Previously, the goal of automation was to increase productivity (because automated systems can operate 24 hours a day) and lower the costs associated with human operators (i.e. wages & benefits). However, the emphasis of automation today is on increasing quality and flexibility in the manufacturing process. Industrial automation is the use of control systems, such as computer systems or robotic systems, and information technologies to replace humans in various processes and machineries in an industry. It is the second step beyond technological progress in the industrialization process.
