"This conspiracy to defeat competition and push business not to the lowest-cost provider but to the company willing to make a payoff is destroying competition."

About the only edge a firm can have over a competitor is to be the lowest-cost provider of services.

For a plan of this size, the lowest-cost providers were Principal Financial, T. Rowe Price Century Plan and Vanguard, according to the index.

But China has been the lowest-cost provider in many areas.

But in practice, many companies "are fixated on finding the lowest-cost provider and look at contact center costs exclusively," he said, with the result that the difference is only too obvious.

Among network airlines we're the lowest-cost provider.

The society said it was because osteopathic doctors were the lowest-cost providers of health services.

"They just built a totally outsourced business model, so they're the lowest-cost provider in the country," he said.

Airlines seek the lowest-cost providers.

This is a good way to get a feeling for the range of prices and the lowest-cost providers in your area.