<P> There have been a number of approaches proposed for analyzing and responding to the marketing challenges of new product development . Two of these are the eight stages process of Peter Koen of the Stevens Institute of Technology, and a process known as the fuzzy front end . </P> <P> The Fuzzy Front End (FFE) is the messy "getting started" period of new product engineering development processes . It is in the front end where the organization formulates a concept of the product to be developed and decides whether or not to invest resources in the further development of an idea . It is the phase between first consideration of an opportunity and when it is judged ready to enter the structured development process (Kim and Wilemon, 2007; Koen et al., 2001). It includes all activities from the search for new opportunities through the formation of a germ of an idea to the development of a precise concept . The Fuzzy Front End phase ends when an organization approves and begins formal development of the concept . </P> <P> Although the Fuzzy Front End may not be an expensive part of product development, it can consume 50% of development time (see Chapter 3 of the Smith and Reinertsen reference below), and it is where major commitments are typically made involving time, money, and the product's nature, thus setting the course for the entire project and final end product . Consequently, this phase should be considered as an essential part of development rather than something that happens "before development," and its cycle time should be included in the total development cycle time . </P> <P> Koen et al. distinguish five different front - end elements (not necessarily in a particular order): </P>

What is the purpose of the screening stage of the product development process