in its evolution. One of the most important considerations is an IIC's value proposition. Which piece of the OSS is implemented at a specific time depends on how the company defines itself in terms of product and service leadership, operational and pricing excellence, and customer intimacy. For example, if customer intimacy is a central part of its value proposition, an IIC may deploy an OSS-integrated Web front end in the earlier phases of deployment. If the IIC wants to be known as the best in class for its provisioning capabilities, flow-through provisioning through EAI will be important. Phasing strategies also have a lot to do with growth plans. If an IIC does not expect to ramp up volumes quickly, some functions can remain manual or independent for a while. For example, eBonding solutions with suppliers may wait if transaction volumes are not expected to grow rapidly. Most IICs also evolve their sales channels over time. Consequently, the phasing strategy needs to consider the timing of sales channel development for the direct sales force, indirect partner channels, distributorships and the Internet. Furthermore, if an IIC plans to grow through acquisitions or mergers, it may need to consider implementing an EAI-based OSS integration approach to allow for easier assimilation of the acquired or merged IICs' OSS platforms. Finally, economic realities play a significant role when developing OSS phasing strategies. This is an area where either too little or too much The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS availability of funds can be hazardous. Some IICs have gotten into big trouble because they did not spend enough early on. For example, one IIC decided not to put in an inventory system for its assets, which resulted in capacity problems later on. This required a major physical audit of its inventory and network assets once a robust inventory management system was deployed. There also are a few IICs that were flushed with cash and decided to go with the big bang approach the first time around, an