Section Two
There is nothing new about the prediction that
labor will become less important as new
technology replaces human labor with
machines—this prediction has been heard
repeatedly since the beginning of the industrial
age. It can be asserted with some confidence,
however, that this forecast is no more true today
than it was a century ago.^4Another impact of increasing technology is that skill and
managerial educational requirements tend to increase.
Although managers in advanced technological environments
cannot have detailed knowledge of all aspects of the
technology with which their subordinates work, they must have
a conceptual understanding in order to provide effective
support and direction.^5
Another impact of technology is that manufacturing is
moving toward much shorter developmental cycles. New
product development approaches based on concurrent or
parallel engineering avoid the delays of sequential
developmental processes. In parallel processes, engineering,
design, purchasing, marketing, software, hardware, field
support, and manufacturing specialists work together,
beginning with the earliest product development phases.^6 The
availability of highly trained specialists who have the skills to