Automation: Utilizing Technology to Ensure Greater Efficiency

Introduction

Automation Technology was introduced to solve the challenges involved with manual work and labour issues: companies face using traditional methods. These technologies help companies to perform any procedure with minimal human assistance.

The use of automation is taking place in multiple systems and equipment from small activities like switching of the telephone or mobiles and machinery to large processes happening in factories. This technology is being used in boilers, heat treating ovens, steering and stabilization of ships, aircraft and other vehicles to reduce or minimize human error and intervention.

Automation is widely being used in large industrial control systems that help in providing thousands of output and input measurement control signals. It can be used in various ways in different industries. For example in the information technology domain, software script can test software and can create the necessary reports.

Various other automated applications help in generating code for the application. The users are required to configure the tool and define the process. Automation helps the industry to increase its productivity to a great extent to save time and cut the cost of unnecessary activity.

The process of automation is also changing with time and is now offering better, quicker and high-quality automated solutions. Its popularity is spreading rapidly both in the hardware and software sectors. There is always a requirement for manual intervention in the industry; even with automation since there are some tasks that can't be performed, completely by tools.

There are many success stories of automation in different sectors. These include electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, computers, electronic appliances and devices. Some of the key benefits of automation are savings; in electricity cost, material cost, labour cost and improvement in quality, precision and accuracy. In some places, robots are playing a major role in facilitating the automation process.

Here, we are introducing you to the world of automation. This has been very crucial for increasing productivity at work, saving time and implementing proper utilization of resources.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Automation

We all know that automation has been a revolutionary step for humankind. It has provided multiple advantages. The big advantage is that it provides the replacement for hard physical and repetitive work.

The work that takes place in hazardous environments, is very dangerous for humans to perform. In that case, automation plays a very important role to minimize collateral damage. 

It helps to perform work in an environment with extreme temperatures or even in places that are radioactive or toxic. But there are certain disadvantages also associated with automation. Some of the advantages and disadvantages are mentioned right here below. 

Advantages of Automation

1. Reduced costs and expenses of direct human labour.
2. Improves the quality and enhances the predictability of quality.
3. Increases the overall productivity of any industry or organization.
4. Helps in improving the consistency of the output and the processes involved.
5. Reducing the cycle time of installation in operation.
6. Helps to replace humans especially involved in hard physical, hazardous or monotonous tasks.
7. Reduces the risk of injuries or even death to humans.
8. Helps to perform tasks that are beyond the reach of human capabilities in terms of size, weight, speed, endurance, etc.
9. Significantly reduces the operation time and work handling time.
10. Automation technology helps to get higher-level jobs in the processes of development, maintenance and running of the automated processes.
11. Automation technology involves a high initial cost.
12. It is creating a reduction in jobs and the displacement of workers.
13. Automation possibly has vulnerabilities that increase relative susceptibility of committing errors.
14. It involves a very high and unpredictable development and maintenance cost.

Disadvantages of Automation

1. Automation technology involves a high initial cost.
2. It is creating a reduction in jobs and the displacement of workers.
3. Automation possibly has vulnerabilities that increase relative susceptibility of committing errors.
4. It involves a very high and unpredictable development and maintenance cost.

 

Applications of Automation

1. In Retail

Technological improvements and advancements are happening quite fast in the retail sector. Many supermarkets including smaller stores are introducing the feature of self-checkout with the help of automated online transaction processing systems.

According to research done in retail sector automation, it is found that; about two-thirds of music, books and films are now being purchased online. The technology of automation and online shopping has reduced the need for having retail property and shopping malls.

Food and Drink Retail

There is a great revolution happening in the food and drink retail sector with the introduction of automation. McDonald's have introduced automation in the ordering process; as they have incorporated touch screen ordering and payment systems in many of their restaurants.

To make the ordering process more efficient; some restaurants and cafes have utilized mobile and tablet apps to order food or beverages. Customers can also pay their bills using this device. Many popular restaurants have automated their delivery process by using a conveyor belt system or sometimes even using robots in place of employees to serve food to customers.

2. In the Mining Sector

The involvement of automation in the mining sector has resulted in the improvement of the mining process and reduction in the requirement for human labour. Currently, in the mining industry, the process of transition towards automation is happening at a rapid pace. 

 3. Video Surveillance

The use of automation in video surveillance has contributed a great deal to protect assets across different locations. Now, this technology has helped in developing; fully automated tracking and video surveillance systems.

These automated surveillance systems are based on the environment they are designed to observe. It can be either indoors, outdoors or even airborne. This system consists of many sensors that handle movements and records the properties and trajectories of objects; in a given area, to generate a warning and notify if there is any particular change.

4. Business Process

The automation in the business process (BPA) is the technology-enabled automation of complex processes to ensure smooth flow of operations. It helps to simplify business operations by streamlining it, enhancing service quality, containing costs and improving delivery service.

BPA comes with integrating applications and restructuring labour resources. The implementation of BPA can happen in various other business areas that include sales, marketing and workflow.

 

Conclusion

The world is quickly moving towards a technological revolution in all areas of science, technology, research and business. There are a lot of new opportunities opening up especially in the field of space technologies.

This automation in the work technology has majorly affected the work culture of every factory and organization. It has also increased work efficiency and productivity of several companies across the globe. Companies like Tesla are using the full potential of automation to make great products and offer the best service to their customers.

Automation has been an intriguing concept that has completely changed the way people plan, decide and carry out work in every sector.