Vendor vs. Vendor

I know some industries have compatibility solved. The bicycling industry, despite intense competition, still manages to have compatibility. Perhaps other manufacturers should look at this industry. My current drive consists of a Miche cassette on DT Swiss hub with a SRAM chain and a Shimano crank, with Race Face rings. Note that Shimano and SRAM both make entire systems, but mix and match is quite the norm. On my Bontrager rims I have used tires from four different manufacturers. I also use wheels from many different manufacturers on my Trek bicycles, even though Trek owns Bontrager, which makes fine wheel sets. And, SRAM levers run my Shimano brakes just fine. I know a stem from any manufacturer will work fine with any manufacturers handlebar I choose to use, as I have a large collection of stems (15) and handlebars (21) from various manufacturers that I switch to fit my conditioning and the weather conditions. The only real difference I can find in the industry is the positioning of the disc brakes on the front fork. However, with a readily available adapter, I can run anyones disc brake on any fork. Lets learn to work together.

Wasn't ISO 9XXX stuff supposed to fix problems similar to the ones posed? Come to think of it, I haven't seen too many advertisements lately about companies being ISO 9XXX certified. I guess it eventually became as popular as TQM and other BS management crap that did little more than take up valuable time and other resources.

There! I said it, and I feel better now . . .

I agree with Bill. All this ISO 9xxx stuff, the older Management By Objective (MBO), the new Six Sigma, and all similar "management" dreams are all just crap dreamed up by some ivory tower so-called "manager" who has no concept of the real world. Since other so-called "managers" have no vision or capability of their own, they all jump on the bandwagon and roll it downhill to us. All it does is take up time and resources that could be put to better use making money for the company and creating jobs instead of wasting money and heading toward "downsizing." No one is going to hear us, Bill, but like you I like to get it off my chest once in a while!