For target pricing to succeed, targets must not only be valid, employees must also see them as valid. They cannot be the outcome of a manufacturer's political process. The market analysis that yields the target process, the financial analysis that generates the target costs and the desegregation procedures that allocate costs among components and subassemblies must all be trusted. The target-costing process must, therefore, be highly transparent throughout the organization.
Moreover, cost-reduction objectives must be achievable most of the time. Setting the bar too high can be as damaging as having no bar at all. In fact, the Japanese set a series of what they call tip-toe objectives (objectives that may be reached by "standing on tiptoes") - a stretch that strains the organization but does not defeat it. Also, the requirements for motor car functionality must be articulated clearly so that nobody tries to achieve the target cost by reducing model functionality below acceptable levels. It is not good to reduce costs by short-changing customers' car performance demands.
When target pricing works well, quantifiable cost elements are established in a transparent process, and senior managers commit themselves to what the statistical numbers show. Engineers receive goals that are clear and achievable, dealers receive achievable instructions, and everyone adheres to the cardinal rule. A car manufacturer that meets those requirements is not guaranteed a victory in the UK car market but it does earn the right to compete effectively.