Automation Literature: A Brief Review and Analysis

Abstract The concept of automation is a burning flame of intriguing potential which has lured engineers, industrialists and businessmen into creative applications of the abundant technological advances which are constantly exploding into existence. Unfortunately, all too often the introduction of automation into a system turns out not only to fail to achieve the promised advantages, but also results in major system failures. The paradox occurs, therefore, that automation which should improve performance, in fact, debilitates system performance. Increased automation does not always lead to increased system performance. Part of the problem for the tales of failure is that the concept of automation encompasses many varied applications and in itself is not a single variable. The purpose of this paper was to establish the current thought and research positions which may allow for an improved capability to understand the impact of introducing automation to an existing system. The orientation was toward the type of studies which may provide some general insight into automation; specifically, the impact of automation in human performance and the result-ing system performance. While an extensive number of articles were reviewed, only those that addressed the issue of automation and human performance were selected to be discussed. The litera-ture is organized along two dimensions: time, Pre-1970, Post-1970; and type of approach, Engineer-ing or Behavioral Science. The conclusions reached are not definitive, but do provide the initial stepping stones in an attempt to begin to bridge the concept of automation in a systematic progression.