"Park's book gives you useful tools to approach complex problems in systems or components, but more importantly he encourages you to approach those problems from a new point of view.His techniques take you step by step away from the old ways of problem solving which gave us old types of solutions. His way of approaching things forces you to look at the same issues from a new perspective, something required for breakthrough discoveries." -Jeffery B Higgs, Executive Vice President - Corporate Planning, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group"By far the most comprehensive book and the best primer on Value Engineering available. The Catalog of Functions included in the Appendix alone is worth the price of the book to the Value Engineering veteran as well as someone new to the process."-E. R. Heussner, PresidentComp-U-Tense , Inc."This is a marvelous, well-written understandable book. It is just what Value Engineering (VE) has needed.It brings VE into the modern world and shows VE to be essential to today's business and social environment."-John H. F. Hoving, Sr. Vice President, Ret. Federated Department Stores, SAVE International Counsel"The VE process provides the disciplined technique required to challenge basic assumptions that limit insights necessary for innovative breakthroughs.Mr. Park has defined the concepts and provided examples, which facilitate technical problem solving and stimulate critical analysis required in evaluations and decisions we make daily."-Richard Darios, Training and Development Specialist

• THE WORLD AROUND USBACKGROUND: Fire to FightMANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: Tools for the ToolboxTHE TOOLBOX: The Application Benefit MatrixTHE ECONOMICS OF PROFITCOST AND ITS ELEMENTS: The Driving ForceGoals and ObjectivesComponents of Cost and PriceCost Analysis-Methods and ApplicationsBenchmarking, Pareto and Comparative AnalysisCost as a Measurement Tool, Models and Criterial AnalysisCost Estimates and TimeCost Reduction-Risks and BenefitsFUNCTION, The Foundation of ClarityFunction is the KeyThe Link-Function and CreativityDefine the FunctionVALUE, A Matter of OpinionHistory and Meaning of ValueEconomic and Social ValueMeasuring Economic ValueDefining and Measuring Social ValueDetermining and Setting ValuesMotivation and ValueValue, an OpinionQUALITY, A Major Component of ValueDefinitionMeasuring QualityQuality and ProfitQuality and ValueTHE HUMAN ELEMENTCOMMUNICATIONS, a Two-Way StreetInformation CollectionListening-Restrictive Habits and How to Improve Body Language and Facial ExpressionsMeetings and ProductivityMOTIVATION, Different Things Move Different PeopleWhy We Act-Pleasure and PainAwareness to Our EnvironmentWants and Needs: Conflicts With Management GoalsMotivation-Action and ReactionMaslow, and GravesStress, Action and ReactionTEAMS AND TEAMWORK, A Synthesized Knowledge GroupWhy a Team?-The Specialist SocietyTeam Composition and Structure to Compensate for The Specialist SocietyTeam Building and DevelopmentOutlook and GoalsIdeas and ActionGroup Problem-Solving and its BenefitsCREATIVITY, The Innate Drive to ChangeMeaning and DefinitionThe Environment-Need, Potential, and ConflictThe IndividualThe Creative ProcessBlocks to CreativityCreativity BoostersBrainstormingCreative GamesTHE SUM OF THE PARTS-A PRACTICAL METHODVALUE ENGINEERI