in Web-based ordering interfaces for their resellers, though they also offer gateway integration. Regardless, we will assume the Internet is the transport mechanism for order data going between the ISP and the wholesaler. After transmitting in the ISPs The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS Customer orders DSL service ILEC TASKS through web Deliver loop to DSLAM ISP REQUEST TO DSL Provide DSL service to customer at X address ISP TASKS Arrange DSL service delivery DSL orders customer premises equipment Set up Internet from manufacturer services (email, hosting, etc.) DSL TASKS Order loop from ILEC Provision DSLAM NSP TASKS Coordinate cross Add Internet connect with NSP access capacity Equipment Deliver customer Provide backhaul premises equipment Vendor from end-office to Figure 8. DSL Ordering Illustrated gateway, the order waits for any exceptions to pop up, orders to be kicked back, or for a firm order of commitment (FOC) date to deliver to the workflow manager. The ISP obviously cannot activate service or begin billing until the wholesaler delivers its piece of the overall service. Upon receipt of the ISP's order, the DSL wholesaler's order manager checks it for accuracy. Then, it breaks the order into a number of interdependent tasks for its workflow manager to assign. These tasks include ordering a loop from the ILEC, provisioning the DSLAM and ordering customer premises equipment from its manufacturer and delivering it to the ISP's customer. The DSL wholesaler might also have to arrange for a technician to perform a cross connect to the party backhauling the DSL traffic to the ISP. Once all of these tasks are scheduled, the wholesaler can send the ISP's gateway an FOC date. To order the loop from the ILEC, the wholesaler's gateway is assigned the task of transmitting a LSR to the ILEC's ordering gateway. The wholesaler won't provision its service until it knows when the loop will be delivered. Once an FOC date is confirmed, the wholesaler can auto-configure the Chapter 3 - Automating the Inte