The Fuzzy Front End: a Key Step to Successful Projects

There are significant and obvious differences between the aims of the technology curriculum and the aims of commercial organisations. However many of the practices and techniques used in commercial organisations can be adapted and applied to school based technology projects. This paper describes two techniques used by leading companies to identify new ideas for product development. The first is a Suggestion Box technique and the second involves a New Concept Development model. Suggestions on how these two techniques might be adapted for use in school technology education programmes are outlined here. Identifying good project ideas In my experience with companies and teaching technology, identifying a worthwhile project can be a very difficult task and yet it is important to do so in order to motivate and inspire the students/technologists involved. This is also the experience of many in industry where current research is looking at how companies can identify winning ideas. This process has been aptly called the “Fuzzy Front End” because it involves uncertainty but yet is a critical first step in successful wealth creation in leading organisations. The term “wealth creation” is used in this paper to identify the underlying goal of technological practice. This goal will change depending on the focus and underlying philosophy of the organisation. In industry the goal includes profits. In local authorities it includes quality of life and living standards of local residents. In schools it might include development of knowledge and “know how”. In each case the people involved must be clear about what their ultimate goal is. In industry, identifying the underlying goal and how it will be achieved is the foundation of the company's strategy. Research indicates that a clear strategy is of primary importance in managing the fuzzy front end process and each stage of the product development process (Cooper 2001). Starting with a worthwhile idea is the key to successful product innovation projects. A worthwhile idea is one that fits with an organisations strategy and goals. Technology practice involves individuals and organisation’s deciding what outcomes or goals are important and how they would judge a “worthwhile” idea. The Oxford dictionary defines worthwhile as “that is worth the time or effort spent; of value or importance”. Cooper (2001) places the identification of a unique superior product as the number one success factors in his list of fifteen critical success factors in product innovation. It is also clear from the research that fit with the company strategy is critical (Cooper 2001; Earle & Earle 2000). Strategy is the way an organisation sets out to achieve its goals. These two concepts are inextricably tied together. Worthwhile ideas should only be pursued if they fit with the organisation’s strategy. How can this industry based research be applied to technology education? This will require students to discuss values positions, resource use and impacts on people. They will also have to consider what rewards might drive their motivation and input. The outcome from this process would be clear goals for their technology practice, how they intend to achieve these goals and what criteria they would use to judge a worthwhile idea. In other words, how they define “wealth creation” in their class room and the strategy to achieve it. The decisions on which idea to proceed with will require good information on all the issues involved, including the constraints technologists are likely to encounter in their work environment. Such things as equipment, raw materials, knowledge and money available for development are examples. There are often innovative ways in which technologists reduce or eliminate the effects of these constraints. In industry strategic partnerships with other companies that have the required knowledge and equipment are examples. However, inevitably there are constraints that must be worked within. These need to be clearly identified and understood. In the school context these will often involve time resources and knowledge. One constraint which is often overlooked is the ability of students to access users for whom a solution is being developed. There are other issues that may need considering before a decision to proceed with an idea is made. There may be government or local authority regulations that need to be considered. Issues about the market or people who might use or benefit from the solution or be adversely effected, need to be considered. This requires research to gather the information in order to make good decisions. Leading companies have their goals and strategies well developed. They have ways of measuring the “worthwhileness” of ideas They allocate resources and staff to do the homework necessary to gather the information needed to make Go /No-Go decisions. They develop screening criteria and make sure that everyone involved with the process knows and understands the criteria that will be used to screen their ideas. Table 1 gives examples of