e activated automatically, such as configuring virtual circuits on the ATM switches. Other tasks, which require human attention, such as hooking up the tie cables to make the cross-connects, are tagged for delivery to workforce management. FLOW-THROUGH PROVISIONING In many cases, in an integrated environment, services can be provisioned and activated without any manual intervention - a concept known as flow- through provisioning. Flow-through provisioning can mean different things to different IICs, and it can be implemented to different degrees. For example, where some IICs might support flow-through from ordering through service activation, others might only support flow-through for orders among its trading partners. Flow-through can be simpler for an application provider than for a network provider. The application provider might only need to activate security permissions for a subscriber's access, where a network provider might have to design network segments and send several technicians to install or configure equipment. Frame relay service provides a basic perspective on flow-through provisioning in a data network. For example, a frame relay customer could order an increased committed information rate (CIR) for more guaranteed bandwidth for its frame relay traffic. A customer service representative could place the order, or the customer could send the request through a Web portal. The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS The provisioning system would receive the request, validate that the service is available, and automatically update network records to show the change to the customer's CIR. It would then signal the appropriate network activation application to activate service on the network. 4.1 Activation The activation application, upon receiving its task, would then communicate with the appropriate network elements, in this case frame relay switches, and upgrade the CIR for the customer's network segment. A network activation system or application is designed to communicate with element ma