The front-end of innovation (FEI), also known as fuzzy front-end (FFE) or front-end, is a process composed by the phases that precede the technical development. The FEI is seen as an opportunity for the improvement of the innovation process and as a root for success whenever the product innovation follows a discontinuous strategy.
The FEI has very unique characteristics that differ this specific set of phases from the development process as a whole. Due to its specific characteristics, the FEI is a complex and uncertain process. Also, the FEI management is an arduous challenge, since it is unstructured, dynamic and hard to formalize. In fact, literature offers FEI frameworks usually based in high-level activities and many works have been trying to structure the FEI.
Our researches investigate questions such as:
- How to support business models development on the FEI? (methods and techniques)
- How to support business cases development on the FEI? (methods and techniques)
- What and how creativity methods may support the FEI?
- What and how user-centered methods may support the FEI?
- How to support process architecture development on the FEI? (methods and techniques)
- How to improve the FEI in the companies?
- How to support ideas management in the first phase of the FEI? (methods and techniques)
- How to improve the application of roadmapping for strategic management on the FEI?
Ongoing projects:
- Applying design thinking to support innovation on PSS (product-service system) development
- Definition of a process architecture integrated to business model in the design of innovative PSS
Finished projects:
- Analysis of the product idea management to support the front-end of the innovation process
- Creation of product-service systems (PSS) proposals in the fuzzy front-end
- Integration of the technology roadmapping (TRM) and the portfolio management for supporting the macro-phase of the pre-development of the PDP: case study in a small technological-based company.
- Method of analysis of the process of decision planning innovation: a contribution for the evaluation and selection of proposals innovative products
- Systematization and analysis of economic evaluation of products and services development projects
Researchers:
- Henrique Rozenfeld – Professor
- Maicon Oliveira – Professor (partner)
- Maiara Rosa – MSc Researcher
- Marina Pieroni – MSc Researcher
- Giovanna Nogueira – Undergraduate research assistant
- Ana Paula Barquet – Former PhD researcher
- Kênia Fernandes de Castro – Former research assistant
- Victor Cunha – Former research assistant
Publications:
- DE OLIVEIRA, M. G.; ROZENFELD, H.; PHAAL, R.; PROBERT, D. Decision making at the front end of innovation: the hidden influence of knowledge and decision criteria. R & D Management (Print)
, v. 45, p. 161-180, 2015 - BARQUET, ANA PAULA BEZERRA ; STEINGRÍMSSON, JÓN GARÐAR ; SELIGER, GÜNTER ; ROZENFELD, HENRIQUE. Method to Create Proposals for PSS Business Models. Procedia CIRP, v. 30, p. 13-17, 2015.
- RODRIGUES, KÊNIA FERNANDES DE CASTRO ; NAPPI, VANESSA ; ROZENFELD, HENRIQUE . A Proposal to Support the Value Proposition in Product Oriented Service Business Model of Product Service Systems. Procedia CIRP, v. 16, p. 211-216, 2014.
- GUIDAT, T. ; BARQUET, A.P. ; WIDERA, H. ; ROZENFELD, H. ; SELIGER, G. . Guidelines for the Definition of Innovative Industrial Product-service Systems (PSS) Business Models for Remanufacturing. Procedia CIRP, v. 16, p. 193-198, 2014.
- CUNHA, V. P. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; ROZENFELD, H. Extending the ideation process to the entire organization. Product (IGDP), v. 12, p. 64-71, 2014.
- BARQUET, A. P. B. ; AMIGO, C. R. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; CUNHA, V. P. ; ROZENFELD, H. Employing the business model concept to support the adoption of product-service systems (PSS). Industrial Marketing Management, v. 42, p. 693-704, 2013.
- BARQUET, A. P. B.; PIGOSSO, D. C. A.; ROZENFELD, H. Systematic Approach to Formulate PSS Development Project Proposals in the Fuzzy Front End. In: Horst Meier. (Org.). Lecture Notes in Production Engineering. 1ed.Berlin Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2013, v. , p. 121-130.
- OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; PHAAL, R. ; PROBERT, D. ; CUNHA, V. P. ; ROZENFELD, H. . A starting point for addressing product innovativeness in the Fuzzy Front-End. International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, v. 7, p. 309-326, 2011.
- BARQUET, A. P. B. ; CUNHA, V. P. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; ROZENFELD, H. . Business model elements for product-service system. In: Hesselbach, Jürgen; Herrmann, Christoph. (Org.). Functional Thinking for Value Creation. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 2011, v. , p. 332-337.