Technology should be the greatest thing that ever happened to mankind. Autonomous technology has made work so much easier by having computer systems which can manage themselves (Parashar & Hariri 35). The autonomous technology idea first came from IBM (International Business Machines) who on recognizing the complexity in computing systems management developed the technology which would help managers deal with hard computational problems.
The result was the development of the autonomic computing whose aims included self-configuration, self-healing, self-optimization and self-protection in order to come up with a system that could work independently to solve different problems within an organization. This has been known to technologists as the anthropomorphizing of Information Technology (IT) or the ascribing of human features into IT. Fed with the policies and knowledge about the system, the autonomous technology is capable of making its own decisions while adapting itself to changing conditions.
This means that in case of a problem or occurrence of an event, there is no need for human intervention as the system will adjust itself to solve the problem. Autonomous technology entities are capable of negotiating with one another, and be able to manage and monitor the resulting agreements. Autonomic computing is definitely a new age of Information technology. Based on the biological aspect of human beings, it is made to act and organize just as a human being should or even more.
The only difference is that it uses policies and rules that have been installed. The autonomy computing aspect enables a system to manage its own low-level behavior using policies that it has been fed with. It is meant to establish and honor service agreements with other elements. According to IBM, it should offer the best solution to complex systems that have hindered growth of companies for so long. It is independent and possesses a system identity thus requiring minimal administration requirements (Jin & Liu 151).
It is capable of getting the right configurations with changes in the environment while protecting itself. The system is able to detect and recover from any malfunctions that could have developed without needing an administrator. This essentially means that IT professionals delegate technologies to the system leaving it to manage itself thus reducing their burden of maintenance (Parashar & Hariri 74). Successful business strategy requires that the organization always has a system that can manage, store and control the information within the organization.
A system that is capable of managing itself while solving problems is even better for any organization. Just like any other management information system, autonomous technology helps in better management of the organization and consequently effectiveness and profitability of the firm. It gives the managers peace of mind knowing that their systems are well taken care of and that they do not expect any delays due to breakdown of machines. How can the autonomous technology improve the competitive advantage of a company?
This is an area that many managers need to understand in order to make their businesses grow. Technology ensures better products and better services to the clients of the organization. With the introduction of autonomous technology companies have been able to benefit and gain competitive advantages over others. Once the company acquires autonomy computing, coordination of the factors of production becomes easier. Due to their effectiveness which usually stems from the high speed in decision making and taking action, the company will be more productive.
Compared to other organizations of the same class, they will be far ahead in terms of production giving them a competitive advantage. Autonomous technologies have been used to develop call center management and supply chain management which ensures co-ordination between customers, suppliers and management. Call centers have been extensively used by companies to address to customers’ queries and market the company without actually involving a lot of staff. The management can also easily manage its suppliers while keeping good track of deliveries and debts owed.
Whenever a company is able to effectively conduct its duties, its competitive advantage is improved. Autonomic computing will definitely improve the organization’s efficiency. Improper management and inefficiency cost most businesses a fortune and this should be highly minimized. Significant reduction in the management and maintenance costs is possible through the use of autonomous technology. A manager would work much better without having to worry that the system could break down or needs to be updated. Peace of mind gives the employees more time for productive jobs.
The autonomous technology is quickly advancing making it very efficient and thus reliable. Managers for example can trust autonomic computing to assure them of automated system backup and recovery. This means that no data is lost leading to loss of records which may occur if the system had been managed by a human being. Autonomic systems reduce maintenance costs because they do not require a lot of administrators. These systems can operate by themselves and can be able to detect potential problems and prevent them such that it will be easier to prevent breakdowns.
This reduces time for putting up new systems and cuts on administrative costs. The autonomic system is flexible and with the growth of the organization it will be able to adapt to the modifications of the environment (Jin & Liu 153). Autonomous technologies have been used in many industries with a positive effect of increasing productivity. Health industry uses health care information management systems usually consisting of cases, strategies and solutions. These systems can be fed with information and used to come up with accurate conclusions.
Manufacturing industries use these systems to coordinate their processes and hence they are able to get best results at the least possible costs. They are also very applicable in call center services to cater to customer’s initial needs while keeping records of customer’s queries and complaints. This helps companies address the problems creating customer loyalty. Autonomy computing can actually be used in any organization where a lot of systems are involved and where decision making is complex. Most industries have a lighting back up system.
An autonomous technology could be simple for example a lighting system backup that ensures that solar energy is trapped and stored so that when power goes off, it will automatically switch the solar source on and then switch it off after the power is back. Autonomic computing will bring forth both advantages and disadvantages in the Organization. Technology makes things so much easier at the work place. The system installed can effectively do a lot of work that is probably too complex for one individual and takes up a lot of time and energy.
However, as much as advancement in technology is important, it is notable that with the increased use of machines to do work that human beings can do is leading to high levels of unemployment. Consider the case of autonomic computing where the systems are independent. There is no use of an administrator unless during installation, upgrading and any other serious cases. People have over-relied on machines to the extent that most managers of today cannot make proper decisions on their own without consulting the system. This is an effect that most scholars have gone to an extent of calling brainwashing.
The business processes with autonomic computing are made very fast such that goals are met easily and more profits are made. Technology such as autonomy computing enhances collaboration with both internal and external shareholders. When such a system is in place, staff can concentrate on other things without worrying about breakdown of the system. It also ensures coordination both internally and externally because proper decisions can be made at any given time. Supply chains can be enhanced with installation of autonomy computing.
This system keeps records of supplies made, payment made and the number of suppliers that the organization has. This has the result of ensuring that no conflicts arise out of disagreements with creditors and it keeps track of the suppliers’ trends to identify the best. A good example that can show importance of acquiring autonomic computing to improve efficiency is the county council of Dublin. Faced with an ever rising traffic, the council saw the need to adopt a system that will help them in coping with traffic related management needs.
The Orbix system is a flexible autonomous system that the council found fit to meet their requirements for an enterprise complaint platform. The system will provide traffic status information effectively to various clients and traffic monitoring centers. Traffic controllers can therefore respond quickly to changing traffic conditions and ensure a smooth operation of the rail transit systems and efficient flow of traffic at network intersections. This system will ensure that the traffic in Dublin does not rise to unmanageable levels especially during the rush hours.
Road users can also subscribe to receive traffic updates so as to choose the routes to follow. This is a credit to the City Council of Dublin because unlike relying on systems that need to be controlled by staff to pass such crucial information the systems will do it all. It would be correct to say that autonomy computing enhances effectiveness and efficiency in an organization. Conclusion. The use of technology is inevitable in today’s world and that is what businesses have to come to terms with. No matter how small the company, it would do better with advancement in technology if it is to stand in a competitive line with other companies.
Institutions that recognize the need for a strong management system would definitely consider taking up autonomy computing to enhance its performance. Applications including pre-failure warning, automated system backup and recovery, memory error correction and Automatic updates of software and drivers prove invaluable to any company that is aimed at maximizing returns and reducing costs. IBM and other companies are still in the process of making better autonomous technologies to meet the demands of their clients which goes on to show the importance that they place on developing technology.
With an effective system, organizations can accomplish long term strategic goals and assured return on their investment while at the same time minimizing risks (Stair &Reynolds 11). Autonomy computing for example saves the company in terms of both finances and staff requirements. The system can easily detect danger and be able to correct any mishap thus save the company maintenance costs. Management Information Systems provide the company with a well defined system of doing things and therefore ensure coordination within the company. The result of this is better performance and higher returns for the company. Word count (1757)
Works Cited
Parashar, Manish and Salim, Hariri (Eds). Autonomic Computing: Concepts, Infrastructure and Applications. Routledge, U S: CRC Press, 2007, p 35 – 67, 74 Stair, R. M. and Reynolds, G. W, Fundamentals of Information Systems, 1st Edition, Course Technology, 2001. P 5-48 Xiaolong, Jin and Liu, Jiming (Eds). Agents and Computational Autonomy: Potential, Risks, and Solutions. Springer, Berlin: Udmond press, 2004, p151–169,