When Lean Enterprises Collide reveals a new theory of competition in which lean manufacturers become locked in a head-to-head race to create the most innovative product at the lowest price. These firms engage in a game of constant and lightning-fast leapfrogging in pursuit of transitory gains. This is the confrontation strategy, and it will shape the competitive landscape for lean enterprises.<BR>Cooper shows that the key to success in such an environment is the careful balance of cost, quality, and functionality - the survival triplet - in which cost is the critical element. He describes eight innovative cost management techniques - including target costing and value engineering - that have emerged in Japanese firms to manage costs across the value chain. Leading manufacturers must use aggressive cost management along with TQM and time-to-market to develop products with the appropriate mix of quality, cost, and functionality to satisfy the customer.<BR>Evidence of this relentless confrontation strategy and the hidden role of cost management within it emerged during Cooper's five-year study of the management systems inside twenty Japanese companies, including Olympus, Nissan, Citizen, and Komatsu.