I have often been asked what value the Service Acceptance Criteria (SAC) provides. Along with other criteria and elements, the SAC forms part of what is described in ITIL as the Service Design Package. With so much emphasis on Design, Development, and Deployment, the SAC's importance grows as we seek to optimize service value. Do you want to increase value for your business and customers? First, let’s understand what the SAC is. Service Acceptance Criteria: A set of criteria used to ensure that an IT service meets its functionality and quality requirements and that the IT Service Provider is ready to operate the new service once deployed. This is formalized in an agreement stating the service, process, or deliverable is complete, accurate, reliable, and meets specified requirements. In the past, SAC has sometimes been considered only at the end of the value stream. High-performing service providers, however, apply methodologies like Lean, Agile, and ITI...