ross applications (e.g. Product Catalog and Process Definition) that must be coordinated, controlled and managed centrally. Also, develop a detailed plan for production rollout and conversion efforts in a coordinated, integrated manner across the applications. Communicate with the business community about release schedules, associated training and cutover dates, and the anticipated automation and business benefits. Requirements and Gap Analysis. Perform a complete requirements- definition effort with a gap analysis for the applications being considered. This is essential to understand the discrepancies between requirements and The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS off-the-shelf functionality. This in turn permits the IIC to estimate the configuration and implementation effort, and its expense, more reliably. Architectural Governance. Product catalog, configuration and integration alignment is critical to ensure that initiatives do not operate in isolation. Isolation can cause rework within application configurations when integration is added into the architecture. Each implementation should be geared toward meeting the overall integrated architecture. User Involvement. Users must understand the requirements under which the OSS architecture is being developed. They should participate in key configuration and business process decisions. Representation from the user and business communities is essential to ensure that the system is designed for the maximum benefit of the enterprise. This includes an assessment of the present methods of operation and an understanding of the business impacts of deploying the new OSS software. Understanding both the user and business requirements, and tracking and tracing those requirements during system design, helps to ensure that the new platform is performing properly. Turn Vendors into Partners. Partnership is required to minimize risk in a multi-vendor environment. The vendor should be committed to delivering its product on time and up to spec - but as a partner, 