Reading about outsourcing is one thing. Implementing it is another. An organization can actually improve its progression through the outsourcing life cycle by examining the deviations that occur between the two and following a few important concepts, according to the authors of this article. First, the authors note that a strong understanding of management and metrics is imperative to any successful outsourcing program. After an organization creates knowledge, storage and retrieval also become critical. The article discusses various knowledge management techniques and describes some viable ways to apply these procedures throughout the outsourcing life cycle.