The sudden rise in the spread of automation in industries and organisations has changed the trajectory of work methods. Bringing in a new era of workplace processes and changing the narrative.
The human mind is always in search of new knowledge, eager to better our life on planet Earth. The very reason why with each new year comes groundbreaking innovations. This is one of the motives behind the discovery of automation.
Automation is the use of software, computer systems and machines to perform tasks without direct input from a human. Automation has changed the course of things in several industries ranging from medicine, marketing, manufacturing, electronics, food production and others.
Like your footprints being visible whenever you take a walk on the beach; automation has its benefits, drawbacks and impact left on any industry it walks into, which is the focus of this article.
Table of Contents
Advantages Of Automation.
Automation adds the following benefits to your organisation once it is infused into the system.
1. Reduced Errors
To err is human. Humans are bound to make mistakes when carrying out tasks daily. This can occur in the form of making errors during the recording of company products, these errors can arise especially with repetitive tasks.
Automation prevents this because the machines used are already programmed to perform the specific job, thereby reducing distractions which can cause errors.
2. Increase in Production
Which company doesn’t want to get a higher output without hiring more staff? Automation increases the daily output of a company’s production of goods, which invariably increases profit.
This is because activities that should have been done by humans who can fall sick, make mistakes or go on vacations are now being performed around the clock.
3. Reduced Cost
The dream of every business owner is to save costs while maximising profit. Automation reduces the cost of hiring new staff to carry out certain duties, which can be performed by machines excellently.
4. Eliminates the Boring Tasks
Imagine you have a job and every day when you walk into the office, you have to stack up piles of cartoons before taking a record of them. It sure would get boring after some time.
Automation eliminates boring tasks and helps us to focus on tasks that can be performed by machines.
5. Zero Labour Disputes
No strikes, No picketing and No labour disputes.
This is one of the benefits of automation, business owners don’t have to worry about a machine picking up a placard and chanting songs with vigour or blatant refusal to work due to several reasons.
6. Effective Use of Resources
In a production company where raw materials have to be purchased and used to develop new products, automation helps to prevent waste which can occur due to human errors.
Disadvantages Of Automation.
1. High Initial Cost
The initial cost of setting up automation systems is high, especially in cases where these equipment have to be shipped in from other locations. This can take a toll on the finances of an organisation if proper plans are not made to fill in for the huge financial commitment.
2. Displacement of Workers
This is one of the major disadvantages of automation systems and why people are sceptical of them. A manager can decide to bring in a self-driving car to deliver the company’s goods instead of employing a driver.
This is one of the many scenarios where a person can lose their job because of the presence of an automatic system, this can increase the rate of unemployment in a country.
3. Introduce more Safety Hazards
With new machines come new safety rules that must be strictly followed to prevent accidents in the workplace. Coupled with the already existing safety precautions in an organisation, employees can get overwhelmed.
Furthermore, automatic systems might not be able to manage emergencies and scenarios a human might easily overcome.
4. Over-reliance on Technology
There was this rave that came with the introduction of ChatGPT, we were children who got gifted a new toy and couldn’t let it go. With every new technology comes the hazard of possible over-reliance on it.
This increases the tendency of people losing skills they spent years developing or getting addicted to certain machines and platforms which can break down at any time.
5. Needs Human Engagement
The majority of automated systems, still require the presence of a human to perform basic tasks like switching them on and supervision/monitoring. This means that it’s impossible to completely remove the presence of workers where an automated system is installed.
Impact of Automation Of the Workforce.
Automation has both positive and negative impacts on the workforce of every nation.
Some positive impacts include:
- Improved working conditions.
- Upskilling opportunities for employees.
- Improved products and services.
- Increase in EQ (Emotional Intelligence) among workers.
Some negative impacts include;
- Increase in the unemployment rate.
- Change of workflow.
- No networking opportunities for employees.
- Income disparity.
Conclusion
Ever since planet Earth was created, superb and groundbreaking achievements have been occurring in all industries and sectors. As the years go by, more technological advancements will spring up, gearing towards making the life of man better.
Automation has come to stay, continuous growth and development of one’s skills will prevent you from being left out of the moving train.
