STEPHEN A. RUFFA is a senior manager in the Department of Defense and an authority on the subject of cost effectiveness in manufacturing. His experience spearheading a joint research program between government and industry led to his identification of the principle of variation management, and is the basis of Breaking the Cost Barrier. MICHAEL J. PEROZZIELLO was a part of Stephen Ruffa's team on the project that was essential to the findings of this book. Perozziello has engineering experience on multiple tactical aircraft programs.