For me, it is more the revision in inventory. We produce a revision, we sell a revision, but our inventory does not have the revision… 
So how can you know how many of each revision you have in inventory?
Pierre
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If revision is important, meaning it’s not the same form, fit, and function, then put the revision in your part number - especially if they are not interchangeable. If they are, then lot numbers may be your best bet.
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Especially when dealing with reporting to agencies when a recall is needed. Best bet is to use lots/serial numbers for this.
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Then you would not need of a revision at all… 
Revisions serve a purpose, for us, in packaging, BOM etc… We put in inventory the already packaged part. It is not packaged when shipped. But when I look into my inventory, I cannot accuratly see how many of each rev I can ship!
My point was Hey, take the opportunity in this new major version, to correct this misapp…
Of course there is lot numbering, but that is not the issue, it is about incongruities about the part revisions… I mean why was this left out of the original design? I cannot understand this…
Pierre
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Yes lot numbers will do it, but it is like patching with a big rock a small hole…
anyway we deal with it as it is…
Pierre
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It has many, many implications to a lot of systems: order entry, purchasing, MRP, MPS, MOMs, etc.
When I worked in aerospace and defense, revisions were critical. Fortunately, the US-DOD entities we dealt with put revisions in their part numbers.
ah, but the revision also contains the resources to build. We need part X to be identically built in two sites, shipped from either depending on workload to overlapping customer bases, from parts that are shared with many other products… so the revisions are critical. The revisions should allow us to run out stock when there are changes that are backwards but not forwards compatible, but we can’t track revision inventory and we’re already using lots to track, well, lots. This would be a huge improvement.
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I don’t disagree that revisions are critical. I’m just saying that putting them into the part number makes it possible to do what you want to do.
Use Alternative Parts to show forward capability for example. Still keep lots AND revisions. Build identical assemblies in two sites. Track inventory by rev. It can all be done.
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Mark, you are the man. Debating it from both sides.
Those are all great ways to do what we would like to do, but what if the revision could do that, that would be nice.