Since the inception of manufacturing, factory owners have looked for ways to increase productivity and lower cost. This resulted in many of said factory owners looking to automation to help their bottom line. So what is automation? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, automation is the automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labor. What does that really mean? If you walk inside a modern manufacturing plant, you might see something like this. Robots and other automated machinery that can run typically without the need for human involvement. Automation results in better efficiency. Let's face it, humans make mistakes, and they're not always very consistent. Automation practically eliminates error, increases productivity, and allows for better monitoring and control of the manufacturing process. Automation also allows for a certain task to be replicated over and over again. But automation manufacturing isn't just more efficient. It's also smarter. Data is generated throughout the process and is used by various elements along the line to better control workflow. Connecting the line through a supervisory control and data acquisition or SCADA system allows the entire team to gain insight to what is going on during the manufacturing process and notifies employees of any potential problems that are happening on the line. Automation started showing up in factories in the 1970s, and as time has passed, the technology has become even more sophisticated. As it advances even further, it is not outside the realm of possibility that one day manufacturing facilities could run without the need for humans onsite at all.