doc release numbering

[Peter Neilson]

I own some heavy equipment for which everything has a
separate part number. For instance, the label on the
front that's required by the US has one part number.
The similar label (in French and English) that's required
by Canada has yet another part number, totally unlike
the one one the US label.  I get the feeling that every
department of the company has its own part number
standards, and the only central activities are to ensure
that they all have separate namespaces and to keep BOMs
for everything that goes out the door. It certainly is
not a good use of time to try to harmonize part numbers
with each other or with product numbers.