John Horst is quality information interoperability manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For more information, call (301) 975-3430, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.dmisstandards.org.
Because they enable true interoperability, information exchange standards such as the Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS) can help manufacturers significantly reduce cost and improve product quality-but only if the standards are sufficiently supported and correctly developed. Some key manufacturers have embraced this claim and require standards-compliant software throughout their enterprise, but such manufacturers are in the minority.