In this issue of CBR , we discuss what is often referred to as the "glue" that binds an outsourcing deal: relationship management. Sometimes compared to the dynamics associated with a marriage, the relationship between a supplier and a customer is dependent on good relationship management. You can make the right decision to outsource, you can find a provider with a good track record of delivery, and you can establish an arrangement that is economically favorable to both parties. But from the time that a contract is signed and throughout the period of the engagement, as problems arise (and they will), the true test of the relationship comes to the forefront.