FAT Readiness Evaluation · 17 Jul 2026

T-4 weeks

8 of 8 dimensions scored

01Test Specification & Acceptance Criteria

Whether what counts as passing is written down and agreed before the test.

No written FAT specification exists.
A draft protocol exists internally, with no customer input.
The protocol lists every test with a written pass/fail criterion.
The customer has formally approved the protocol and its acceptance criteria.
The approved protocol has been walked end to end and every criterion proven measurable on this machine.A criterion nobody can measure on the day becomes an argument on the day.Next rung

Evidence

02Design Documentation

Whether the paperwork describes the machine that actually exists.

Drawings and manuals are not assembled; the as-built state is unknown.
Documentation exists but does not match the machine as built.
Drawings, schematics and BOM are current and match the as-built machine.
The full document pack, including manuals and certificates, is complete and internally reviewed.Next rung
The document pack has been issued to the customer ahead of the FAT and acknowledged as received.

Evidence

03Hardware Build

Physical completeness and whether the machine has run under load.

Mechanical assembly is incomplete; parts are outstanding.
Assembly is complete but has not been verified against drawings.
Assembly is verified against drawings, with every deviation logged.
Utilities are connected and the machine has run under power without fault for a sustained period.
The machine has run at rated speed and duty using production-representative material.Next rung

Evidence

04Software & Controls

Whether the control software is released, reproducible and exercised.

Control software is not at a released version; changes are still in flight.
A build is loaded, but its version is not recorded or reproducible.
A version-controlled release is loaded and its version is recorded on the machine and in the document pack.
All functions, alarms and interlocks have been exercised against the specification, with results recorded.
The released version is frozen, backed up, and has been successfully restored onto the machine from that backup.An untested backup is not a backup. Restore it before the customer arrives, not after.Next rung

Evidence

05Integration Dry Run

How far the complete system has been run end to end before the customer sees it.

No end-to-end run has been attempted.
Subsystems have been tested only in isolation.
The full sequence has run end to end at least once, with faults encountered.
A complete internal dry run of the FAT protocol is finished and its findings closed out.Next rung
The FAT protocol has run twice consecutively with repeatable results and no unplanned intervention.

Evidence

06Safety & Compliance

Guarding, interlocks, and the state of the compliance file.

No risk assessment or safety review has been performed.
A risk assessment exists, but its mitigations are not implemented.
Guarding, emergency stops and interlocks are installed and function-tested.
Safety circuit performance is verified and documented, and the compliance file is assembled.
An independent party has reviewed and signed off the safety file, and the declaration is ready to issue.Next rung

Evidence

07Open Defects

What is known to be wrong, and whether it blocks a test step.

No defect list is maintained.
A punch list exists but is not categorised by severity.
Defects are logged, severity-rated, and assigned to named owners.
No open defect would block a FAT test step; the remainder carry agreed dates.
The punch list carries no open blocking or major items, and the customer has seen the current list.Next rung

Evidence

08Stakeholder & Logistics Readiness

Whether the right people, materials and authority will be in the room.

No FAT date is set.
A date is proposed but not confirmed by the customer.
Date, attendee list and agenda are confirmed with the customer.
Travel, site access and the customer's own test material are arranged and confirmed.
Every attendee is confirmed with delegated sign-off authority, and the post-FAT shipping plan is agreed.A FAT where nobody present can sign is a rehearsal you paid travel for.Next rung

Evidence

Round details

Label

Date assessed

Status

Complete is a signal to readers, not a lock — scores stay editable.

Notes

T-4 weeks

01Test Specification & Acceptance Criteria

02Design Documentation

03Hardware Build

04Software & Controls

05Integration Dry Run

06Safety & Compliance

07Open Defects

08Stakeholder & Logistics Readiness

Round details

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