The document discusses the history and definition of business automation. It traces the origins of automation back to 1500 BC and notes that its purpose was to facilitate and speed up production in factories. The adoption of automation increased during the Industrial Revolution for repetitive processes and assembly lines. The concept of automation originated in Detroit in the 1940s when Ford Motor Co. adopted new methods to reduce human handling of workpieces using machines. The document defines automation as applying mechanical devices to handle workpieces between operations in a production process that can be partially or fully controlled by command boards. Sensors monitor and control movements to execute repetitive tasks.