The workplace today is not the same as it was 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. As we entered the 21st century, the world was a very different place. Technological advances have allowed us to use automation to do many of the jobs that once required a personal touch. Modern technology has already caused many jobs to be phased out. One cannot help but wonder if the job they are doing right now will still be around in the upcoming years.
Robots Are Replacing Humans World-Wide
In some areas of the world, companies are using robots to do the jobs of humans. This is very popular movement right now in
China. They have currently replaced over 60,000 jobs with that of machinery. Economist are watching the current trends and warn that automation will continue to affect the job market. An estimated 35 percent of jobs will be at the risk of extinction within the next two decades. No wonder the very mention of automation and robotics causes the average worker to fear for their future. The US and most of the world is in the industrial age. Businesses are constantly looking for faster, cost-effective and more efficient ways to run their operations.
The Auto Industry Embraces Automation
The auto industry is one that is prone to use cutting edge technologies to help make costs efficient vehicles. One idea in development is to design a remote controlled car that will operate without a driver.
Drones, consequently, are now being used as a fast and efficient way to deliver products for many customers. These ideas and concepts sound like space age to some. Many are concerned that all of this will make more employees obsolete. It is a question that deserves an honest answer.
The Industrial Revolution Changed Everything
When the Industrial Revolution began, automation reduced the number of employees used in manufacturing facilities. The movement to reduce employees in the fast food business is not really new. The first food "Automat" was developed in 1897 in Germany. The primary Automat was the forerunner of fast food eateries. Though wide-ranging automation is a cause for concern, it should be a cause for celebration, and here's why.
Robotics engineering and other technologies are replacing mundane, repetitive tasks that employees once had to do. Now, these employees can focus on new and more exciting elements in the manufacturing process. Things like quality and process control deserve to have time devoted to the too. Who wants to do “pick-pack" work anyway? So, yes automation is replacing jobs. However, they are taking away jobs that people don’t want to do anyway. They are also creating new jobs that were never around before.
New Jobs Are Being Created Every Day
Looking back through history, it is easy to see that many of the jobs of today were not around back then. Take for instance the printing industry. For a newspaper to be printed in days gone by, it took a great deal of effort. Today, computers are used to design the paper and scan and edit photos and articles. In the early days, they had to do everything by hand. They used a photochemical process to put colors on the page. In the early days of printed news, they used etchings instead of pictures. They had an etching artist that worked to keep the paper interesting. Printing was a nightmare. The old printing presses were hand cranked. They printed one page at a time and had to hand assemble the final product. Today, though machinery, the paper can print 100's a minute and stack and collate them with ease.
So, while the
newspaper industry has lost the etching person and the ones who collated and stacked the papers, the automation has brought new employees. Now, someone has to run the computer and do the setup. There are more positions too. While things have changed, the changes have made the job easier and more efficient. The product of today is much better than the product of yesteryear.
Practice management software has forever changed the billing industry. In the olden days, getting out a medical bill was a tedious task. Now, thanks to software that allows workers to put in codes and hit print,
a bill can be customized in a matter of seconds. Appointment scheduling and report generation are also no longer an issue. Offices have thrown out nostalgic paper planners and are using automated computerized ones. The medical field is more efficient thanks to a simple software program.
People Fear Change
Whenever there is a change in the world, people are apprehensive about the future. Though the changes have caused many jobs to be lost, they have also created many new and more exciting jobs.
