 brings shrinking margins, another incentive for ILECs to reduce costs by streamlining and integrating systems and processes. ILECs upgrade their own systems and processes, they improve their ability to deliver this fundamental component of the automated supply chain. Perhaps an even greater problem than LEC interconnection is interconnection and ordering among different types of IICs, where there are no standards at all. Keep in mind that all types of IICs purchase local and network services from each other, not just from ILECs. For example, some CLECs own local infrastructure, as do BLECs. Furthermore, there are hundreds of wholesale NSPs that maintain unique processes for doing business with them, placing an even greater burden on IICs that build their businesses on diverse, wholesale networks. Similar to LEC interconnection, the lack of interconnection and ordering standards among non-ILECs can cause a number of problems, such as simple inefficiency among trading partners to being a barrier to entry into new markets because of the associated technology and inefficiency costs. The ideal environment to develop is one where all but the most complex orders flow through automatically. Ordering fundamental service The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS components, such as local loops, switching or multiplexing services should become automated, simplified, and reliable. IICs should be able to focus on the services they create, allowing underlying systems to manage the complexity of constructing those services from unbundled pieces of the network. Ultimately, an interconnected IIC should have a complete view of all of the available network resources to which it has access and be able to reserve, deploy and manipulate them through its OSS platform. LACK OF OSS INTEGRATION A major reason an eOSS environment has not emerged yet is because many IICs are still building out their OSS bases or trying to integrate what they already have installed. Traditionally, IICs' primary focus has been to automate interna