Authorizes the Director, with respect to each major manufacturing industry, to: (1) work with industry, trade associations, and professional societies to identify all enterprise standardization and implementation activities underway and to assess the current state of enterprise integration; and (2) assist in the development of roadmaps (to be based on voluntary consensus standards) to permit supply chains to operate as an integrated electronic enterprise. Requires the Director to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees on such activities.
Authorizes the Director to work with industry, trade associations, and professional societies: (1) to raise awareness, including that by businesses that are majority owned by women and/or minorities, of enterprise integration activities; (2) on the development of enterprise integration roadmaps; (3) to support the development, testing, promulgation, integration, adoption, and upgrading of enterprise integration standards; and (4) to provide technical assistance and financial support to small and medium-sized businesses that set up enterprise integration pilot projects.
Requires the Director to ensure that the Manufacturing Extension Program is prepared to advise small and medium-sized businesses on how to acquire the expertise, equipment, and training necessary to participate fully in supply chains using enterprise integration.
Authorizes appropriations.