Positioning Automation the Right Way

The workforce, policymakers, governments, and educational sectors must remain agile in the face of change and progress. The candidates and specialists tasked with engineering functions will be educated across a broad range of interdisciplinary fields and equipped to leverage complex system-modelling tools. However, this critical human capital—while often in demand—remains difficult to source and develop. Looking ahead, Singapore will see a 55% increase in workers aged 50 and above, making up 40% of the country's workforce. For context, economic powerhouses like China and India, home to large populations, will contribute approximately 40% of the world’s 2020 graduates. This global imbalance in workforce demographics creates a challenge for potential, underlining the urgent need for both reskilling and upskilling that must not be overlooked.

Automation, in its consistency and absence of human error, offers clear advantages, particularly in industries like precision engineering and corporate financial services, where consistency and compliance are paramount. In manufacturing and civil sectors, where precision is non-negotiable, human inconsistencies can result in compounded problems. When quality is central to a business’s value proposition, automation becomes not just desirable, but often essential, even if it doesn’t immediately reduce costs. However, an over-reliance on machines could leave companies ill-prepared for rapid change, while avoiding automation altogether can lead to lost opportunities and unfulfilled potential. A measured, gradual approach to automation will likely offer the most benefit, especially in light of an aging workforce and labor shortages.

Automation was introduced to address critical challenges of the future, but its integration must be approached thoughtfully. Introducing it too rapidly may risk losing valuable knowledge as employees face redundancy or feel alienated. The key lies in identifying and retaining those employees essential to re-engineering processes in the future. While automation plays an increasingly important role, niche technological talents and skilled workers are still needed to manage the systems effectively. The debate around robotic automation is complex, with arguments both for and against its implementation. One certainty remains: automation will not replace human workers—not yet, at least."

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