The challenges of automation in Canada

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Investing in automation allows companies to dramatically improve their productivity while simplifying their processes. With a tenfold increase in production, automation can lead to new markets and increased productivity.

Automation is the use of technology to perform certain tasks under the supervision of workers.Employment in automation is therefore a major issue for the entire industry. However, it is not the only one! Let's discover the major issues to come for Canadian companies.

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What are the challenges of automation in Canada?

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Improving productivity and competitiveness

Automation in Canada often goes hand in hand with improved productivity and competitiveness. Indeed, it increases production efficiency while reducing human errors. It saves time and money for companies and their employees!

Automation also lowers costs by reducing the number of man-hours required to produce a good or service. Finally, it increases the life of equipment while reducing the need for raw materials.

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Innovation and development

Investing in automation is often a choice for innovation and development of your services or products. To stay on the cutting edge of technology, investing in automation is a good way to stay ahead of the competition.

Business automation allows companies to test new ideas and processes faster and at lower cost, thanks to the ability to collect and analyze data in real time.

It also enables the development of new technologies such as robotics or sensors, reducing barriers to entry. Finally, it improves the skills of workers by requiring greater technical expertise and offering significant professional development opportunities.

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Quality and safety

The industry is facing an inevitable automation. It is a process that is generally a guarantee of quality and safety. To meet these criteria, it must fulfill several functions:

• It should reduce human error by automating repetitive processes and using quality control technologies to monitor products during manufacturing.
• It should improve product quality by using quality control technologies to monitor production parameters and by using machine learning algorithms to optimize processes.
• It should reduce risks to workers by automating dangerous tasks or using safety technologies to monitor workers.
• It should reduce environmental risks by automating cleaning and waste management processes.

However, it is important to note that automation must be used responsibly to ensure that quality and safety benefits are maximized.

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Focus on a booming sector in Quebec

According to theQuebec Institute, new business models are benefiting from this automation that affects jobs, industries and businesses. Its application will promote the growth of on-demand services, customization, remote services and purchases, all-connectedness and artificial intelligence, stimulating existing businesses, SMEs and entrepreneurship.

By opting for an evolutionary strategy, Quebec could, given its technological dynamism, benefit from the transition to the world of automation and new business models. In Quebec, many sectors are already affected by the automation boom, including :

• Manufacturing: Companies are using robots and automated systems to improve productivity, quality and safety in factories. Industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, textiles and food products use automation to improve production processes.
• Building: Companies use building control technologies to improve the performance of ventilation, heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• Energy: Companies are using automated technologies to optimize energy production processes, such as monitoring power plants and energy distribution networks.
• Transportation: Companies are using automation to improve logistics processes, such as planning delivery routes and managing truck fleets.
• Services: Companies are using automation to improve and streamline customer service processes.

The automation revolution is underway! Every industry is moving in this direction and for companies to maximize their investments, they need to find skilled workers to meet the needs of these new business models.

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Employment in Quebec

Employment in this sector in Quebec is growing rapidly. The job of an automation technician consists of designing, installing, programming or troubleshooting automated equipment or robots used in industry . The skills involved extend to cross-disciplinary fields such as computer science, mechanics, electronics and control system programming. 

With the democratization of new technologies in Canada and Quebec, more and more companies are looking for engineers or workers trained in the use of automation. Today, the labour shortage that exists in this sector is pushing Canadian companies to recruit massively. This is an opportunity for job seekers.

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If you would like to learn more about the job of an automation specialist in Quebec, we invite you to read Geoffrey's testimonial, an automation programmer, who will be able to tell you more about the requirements and advantages of this type of job.