When users give up their names to the Web site--the coveted currency of any e-merchant--Vignette's tools automatically toss all kinds of customized information in front of them to keep them engaged and buying.

FORBES: Automating the Web

"Some say economics has all kinds of good tools and techniques, but it has an absence of interesting problems, " notes Roth, 58, who holds a joint appointment in the Harvard economics department and the business school.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Since signing up with Smith 18 months ago, Omni has made 45 new kinds of parts, all requiring separate molds or tools.

FORBES: The Jobs Gambit