Abstract
Whilst appearing attractive, automation must be approached with caution. Much time, effort and money is put into curing 'symptoms' without really defining the problem. Too often organizations launch a programme of automation when what they really need is rationalization. Unless you know precisely how much time and effort is currently involved in an operation, you are in grave danger of making costly mistakes in considering automation. A prerequisite is to make sure that your present operation is as productive as it is capable of being.