Automation is a hot topic when it comes to the world of business. As technology steadily and relentlessly advances over the decades and centuries, the methods by which many kinds of work are carried out are constantly changing.
From computer programs used for administration tasks to self-driving vehicles, automation is used in almost every imaginable sector and aspect of our daily lives. But is automation a good thing or a bad thing for us?
Industry and manufacturing are the most obvious example that most likely springs to your mind when thinking about automation. From fluent conveyors to automatic assembly machines to programmable logic controllers (PLCs), automated machines are often thought of in a factory setting. However, automation is not just limited to manufacturing.
Automation clearly has plenty of practical applications and benefits. Industrial productivity sees a sharp rise each time a ground-breaking new method of automation is invented. For example, instead of factory workers manually packaging products, packing machines can do this automatically at a much faster rate.
Not only does this benefit business owners from an increase in productivity, but it also reduces the reliance on human workers to carry out operations. Human workers are, of course, more prone to human error, which can result in decreased productivity. Employing more workers also means the need to pay more wages, reducing total profits of a business. Automated machines usually require some maintenance by humans and need to be designed and built in the first place of course, but overall, the number of employees needed to carry out effective operations is almost always significantly reduced.
Automated processes are usually more precise and accurate than those carried out by humans, and this precision only increases as technology advances over time.
The Disadvantages of Automation
For a business owner, automation does have some disadvantages. Automated machinery can be incredibly expensive, and even though it may be a wise investment in the longer term, many small business owners cannot afford to shell out on the upfront cost of this machinery at all.
Society’s increased reliance on automation is certainly not without its critics. For example, many shoppers miss the human interaction that using self-service checkouts lacks. Another serious issue is that of unemployment; with jobs increasingly being replaced by machines, many people have been made redundant, or are at risk of becoming so. In the early 19th Century, a group of English factory workers known as the “Luddites” destroyed new machinery in mills producing cotton, wool, and other textiles, as they feared being replaced by these machines and driven into poverty.
Not only does this unemployment affect the individuals who lose their jobs, but it can also affect the wider economy —a business owner may reduce costs and increase profits in the short to medium term by replacing employees with machines, but an economic model that results in mass unemployment is likely to affect those same business owners when people are unable to afford the products that these machines produce.
Ultimately, automation looks here to stay, and the trend towards automation in society and workplaces seems unlikely to slow or reverse. Whether or not automation benefits wider society or only business profits remains to be seen, and is dependent on what the future of work and economic systems looks like.
