Success factors for managing the fuzzy front end in non-assembled product development : findings from process-based firms

• The overall purpose of the article is to empirically identify success factors for managing the fuzzy front end during the development of non‐assembled products, as well as ranking their relative importance. By means of an exploratory case study, we probe existing front‐end practices in three firms within the metal‐ and minerals industry. Such a study is justifiable, as the specific contingency characteristics of process‐based companies make previous research results difficult to transfer. As mutual interdependences exist between product innovation and process innovation in such firms, we ground our thesis not only in the fuzzy front end (FFE) literature but also in the literature on managing process innovation (MPI). Among other things, our findings show that (1) several factors relevant to managing process innovation apply to the FFE for product development as well, e.g. investment in and integration of new process technology, product‐ and process innovation integration, and adequate relationships between labor and management. Furthermore, some factors (i.e. cross‐functionality, project management, early customer involvement, and culture) are paramount to make other factors work, and virtually no factor can be ignored completely.Our findings have major implications for how R&D m

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Annan teknik -- Övrig annan teknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Other Engineering and Technologies -- Other Engineering and Technologies not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Entreprenörskap och innovation

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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