Abstract
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to inform researchers and practitioners about the fuzzy front‐end (FFE) of the innovation process in process firms.Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study of four process firms was conducted, with a total of 64 semi‐structured interviews.Findings – The paper gives new insights into the FFE in non‐assembled product and process development in process firms. The FFE of non‐assembled product and process development is first conceptualized and key activities are identified. Further, how the strong relationship between product and process development can be managed in the FFE is discussed.Research limitations/implications – All four firms are from the mineral and metals industry, prompting caution when generalizing the results to other contexts. This research offers insights about the FFE in process firms. Theoretical implications are added to the existing literature on the FFE and general process development literature, and the paper increases our understanding of...
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