The Importance of Technology
Organizations must remain competitive in order to stay in business. Technology is undeniable as it is present in every facet of life as it allows organizations to communicate with customers one to one via social media thereby not falling behind with what is needed in the market relative to products/services, allows companies to stay relevant by staying abreast of new technology, and allows an organization to take advantage of business opportunities that technology can allow. Technology allows an organization to be functional which means being more competitive ("The Importance of Keeping Up with Technology in the Workplace - Axis Technical Group", 2014). Let us examine how technology has changed the automotive industry.
One industry that has been positively affected by technology is the automotive industry. The cars of the 1920s are now viewed as classic or antique cars as the cars of today contain computer chips and lines of software code. Vehicle technology change is moving rapidly based upon consumer choice, needing more luxuries to meet customer demand, and the need to meet higher safety standards ("The Importance of Keeping Up with Technology in the Workplace - Axis Technical Group", 2014). Two areas where technology has changed the automotive industry are in materials and forming and electronics, software, and controls.
Materials and Forming
This is a process that has enabled mass reduction due to the development of new alloys that can be combined with low cost steel. Mass reduction has a focus on the automotive industry having the ability to combine materials for making the automobile to meet vehicle weight reductions ("The Auto Industry Transformation: Dimensions for Change", 2016). For this process to be successful, the auto industry must hire engineers who are specialized in finite element analysis. These employees demand high salaries and are sometimes difficult to find in the workforce. With advances that have been made in vehicle mass reduction the organization can create advanced training for production workers who can perform some of the duties that once could only be performed by the specialized engineers. This is a cost savings to the organization and the opportunity for some production workers to learn new skills that will be useful within the organization.
Electronics, Software, and Controls
Electronics now make up over 23 percent of an automobile’s value and this percentage is expected to increase by over 20 percent within the next 6 to 9 years ("The Auto Industry Transformation: Dimensions for Change", 2016). Technology development in electronics makes a large contribution to the improved environmental performance of motor vehicles thereby lowering negative emissions. It is also believed that there will be the need for cyber-personal security of vehicles in the future which can be easily accomplished via technology. The need for the increase in electronics, software, and controls will also mean an increase in employees and an increase in car sales which will also mean increased income for the community.
Conclusion
Technology has made a major contribution to the success of businesses in today’s market thereby allowing businesses to remain competitive. Since technology is an evolving process, it is most important for businesses to stay abreast of any technology that will allow the business to remain competitive as well as allowing the business to gain market share. The automobile industry has benefited from this process because of advancements made in materials and forming as well as electronics, software, and controls. These are benefits that will enable the automotive industry to remain competitive and sustainable for many years.
References
The Auto Industry Transformation: Dimensions for Change. (2016). Retrieved 6 September 2016, from http://www.drivingworkforcechange.org/reports/sections/2.pdf
The Importance of Keeping Up with Technology in the Workplace - Axis Technical Group. (2014). Axis Technical Group. Retrieved 6 September 2016, from http://www.axistechnical.com/the-importance-of-keeping-up-with-technology-in-the-workplace/
