Just another technology

September 18, 2025

There was a time when I was at the forefront of installation of technology at a plant that operated 24/7 and employed more than 20 people. The shift workers manually penned in readings every four hours and very expensive paper chart recorders recorded data 24/7, information that was seldom looked at unless something went wrong.

I’m told now that one person attends weekly to collect samples to deliver to an accredited lab and have a look around.

All the data can be accessed in real-time anywhere in the world and, instead of boxes of expensive charts and paper, all that data is stored electronically and is seldom accessed. It is possible for any breakdown to be controlled from any number of computers and phones. The real question is, is there anybody left with the experience to fix a major problem quickly enough for it not to become a disaster?

During the Y2K debacle, few people knew that as long as there was power, the system could be switched to manual and made to work if there were enough capable people left who knew how to do this.