Automating the production line: Henry Ford began it all when he designed the first car assembly line in 1914

In the industry that first conceived and implemented the “automated factory,” signs of automation may begin far from the automobile production lines. For example: • New-car orders, received from sales districts over a data-communications network, are keyed into a teletypewriter system that uses computer-stored data to identify accessories, optional equipment, and other distinguishing features that are to be built into each car. When assembled cars leave shipping bays, a controlling and monitoring computer keeps track of their movements.