Fuel Balancing Considerations
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during critical phases of flight, fuel balancing should be delayed until workload permits. This reduces the possibility crew errors and allows crew attention to be focused on flight path control”
I can understand that statement with regard to engine failure after take off even though the high fuel flow on the operating engine will cause significant imbalance possibly beyond the limit soon after the aircraft is cleaned up. But supposing by the time a holding pattern or radar vectors has the aircraft ready for final but with significant imbalance still in place, what are the operational considerations if the crew continue to land with crossfeed open and both fuel pumps off on the low side? Would a go-around be affected? Perhaps the absence of advice by Boeing in the FCTM in this regard can be taken that it doesn't really matter either way?
Some regulators require risk assessment considerations to be addressed before ops departments direct operational changes from manufacturer's FCOM recommendations. That being so, perhaps fingers could be pointed by flight ops inspectors who might say there is no pressing reason before landing to configure back to crossfeed off and all pumps on as normal?