New technologies lead to increased levels of competitiveness in companies. From this perspective, automated processes they are an effective way of ensuring the control and smooth operation of business systems.
Automated processes
The main function of automated processes is the incorporation of technological elements or devices, through which manual tasks can be replaced by others performed by machines or any other type of automation.
In this way, this type of process is capable of reducing production costs, increasing the quality of processes and products, and improving the general conditions of the elements that intervene in any system, including humans.
If you want to know more about enterprise resource planning (ERP), you can read our article on the ERP features. There you will find information regarding the grouping and management of the processes that make up companies and industries in general.
On the other hand, although it is common to refer to automated processes Only from the industrial point of view, it is necessary to note that these have a wide field of application, including: economic, technological, military, research, medicine, scientific, etc. Due to this, it is possible to mention in a general way the multiple advantages that they possess:
Advantages
The automated processes have a series of advantages, which are mentioned below:
- It increases the quality of the production process, which translates into a higher quality of the final product and the optimization of results.
- It improves the working conditions of the human operator, in terms of safety and protection.
- It reduces production costs, especially those related to the efficient use of electrical energy, raw materials and the time necessary for the execution of the product.
- Improves the utilization rate of facilities, equipment and human factors.
- It allows the processing of information in a faster and more efficient way.
- The production process becomes a flexible manufacturing process, capable of adapting to market needs by creating new products.
- It allows the collection, organization and analysis of information and statistical data that facilitate decision-making inherent to the production process.
- Generates technical feasibility in terms of processes and equipment operation.
- Increase precision in repetitive tasks, reducing human errors.
- It makes it possible to have the adequate means of production in accordance with the demands of the market.
- The level of integration between business policies and production systems increases.
- Automatic establishment of optimal operating conditions.
- Reduces environmental pollution derived from noise and toxic waste.
- Promotes and encourages research and the creation of new technologies.
In conclusion, the main advantage of automated processes is the improvement of productivity, efficiency, precision and reliability of systems in general.
Disadvantages
Despite the many advantages of automated processes, their disadvantages should be mentioned. These are:
- In some cases, it can generate an increase in the level of unemployment of the population due to the reduction of available jobs.
- It requires a high initial investment, even from the moment of identifying the situation and analyzing the project.
- If the automated process is implemented without a real need or out of time, the return on investment may be late.
- The personnel involved in the automation process must be highly qualified, which is often expensive and in short supply.
- Need to invest in training and ongoing training of staff.
- Possible resistance to change by users, which may cause delay in the process of adaptation to new processes.
- Technological dependency that can generate interruptions in production if failures occur in, for example, the electrical system.
- Need for constant maintenance to extend the useful life of the equipment.
Requirements for its implementation
At this point, it is important to note that the implementation of automated processes is only recommended when the economic and social benefits generated by its development are greater than the operating and maintenance costs of the system.
However, it is necessary to mention that in order to enjoy the advantages of automated processes, certain requirements must be met. Among them:
- Ability to install and use earth wells for instruments, machines and motors that generate electromagnetic noise, which allow operating in an environment with these conditions.
- Willingness for scalability and expansion, coming from future extensions or the appearance of needs not raised at the beginning of the project.
- Availability to have specialized personnel capable of providing technical support as required, quickly and efficiently.
- Adaptation to international norms, standards and specifications, which guarantee the compatibility of the resources involved in the processes.
- Basic knowledge about the methodology related to the design, analysis, implementation and maintenance of automated processes.
General operation
The first step in implementing an automated process is designing the system that will contain it. For this, it is necessary to identify the needs of the users, formulating the objectives and plans of the project based on their utility.
Next, it is required to identify the initial state of the process, the variable to be measured, the response to be obtained and the action plan that will be followed during it. In this way, the three components of any automated process are established, that is, the input, the processing and the output or final state of the same.