: Warnecke, H.-J.; Hüser, M.

Abstract
As a result of intensified competition due to the transition from a seller's to a buyer's market, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to reduce costs or increase utility for the customer. An advantage achieved through ongoing product and process innovation cannot be maintained forever. The know-how will ultimately become common knowledge and will seep through to competitors or threshold countries. Companies in the industrial world can only pursue two strategies in order to maintain competitiveness.