Definition: Replacement of human workers with machines that are controlled by a computer.
A way to increase productivity is to replace the current system with an automated system. The automated system replaces humans with machines and instead of being controlled by the human mind, it's controlled by a computer. The computer then monitors the situation with impeccable preciseness. Machines like this are usually thought to be found only in factories, but you'd be surprised to find that automation is all around you. It's in your home, your school, the local mall, restaurants and almost everywhere else.
This ATM (Automated Teller Machine) is an automated system. It replaces the job of bank tellers and can do it much faster and more efficiently.
This is a smoke detector and it is an automated system. It detects the temperature of its surroundings and if it goes over a certain number, then an alarm will go off. It signals that there is a fire or something in the room is getting much too hot.
In the last couple decades there has been a vast amount of computer development and many tasks that were traditionally done by workers are now done by machines. Some people feel that this has a positive impact socially because it has created so many new types of jobs and has changed the work that people do. Others feel that this has a negative social impact because of the jobs that have been replaced and lost. Economically, automated systems increase productivity because the product is made faster and at lower cost, so more of it can be sold, but they cause companies to have less employees which can affect the company's community and economy. Environmentally they aren't so good because the machines need a lot of energy and this could have a negative effect on the environment. Click here for an example.
This picture may seem humourous, but it shows us how automated factories are nowadays. There seems to only be one employee and he is quite idle. The only part of the control the employees have on this machine is the on/off switch. But as you can see, the boss seems to be quite pleased with all of this because productivity is higher, so he is making more money.
Evaluating a System The needs of society are constantly changing and the systems in place may not be best-fitting systems anymore. So, new systems are developed, but before the new systems are put into place they must be evaluated by the developers. Developers often use the following criteria:
Efficiency
Safety
Cost
Environmental Impact
The criteria above can be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively Quantitative Example: This new candy packaging system saves more than the previous one.Qualitative Example: This new candy packaging system saves 30 seconds more per each candy bag than the previous one. CLick below to watch a video on automation.
A way to increase productivity is to replace the current system with an automated system. The automated system replaces humans with machines and instead of being controlled by the human mind, it's controlled by a computer. The computer then monitors the situation with impeccable preciseness. Machines like this are usually thought to be found only in factories, but you'd be surprised to find that automation is all around you. It's in your home, your school, the local mall, restaurants and almost everywhere else.
In the last couple decades there has been a vast amount of computer development and many tasks that were traditionally done by workers are now done by machines. Some people feel that this has a positive impact socially because it has created so many new types of jobs and has changed the work that people do. Others feel that this has a negative social impact because of the jobs that have been replaced and lost. Economically, automated systems increase productivity because the product is made faster and at lower cost, so more of it can be sold, but they cause companies to have less employees which can affect the company's community and economy. Environmentally they aren't so good because the machines need a lot of energy and this could have a negative effect on the environment. Click here for an example.
Evaluating a System
The needs of society are constantly changing and the systems in place may not be best-fitting systems anymore. So, new systems are developed, but before the new systems are put into place they must be evaluated by the developers.
Developers often use the following criteria:
The criteria above can be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively
Quantitative Example: This new candy packaging system saves more than the previous one.Qualitative Example: This new candy packaging system saves 30 seconds more per each candy bag than the previous one.
CLick below to watch a video on automation.