Why use a patch panel instead of putting plugs straight onto the permanent cables and connecting them to a switch?

You can put plugs on permanent cables and take them straight into a switch, particularly in a very small installation.

A patch panel starts earning its place as the network grows: the building cables stay fixed and all the inevitable moving, changing and repatching happens with short leads at the front.

Without that separation, it is surprisingly easy to end up wrestling a thicket of permanent cables whenever equipment changes.