The Fuzzy Front End Integration in Packaging Development Management

The objective of this case study is to describe how the Fuzzy Front End - FFE occurs in the packaging industry, how the ideas are selected and what are the information and knowledge activities. In the packaging creation there is a triadic relationship among companies: Consumer goods industry, Design Agency and Packaging Producers. This is a complex relationship with explicit information and knowledge interfaces. This case study seeks to understand these unique explicit interfaces, which have new things to be gleaned about the FFE, such as the constituent parties' effort in order to work in a more integrated manner and through the sharing of more information. Among other things, this study has found that there is integration between the companies and there is shared learning among these companies in the FFE. It was also found that there are different arrangements when defining who does what in the work breakdown. This, in turn, suggests that companies are able to separate clearly the tasks and coordinate results, even in such a fuzzy environment such as the FFE of NPD (New Product Development). If correct, this may be an opportunity that helps to understand how to remove the inaccuracy from the FFE.