Ballooned paper drawings and manual inspection checklists persist even in shops running advanced CNC equipment. The Quality Information Framework (QIF) builds on the STEP AP242 file format to embed GD&T call-outs and inspection requirements directly into the 3D model itself. When an OEM sends a QIF model to multiple contract shops, each shop's inspection results come back in the same standardized format, giving the buyer immediate quality comparisons across suppliers. The standard is open, not locked to a single CAD platform. The next planned addition is persistent ID tagging of every surface and feature, allowing machines to probe by unique identifier rather than by description — a meaningful difference on parts with hundreds of similar holes. Large OEMs are driving adoption, and CAD/CAM software is expected to embed persistent IDs into G-code within roughly a year.