System and method for mapping information collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to the corresponding inter-provider orders

1. A computer system executing program code for mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, wherein the computer system comprises:

a first processor;

a display device coupled to the first processor;

an end-user ordering module, executable by the first processor, and configured to:

display a service provider product catalog to an end user using the display device, wherein the service provider product catalog comprises one or more service items, each corresponding to a service item type, each service item type has a corresponding set of service specifications that describe the service item type, one or more service items correspond to a corresponding local product item of one or more local product items available from an interprovider ordering module, each local product item corresponds to a local item type, and each local item type has a corresponding set of local specifications that describe the local item type;

provide one or more developer defined labels (DDLs) for each of the one or more service items that have a corresponding local product item, wherein each DDL comprises a local specification from the set of local specifications that is missing from the set of service specifications;

determine whether an end-user requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one associated DDL;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompt the end-user for a value of each additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item; and

communicate the end-user order for use in subsequently creating a corresponding inter-provider order; and

a second processor; and

the inter-provider ordering module, executable by the second processor, coupled to the end-user ordering module and configured to:

receive the end-user order;

determine whether the end-user order has a value for each additional DDL specified attribute; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inter-provider order comprises an industry standard Local Service Request (LSR).

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the requested service item is an unbundled port;

the additional DDL-specified attribute is selected from the group consisting of a Local Existing Account Number (LEAN) and a Local Existing Account Telephone Number (LEATN); and

the associated service item type is provided for mapping an unbundled port from an end user order to an LSR.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the DDL allows a developer of the end-user ordering module to provide for collection of additional attribute values in response to an industry mandated change in LSR format without necessitating the development of new software.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the value is automatically mapped to appropriate fields of multiple forms included within the LSR.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end-user ordering module is operable to relate the requested service item to a product specification and relate the product specification to a service item type to determine whether the requested service item relates to a service item type having a DDL.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end-user ordering module is further operable to validate that the value for the additional DDL-specified attribute has been supplied before communicating the end-user order.

8. A data storage medium storing program code for mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, the program code, when executed by one or more computers, is configured to:

display a service provider product catalog to an end user, wherein the service provider product catalog comprises one or more service items, each corresponding to a service item type, each service item type has a corresponding set of service specifications that describe the service item type, one or more service items correspond to a corresponding local product item of one or more local product items available from an inter-provider ordering module,

each local product item corresponds to a local item type, and each local item type has a corresponding set of local specifications that describe the local item type;

provide one or more developer defined labels (DDLs) for each of the one or more service items that have a corresponding local product item, wherein each DDL comprises a local specification from the set of local specifications that is missing from the set of service specifications;

determine whether an end-user requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one associated DDL;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompt the end-user for a value of each additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item; and

provide the end-user order for use in subsequently creating the corresponding interprovider order;

determine whether the end-user order has a value for each additional DDL-specified attribute; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order.

9. The data storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the inter-provider order comprises an industry standard Local Service Request (LSR).

10. The data storage medium of claim 9 , wherein: the requested service item is an unbundled port; the additional DDL-specified attribute is selected from the group consisting of a Local Existing Account Number (LEAN) and a Local Existing Account Telephone Number (LEATN); and the associated service item type is provided for mapping an unbundled port from an end-user order to an LSR.

11. The data storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the DDL allows a developer of the program code to provide for collection of additional attribute values in response to an industry mandated change in LSR format without necessitating the development of new program code.

12. The data storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the value is automatically mapped to appropriate fields of multiple forms included within the LSR.

13. The data storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the program code, upon execution, is operable to relate the requested service item to a product specification and relate the product specification to a service item type to determine whether the requested service item relates to a service item type having a DDL.

14. The data storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the program code, upon execution, is further operable to validate that the value for the additional DDL-specified attribute has been supplied before providing the end-user order.

15. A computer-implemented method of mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding interprovider orders, the method comprising:

displaying a service provider product catalog to an end user, wherein

the service provider product catalog comprises one or more service items, each corresponding to a service item type,

each service item type has a corresponding set of service specifications that describe the service item type,

one or more service items correspond to a corresponding local product item of one or more local product items available from an inter-provider ordering module,

each local product item corresponds to a local item type,

each local item type has a corresponding set of local specifications that describe the local item type, and

said displying is performed using a display coupled to a computer executing the computer-implemented method;

providing one or more developer defined labels (DDLs) for each of the one or more service items that have a corresponding local product item, wherein

each DDL comprises a local specification from the set of local specifications that is missing from the set of service specifications, and

the one or more DDLs are stored using a memory coupled to the computer executing the computer-implemented method;

determining whether an end-user requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one associated DDL, said determining is performed by the computer executing the computer-implemented method;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompting the end-user for a value of each additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item;

providing the end-user order for subsequent use in creating the corresponding interprovider order;

determining whether the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically mapping the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the interprovider order, said mapping is performed by the computer executing the computer-implemented method.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the inter-provider order comprises an industry standard Local Service Request (LSR).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein: the requested service item is an unbundled port; the additional DDL-specified attribute is selected from the group consisting of a Local Existing Account Number (LEAN) and a Local Existing Account Telephone Number (LEATN); and

the associated service item type is provided for mapping an unbundled port from an end-user order to an LSR.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the DDL allows a developer of software performing the method to provide for collection of additional attribute values in response to an industry mandated change in LSR format without necessitating the development of new software.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the value is automatically mapped to appropriate fields of multiple forms included within the LSR.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the requested service item is related to a product specification and the product specification is related to a service item type to determine whether the requested service item relates to a service item type having a DDL.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising validating that the value for the additional DDL-specified attribute has been supplied before providing the end-user order.

22. A computer system containing executable program code for mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, wherein the program code comprises:

means for displaying a service provider product catalog to an end user, wherein the service provider product catalog comprises one or more service items, each corresponding to a service item type, each service item type has a corresponding set of service specifications that describe the service item type,

one or more service items correspond to a corresponding local product item of one or more local product items available from an inter-provider ordering module, each local product item corresponds to a local item type, and each local item type has a corresponding set of local specifications that describe the local item type;

means for providing one or more developer defined labels (DDLs) for each of the one or more service items that have a corresponding local product item, wherein each DDL comprises a local specification from the set of local specifications that is missing from the set of service specifications;

means for determining whether an end-user requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one associated DDL;

means for, if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompting the end-user for a value of each additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item;

means for providing the end-user order for use in subsequently creating a corresponding inter-provider order;

means for determining whether the end-user order includes a value for each additional DDL-specified attribute; and

means for, if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically mapping the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order.