JNieman thanks for the input.
Clarification:
"Method of manufacture" is referred to as a "route". This is the process map of the part and is leveraged by accounting for cost and manufacturing for process.
Regarding the "typical two situations":
1- As a designer I often send R&D to vendors...
I am a design engineer working in a manufacturing machine shop that employs around 40 machine operators (most of whom don't have a great deal of training and have no machine programming experience). As it's not my game I don't get involved in manufacturing engineering, yet I am constantly told...