ness Partner Integration and eBusiness Capability As discussed in Chapter 3, IICs are becoming more and more dependent on each other to build and deliver their service offerings. For IICs with a business model that relies on underlying providers and electronic bonding with its customers, eBusiness and Web portals are a critical part of the OSS architecture. IICs that implement electronic bonding capabilities with their partners are more likely to experience faster provisioning intervals, fewer errors and better trouble management. For IICs that work with multiple wholesalers and outsourcers, integration with business partners is especially critical for achieving a basic level of control over the business and its supply chain. Integration does not stand alone. Web portals have become the faces for business-to-business networks. We will see in Chapter 5 the various ways in which Web portals are implemented to enable transactions and trading communities. The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS As the IIC market matures, business partner integration will become less of a differentiator and more a minimal requirement to do business. How well an IIC integrates its processes with its partners and customers to create seamless supply chains from otherwise disjointed business-to-business networks and processes will become the real differentiator beyond Web- based technology deployment. 3.2 Flow-Through An IIC's level of flow-through automation can be a key differentiator. Flow-through can be enabled within the provisioning and trouble-ticketing processes to provide operational efficiency and minimize manual effort and rework. For example, within the provisioning process, if order information validation can be achieved within upstream applications, then the need for rework is minimized on orders in downstream systems. End-to-end flow- through requires systems integration and workflow automation across various OSS applications. Automated workflow minimizes human involvement and provides automated reporting on e