Cost

Cost has always been at the heart of the matter when it comes to the question of man versus machine, whether you're building wire cutters or real estate in Georgetown Ontario. Human labour, when taken as a whole, is generally less expensive than the machinery which may be used to replace it in most industries. However, manufacturers and technophiles are quick to point out that the use of machines within an industry can greatly increase the output of that industry. The result is more product on the market, which results in higher sales, thus an increased profit for the business. This mitigates the cost of the machine itself.

Just how is one to judge the impact of human or machine-based labour as far as cost to a business? The first way is definitely the base costs of the machine itself. A company must consider not just the initial purchase of the machine which it will be using, but also repair and upkeep costs. Generally, all parts of any machine will eventually need to be fixed. Whether we are talking individual part work, such as repair rotary valve, or the cost of an engine with many parts, maintenance must be factored into the overall cost of the machine.

Next, consider the cost of production when it comes to machine generated products. A company manufacturing blackberry holsters, for example, may elect to use human labour. While intricate, assembly of these smaller fabric-based products may best be handled by hand as the equipment involved may be too vast and therefore too expensive to make the final product available at a reasonable price from the point of view of the consumer.

The question of cost is generally only looked at from the company side, but we must remember that affordability is intricately tied to profitability, as mentioned above. The individual, for example, may bridle at the thought of machine production as it impacts job markets. However, without machines in many industries people would not be able to afford many of the things we take for granted.

To illustrate the above point, think of the construction industry. The Taj Mahal is dwarfed by modern high rise residential buildings, such as those where you can find a nice Sherway Gardens condo. However, this building took trillions of dollars (in modern day figures) and two decades to build. One can only imagine the cost of buying a unit within the building would have been (should rooms have been available of course) in order to make profit on the construction cost. However, the use of machine labour allows condos to be sold at prices that the average person can afford.

Finally, for some businesses, the cost of no machinery would be, simply, non-existence. We live in a world that is more driven by technology than ever before. A lead generation company stands a good chance of survival thanks to the power of computers and the Internet. This allows them access to much more information than would be available using even the best human researchers, which in turn allows the company to survive. The information generated is in turn passed on to assist in the survival of many other types of companies.

From manufacturing to marketing to business operations (business trip expenses have been greatly reduced thanks to innovation in a project management software tool!), machines have served to cut the costs of businesses in all sectors. When it comes to the question of cost, then, machines continue to win over man, from all points of view.