From steam to software
Automation feels like a modern idea, but it’s been reshaping how we make things for over 200 years. All that’s changing is the tools we use; the goal stays the same.
In simple terms, automation is shifting tasks from people to machines. It’s the right goal to have because it frees people up to work on tasks that are more valuable.
AI has put the spotlight on automation.But whether it’s using steam power instead of human muscle, or software instead of the human brain, automation is still about creating greater value work at lower cost.
The biggest leaps in automation have become known as industrial revolutions.
The first revolution happened in the late 1700s, when James Watt created a steam engine to power factories, railways and ships.
The second revolution happened about 100 years later, when electricity replaced steam. Rather than organising factories around a central steam engine, electricity could be sent to precisely where the machines needed it, enabling assembly lines in which workers did specific tasks as product came to their station and moved onto the next.
In the early 1900s Henry Ford harnessed the power of the assembly line to reduce the time to make a Model T car from over 12 hours to 90 minutes – automation creating more value for less time and effort.
In the third revolution, computers entered factories. Rather than machines being controlled by electrical signals, they became digital, running on instructions written in sequences of 1s and 0s.
From the late 1960s on, two acronyms defined this revolution:
CNC machines (Computer Numerical Control) replaced hand tools with highly precise machinery
PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) functioned like brains, coordinating when and how machines operate.
Now we’re about a decade into the fourth revolution – the complete fusion of software and machines.
Just as phones became smart phones as they connected to the internet about 15 years ago, factories are now becoming smart factories as all processes and machinery become seamlessly connected with software.
Predictive maintenance: Sensors track things like vibration and heat so maintenance happens before a breakdown.
Increased throughput: Real-time monitoring catches bottlenecks and reduces handovers and human error.
Labour efficiency: Routine data entry is handled by software. Floor staff record info on tablets that sync directly to management dashboards.
Energy efficiency: smart meters switch off idle machines automatically.
From steam engines to software platforms, automation has always been about doing more with less – less wasted time and less waste of resources. The tools have changed, but the principle hasn’t. It’s still about using tools to work smarter, not just harder.
