For example, when the B-1A program was restarted to produce the B-1B, the per unit cost of the B-1B was three-times higher than the B-1A. Importantly, the B-1B was a modification (albeit a significant one) of the A-model and a gap of just 18 months occurred in the production line.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

With the Maybach brand going the way of Duesenberg and DeLorean, Mercedes dealers will debut an even posher version of its top-of-the-line S-Class sedan this fall to help fill the gap in the corporate model line and perhaps compete more efficiently with Bentley and Rolls-Royce for the hearts and wallets of the rich and famous.

FORBES: A New-Car Rebate That's Worth More Than Most New Cars Cost

Conant's use of employee engagement has been so successful that it is held up as a model in the book Closing the Engagement Gap--How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential for Superior Results, by Julie Gebauer and Don Lowman.

FORBES: An interview with Douglas Conant, CEO of Campbell Soup Co.