| Many reasons support the need for companies to | | | | productivity. Automated systems typically perform |
| automate their process control. And the key factor | | | | manufacturing process with less variability than human |
| influencing the automation requirements is to increase | | | | workers, resulting in greater control and consistency of |
| productivity and shorten the time to market. | | | | product quality. Also, increased process control makes |
| Manufacturing plants covering a large physical area | | | | more efficient use of materials, resulting in less scrap. |
| heavily rely on the process of automation for the safe | | | | Another advantage of automating the industry |
| monitoring and accurate control of the production | | | | process is the decrease in the number of hours |
| processes. However, industries like food manufacturing, | | | | worked on average per week by the factory |
| brewing or small traditional manual operations have | | | | workers. According to a survey, in a company of |
| also replaced their manual operations by automated | | | | about 1900 the average workweek was |
| control systems. In this competitive era, the only way | | | | approximately 70 hours. With the implementation of |
| to achieve the competitive advantage is by improving | | | | automation tools and machines, the standard |
| the production by implementing higher levels of | | | | workweek was calculated to have gradually reduced |
| automation. | | | | to about 40 hours. The two key factors - |
| Advantages commonly attributed to automation include | | | | mechanization and automation played a significant role |
| 1. Higher production rates | | | | in this reduction. |
| 2. Increased productivity | | | | Automating the industrial operations has also increased |
| 3. More efficient use of materials | | | | the safety of the worker as automation often |
| 4. Better product quality | | | | removes workers from the workplace, thus |
| 5. Improved safety | | | | safeguarding them against the hazards of the factory |
| 6. Shorter workweeks for labours. | | | | environment. However it is gradually becoming a |
| 7. Reduced factory lead times. | | | | national objective of making work safer and protecting |
| The biggest reason that fully justifies the use of | | | | the physical well-being of the workers in all sectors of |
| automation is the higher output and increased | | | | the industries and plants. |