In recent years CAD/CAM systems have gained wide acceptance in industry both in the U.S. as well as her major competitors in Europe and Japan. As experience in the use of these systems builds up, it has become increasingly evident that for them to operate most effectively, they must operate in an integrated way. This paper looks at the continuing drive to attain fully integrated CAD/CAM systems and explains the key role that process planning has to play in this endeavor.