FATs are beneficial not just for the buyer and end users but for the manufacturer as well. Both parties can be assured that the equipment meets all the contractual specifications and any issues can be addressed before arriving at the customer’s site. Rectifying issues while the system is still in the possession of the manufacturer helps to keep the project on track and within budget. FATs almost always save time and money over fixing issues in the field.
The safety of your employees is always a top concern so the quality assurance gives you the peace of mind that all components of your system are functioning the way they should, and within the full range of operating specifications.
Additionally, FATs help to determine who is responsible for the problems that are identified. Sometimes the issues are the manufacturer’s responsibility, e.g. an instrument doesn’t work properly, and other times they are the customer’s responsibility (for example, if a customer decides after seeing the physical layout they want to reconfigure the design, the manufacturer can move things around prior to shipping it to site).