A manufacturing system and manufacturing method for adjusting the performance of manufacturing operations or steps in manufacturing components having three-dimensional external structural characteristics. An embodiment of the system broadly comprises: (a) a plurality of manufacturing operations for processing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) at least one analytical device for analyzing at least one characteristic of the component after the performance of one or more manufacturing operations to generate a component data set; (c) at least one data storage device for storing the generated component data sets and for providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data; and (d) a communication mechanism for transmitting at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data to one or more manufacturing operations so that the performance thereof can be adjusted in response to the transmitted portion of accumulated component data. An embodiment of the method broadly comprises the following steps: (a) providing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data comprising at least two different component data sets; and (c) performing a manufacturing step on the component to provide a processed component, wherein the at least relevant portion of accumulated component data is used to adjust the manner in which the manufacturing step is performed.