Remote FATs Fill COVID-19 Service Gaps

With the coronavirus crisis continuing with no end in sight, Techcross says it is using various solutions to solve customer service issues. Videoconferencing has already become the most basic contactless activities, and the engineering team is filling on-site service gaps through new methods such as training local engineers or providing remote commissioning service.

The pandemic has made it difficult for Techcross staff to visit clients and conduct factory acceptance tests (FATs), which are final product functionality tests in the presence of client personnel before products are delivered from factories. In response, Techcross has come up with contactless services in which a video teleconference program is used to conduct remote FAT sessions. The two sides prepare communication equipment, with Techcross staff conducting the FAT according to the procedures and the client checking the process real-time via the video footage.

According to Techcross, its personnel are confident that clients find such remote FATs reliable, even if they are executed remotely, because clients can ask questions or give feedbacks to be processed immediately on-site.

In fact, on July 20 and July 23, Techcross completed FATs for products to be delivered to two vessels owned by a Malaysian shipping company, and a FAT session was completed for a shipping company in Hong Kong.

Techcross says the service is improving with experience. Once the video teleconference FAT process stabilizes, the company plans to provide this service for cases in which the inspection staff cannot visit the client site even after the coronavirus crisis subsides.