The problem with much of the sage advice that pundits give to IT services decision-makers is that very often it only makes sense in retrospect — after the train wreck. It doesn't have to be this way. Forrester has found that most IT outsourcing clients are generally satisfied with their primary service provider, but there are still some proven steps available to them to increase their chances of meeting — or even exceeding — business expectations. Up until now, no firms involved in outsourcing have managed to hammer together a deal that completely avoids all problems and issues. Even so, clients that stay focused on some deceptively simple business basics will increase their chances for outsourcing deal success.