Impact of New and Emerging Technologies Flashcards
workforce skill set
increasing need for employees to update their skills following the introduction of new technologies
demographic movement
the way in which the population structure changes
science and technology parks
help the transfer of knowledge, support businesses and research centers
privately owned business
- owner makes decision
- small with limited sales, stock, workforce
- flexible: easily adapt to new technologies
- may not have enough funds
crowd funding
raising money from a large amount of people who contribute a small amount of money online
government funding
government provides financial support to businesses they believe will support the economy, making use of new and emerging technologies easier for them
not for profit
reinvest the money they make into their chosen cause
transportation costs
the enviornmental and financial cost of moving products between locations
* changing from diesel lorries to electric vehicles
* making fewer journies by establishing distribution centers with good links to end destination
* designing products that are lighter/more compact packaging, so more can fit into the carrier
pollution
release of substances that are likely to harm or contaminate the environment
* use new technologies to reuse/dispose of waste
* being energy efficient
waste generated
- 4 R’s
- Reduce: use computer controlled machines to minimise rejects, sending emails not letters
- Reuse
- Recycle: convert waste material into other usable products
- Recovery: recovering waste generated in factories, e.g. heat energy for electricity production
workforce
- tech enables people to choose how to work e.g. remotely
- blurs home and work boundaries
- negative effect on home life and leads to overworking
- companies need a wider skills base to adapt to changes in tech
consumer
- often aware of new tech, inc. demand and inc. use of scarce resources
- allows consumers to input design themselves, e.g. customising business cards online/3D printing
children
- offer education and entertainment
- e.g. Minecraft - creative opportunities
- children spend too much time using digital devices at the expense of social and physical activities
people with disabilities
- assistive technology
- years of trailing required first
wage levels
- companies need to pay more to attract staff with specialist technology skills
- previously high-paid jobs become automated, associated wages can fall
highly skilled workforce
- technology leads to automation of routine
- demand is growing for highly skilled individuals
- people with HYBRID SKILL SETS are likely to be in demand
- workers need to keep developing technical skills throughout their careers, or else they will be replaced
apprenticeships
- manufacturers give trainers new products for testing, encouraging apprentices to use them in work
- log evidence and progress online
- no guarantee of employment at the end of training
population movement within the EU
- migration: movement of people from one permanent home to another
- common in EU
- EU residents free to choose to live and work in any EU member state
- immigrants bring energy, innovation, and experience filling skill gaps
- online communication tools reduce need for workers to move
social segregation
- minority populations tend to live in clusters
- leads to social segregation
- reduced contact between diff. groups
- create social barriers, limits access to better jobs and education
changes in working hours and shift patterns
- workers can pick working hours convenient to them and the business due to technology
- maximises labour available, inc. productivity and job satisfaction
- blur work-home boundaries
internet of things
the system of interrelated devices that are connected via the internet
give some examples of IoT
- alarm clock: custom tones, turns on coffee maker
- automobile: maps traffic in real time, track location
- refrigerator: RFID tags reorder groceries, suggest recpies
- mobile phone: secure identification and verification for payment
- heating/air conditioning: controls temp and lights for maximum efficiency
- oven: oven settings from computer or phone if running late
- printer: automatically reorders ink and paper as needed
- TV: immediate “one click” ordering of products seen on commercials
waste disposal
- use efficient manufacturing processes
- harnessing waste energy and using it elsewhere e.g. heat
- design products so the whole or parts of them can be reused/recycled
materials separation
- useful materials separated from waste to be recycled and used again
- fewer raw material required
- less material sent to landfill
- automated machines separate materials by type
packaging of goods
- packaging can be redisgned to improve ability to biodegrade
- recyclable
standardised design and components
same component used across many designs. Usually individual part, manufactured in large numbers, to an internationally accepted standard
* e.g. resistors, nuts and bolts, screws
* +consistent safety and quality
* +speeds up product development as the parts already exist
* +cost saving
* -difficult to customise
* -so quality of product can suffer
just-in-time (JIT)
digital stock control ensures parts are only recieved when they are needed in production process
* e.g. car manufacturers (production line), on-demand publishing (photos, greeting cards)
* +inc. efficiency and reduce waste
* +changes to production to meet demand
* -break in supply chain holds up production
* -cost of more frequent deliveries
* -fewer bulk-buying discounts
lean manufacture
reducing/eliminating waste in a product by design, manufacture, distribution, and customer service
* e.g. no overproduction, minimse defects, reducse storage, movement, or processing of parts and products
* +multi-skilled teams responsible for each part of production process, improves efficiency as workers can share their skills
* -time-consuming data analysis
* -disruptive changes to exisiting processes
batch production
set no. of products, made in limited quantities/time
* e.g. limited edition products
* +lower capital costs
* +reduces inventory/storage space
* +assembly line can be reconfigured easily for other batch production products
* -downtime when reconfiguring production system
continuous
identical high-demand products 24/7
* e.g. standard components
* +reduced cost of starting/stopping process
* +materials cheaper in high quantities
* -automation leads to staff redundancy
* -low flexibility in changing product/design
* -fault in production can stop whole process
one-off
single, unique product made by skilled workers
* e.g. yacht or specialist furniture
* +high quality products
* -products expensive, cost of materials is higher and production is labour intensive
* -long production times
mass production
efficiently and consistently producing many products at a low cost per unit
* e.g. toys
* +materials cheaper in higher quantities
* -initial set up costs are high
* -production line breaks: manufacture halted
* repetitive
