Engineering Commons^™

Theoretical Framework For Managing The Front End Of Innovation Under Uncertainty, Antonie J. Jetter, Richard Sperry

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

A growing body of research suggests that the fuzzy front-end of product development should not be managed with a one-size-fits-all standard process. Instead, projects with different market and technical uncertainties should be managed with one of five different processes (linear, recursive, evolving, selectionism, trial-and-error). Based on a review of the literature, the paper develops a theoretical framework for front-end management which provides the foundation for ongoing empirical research.