are discussed. --

Reducing project related uncertainty in "the fuzzy front end" of innovation: A comparison of German and Japanese product innovation projects

In this paper, we are going to report on the results of an exploratory piece of research about the typical front-end-related activities in 28 innovation projects carried out by 14 German and 13 Japanese companies to reduce project uncertainty. In all cases we observed a range of activities to reduce project specific risks and revealed differences in the practice of innovation management in both the German and Japanese companies. We interviewed managers of 13 Japanese and 14 German enterprises concerning 14 Japanese and 14 German New Product Development projects. The focus of our research was the so called fuzzy front end ;, activities and typical deliverables in the innovation process which might be affected by front end management practice. Overall, in the case of the German as well as the Japanese projects, the uncertainties affected by the market or technology could successfully be reduced during the fuzzy front end and the majority of projects achieved their objectives and efficiency targets. Nevertheless, our study revealed differences in the way such uncertainties were reduced by the companies in Japan and Germany. Generally speaking, the 14 Japanese projects relied on a thorough planning, delegation of front end activities and strict controlling mechanisms to minimize deviations from front end specifications later in the innovation process and hence, achieved efficiency. In contrast, in the majority of the 14 German projects we could neither observe such a formal planning nor such an intensive controlling procedure supported by methods and tools as in the case of the Japanese projects. Instead, the companies in our German sample integrated relevant functions like R&D, marketing, sales, production or customer service from the beginning of the innovation process, usually already during the idea generation phase, to ensure that all critical information and perspectives were taken into consideration right from the beginning, to reduce uncertainties and later deviations as well as enhancing efficiency. Responsibilities were assigned during the fuzzy front end and rarely changed during the implementation of the project. --Fuzzy front end,innovation risk,uncertainty,idea generation,project selection,project planning,Japan,Germany

Modelle des Innovationsprozesses

Sowohl in der Forschung als auch in der Praxis sind Prozessmodelle ein wichtiger Bestandteil des Innovationsmanagements. Hierbei erfüllen Prozessmodelle die unterschiedlichsten Aufgaben. In der Praxis werden beispielsweise Prozessmodelle als Managementtool eingesetzt, um real ablaufende Prozesse zu standardisieren. In der Forschung werden Innovationsprozesse empirisch erfasst und in Prozessmodellen möglichst realistisch wiedergegeben. So vielfältig wie die Einsatzmöglichkeiten von Prozessmodellen sind die Ausgestaltungen der Modelle, die von der jeweiligen Zielsetzung des Unternehmens oder des Forschers abhängen. Somit gibt es nicht das richtige Prozessmodell. Ziel dieses Arbeitspapieres ist es, einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Ausgestaltungen von Prozessmodellen zu geben. Es wird eine Auswahl von Prozessmodellen aus dem englischsprachigen und deutschsprachigen Raum präsentiert und Besonderheiten herausgearbeitet. -- In research as well as in practice, process models are an important component of innovation management. In this context, process models fulfil different tasks. In practice, for instance, process models are used as a management tool to standardize development activities. Researchers observe innovation processes in practice and describe activities in the form of process models. The design of the different process models is as manifold as the use. It depends on the intention of the practitioner or researcher. There exists no single approach. Partially, one researcher uses different process models for different research designs. The aim of this paper is to give practitioners and management scholars an overview of different use and design of process models of the innovation process. A selection of process models from Anglo-Saxon and German authors is presented and differences are highlighted.Prozessmodell,Innovationsmanagement,Innovationsprozess

"Fuzzy front end" practices in innovating Japanese companies

In this paper, we report on the results of a large-scale study about typical front-end-related innovation practices in 553 Japanese mechanical and electrical engineering companies. We explore typical activities concerning the generation and assessment of new product ideas, the reduction of technological as well as market uncertainty and front end planning. Finally, we report on differences between successful and unsuccessful companies. Our study confirms earlier findings about the frequent use of creativity techniques in Japan during the process of idea generation. We also find companies to intensively involve upper management and customers into NPD projects. While integrating upper management is of vital importance for assessing new product ideas, integrating customers and users is primarily used to developing product ideas and concepts. We further find evidence that successful companies integrate their customers more frequently in the process of developing and assessing new product ideas than non successful companies. In addition, the former integrate customer requirements into their product definitions more often and also translate these requirements into technical specifications more frequently than non-successful companies. Finally, successful companies more often systematically plan a project prior to its start than unsuccessful ones. --New product development,Japanese firms,planning,success innovation