The impact of automation

1. AUTOMATION
The reasoning behind
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2. From the beginning of civilization, humans invented tools
primarily to perform their tasks more effectively.
Most humans therefore became tool operators in order to
accomplish the tasks they previously performed manually.
The use of tools and machinery made the majority of
humans develop new skills.
AUTOMATION in the 19th and 20th centuries helped
humans and enslaved animals to be freed from performing
the physically demanding and time consuming laborious
tasks required.
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3. Farmer plowing the field
AUTOMATION CHANGED OUR LIFESTYLE
Horse carriage for transport
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4. AUTOMATION IMPROVED OUR
LIFESTYLE
Permitting more time for other activities such as sports and
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5. Man will still be crossing rivers today with stepping stones
and sticks if not for the engineering innovation of humans.
The invention of electricity and the electric bulb changed our
lives from being dependent on open fires for cooking and
illumination.
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6. AUTOMATION SPEEDED OPERATIONS
Typewriter
PC and
printer
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7. AUTOMATION FACILITATED FASTER
COMMUNICATION FOR WIDER AUDIENCE
Ancient communication over distance was using the sound of drums or the
use of light signals. With written languages, birds and pigeons were used to
send notes.
Air space and sound waves helped to ‘communicate’ across
distances later using devices such as the Radio and
Telegraph
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8. Technology enhanced postal and parcel delivery services
Postman Electronic Mail
Courier Delivery Drone delivery
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9. The evolution of the Telephone with innovation and
technology
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10. Modern Telecommunications
Integration of all devices ( audio, text and video)
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11. Engineering innovation and
technology brought about
automation.
Over centuries, engineering and technology have
enabled man to live a more leisurely and comfortable
life in the ever growing global environment of today.
Creative thinking and innovation by the minds of
problem solvers brought about the technology
evolution.
Predictability, reliability and speed of operations
were the main reasons for automation which reduced
labor costs.
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13. Tool users or operators do not necessarily need to
understand the mechanics and technology of the
tools they use daily, but their familiarity with the
control buttons or levers is required.
Most car drivers today have little need to
understand the electro-mechanical workings of a
car or the technology used. What’s under the
bonnet may not even be a factor in their choice in
purchasing a car.
Similarly, those who use the telephone and the
internet have little understanding about the
technology or telecommunications behind the
screen or device. They often purchase the most
user-friendly and appealing device or application
that is marketed widely. VKW

14. It’s easy to fall prey to the marketing of products by
vendors.
Greedy vendors today thrive on promoting frivolous
and untested new products for the sake of monetary
gain.
Designed to FAIL within 3-5 years is a strategy used
with cheaper ware requiring frequent upgrades and
replacements to tools driving operational costs higher.
Understanding the features of the various products in
the market today and validating their functions and
suitability for your environment to meet specific needs,
require knowledge of the intricate technical details.
Field testing is required prior to deployment.

15. When buying a car for example, factors to be considered are
 Is the car for daily driving in the suburbs, city or for use on the
country roads?
 Ease of use? ( Front panel controls and steering)
 Gas mileage ( Fuel economic or not)?
 Maximum speed required ?
 ABS (anti-lock braking system) wheels?
 Durability (Quality of mechanical and electrical parts used and
warranty)
 Maintainability ( Access to internals and replacement of parts )
 Aesthetics (Tinted windows, leather seats)
 Budget ( 20K, 50K , 100K or greater?)
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16. Questions arise if we should follow the technology trends
quickly, and if the newer technology is useful for the purpose of
achieving our long-term goals effectively?
Selecting the appropriate technical SOLUTION for any
arduous or frequently performed task at an affordable cost
requires understanding the intricate details of the products and
their effectiveness.
Upgrading existing environments also requires accurate
assessment and selecting a suitable solution.
With the advent of technology arrived
a plethora of products in the market
which need to be evaluated
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17. One size fits all solutions are costly for businesses and
individuals whose needs are quite different.
Incorrect assumptions made are the common pitfalls of the
industry today.
Integrating any product into an existing environment is not
as easy as ‘plug and play’.
Hardware, firmware, and software compatibilities need to be
determined prior to purchasing a product.
Information security needs to be considered where
applicable.
Reliability and performance of the device or application
must meet the user needs.
A software application in the market today should have been
beta- tested in the user environment for functions, features,
security and performance.
“Bug” fixes should be verified before the tool is deployed for
productivity.

18.  Your requirements and budget are never the same as
someone else’s. For example in Information Technology
and Telecommunication (IT &T) :
 Not everyone needs the top-end broadband bandwidth to their
premises, unless video-conferencing or gathering of online geo-
statistics or playing online video games is required.
 The choice of Microsoft Windows or Apple Personal computer or
hand-held device ( PDA) depends on the applications required by
each user.
 Sociability of applications and databases used will determine the use
of virtualization for cost optimization.
 The number of devices or concurrent users will determine the design
of your local network for performance.
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19. Life changing innovations and inventions brought
about a more reliable and leisurely lifestyle for
mankind.
Humans always preferred SLAVES that can make their life
more comfortable. A predictable slave who obeyed commands,
could easily be controlled and monitored with low maintenance
costs was ideal.
Robots are programmed for specific purposes. They have no
original thought or creative ideas as clever human brains possess
.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and logical reasoning of the robot s
are only as good as the information available and the logic
circuits which control the actions.
Robots are like mere militarized humans who are trained to
act in predictable ways with ‘controlled’ processes.
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