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Implementing the automated acquisitions system: Perspectives of a personnel administrator
Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, Vol. 12, pp. 431-436, 1988 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.
ALA ANNUAL
0364~6408/88 $3.00 + .OO Copyright 0 1989 Pergamon Press plc
CONFERENCE 1988
IMPLEMENTING THE AUTOMATED ACQUISITIONS SYSTEM: PERSPECTIVES OF A PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR DANA C. ROOKS Assistant Director for Administration University of Houston Libraries Houston, TX 77204-2091
During the past twenty years, libraries have been pursuing the promises of technology to create the library of the future. Acquisitions librarians have certainly been participants and, at times, leaders in this effort. Going back to the early batch-processing systems, the goal of automating a library’s labor-intensive acquisitions processing has offered a strong lure to libraries of all types and sizes. The vision was and remains a valid and worthy goal. In the vision, computers will perform all the dull and routine work. Information will be available instantly, to anyone, from any location. Errors will be eliminated through automatic cross-checking within the computerized system. People will be free to use their heads rather than their hands. Managers will be able to make sound decisions based on complete and accurate data. What a world! No more drudgery, no more errors, no more limited access, no more inefficiency, and no more poor management decisions. Based on these promises my only question is, “Where do I sign up for this system?” Unfortunately, as with all dreams, the flaw is that eventually we have to awaken and face the dawn of the real world. This is not to say we should abandon the dream or forsake the vision it holds. We must strive to achieve the unachievable, and we must take a leadership role in the development and application of newer and better technologies to expand and enhance library operations and services. But while we push ahead, we must also deal with the present. While we focus much of our attention on the future promises of hardware and software, we must not overlook the present needs of the most critical and most valuable component in achieving the goals of the library-the library staff. The automating of an acquisitions system is a multi-faceted and highly complex undertaking. As acquisitions managers, you will be involved in the many decisions that must be made in the evaluation, selection, and installation of hardware and software for the system. You 431
432
D. C. ROOKS
will be expected to devote careful attention to the selection of effective and compatible communication systems, monograph and serial vendor systems, and other existing and future internal library systems. Even the impact on the patron will demand your attention during the implementation of an automated acquisitions system. You will be asked to evaluate issues such as: Should acquisitions on-order or receipt information be displayed in the online catalog? Should desiderata or o.p. requests be available for public access? Should there be a mechanism for patrons to request titles for purchase through the online system? These decisions will certainly be considered as keys to the success of the automated acquisitions system, requiring considerable attention of the manager. The decision to automate acquisitions does indeed present a multitude of issues to be considered. The problem has been that, too often, library managers become so involved in issues related to software, hardware, communications, and even the implications for the patrons, that the important and highly complex implications for library staff become lost in the process. The impact on library staff is only recently being recognized as a major factor for consideration and concern in the implementation and planning process for automation. In too many instances in the past, considerations of staffing implications were superficial, at best, or overlooked totally, at worst. Automation planning documents, typically provided cursory mention of the need for staff training and, if the authors dared, a hint that there might be a few problems related to quantity or qualifications of current staff following implementation of the new system. The human aspects of library automation have rarely received the attention devoted to the technical aspects. To some extent, the failure to achieve the full potential of technology has been a result of our failure to fully understand and appreciate the far-ranging implications of library automation for staffing. In my brief remarks today, I can only attempt to bring some of these issues to the forefront for your consideration in the planning and implementation of your own automated acquisitions system. I don’t contend that I have all the answers, but as a personnel administrator in a highly automated library, I assure you I am continually confronted with the questions.
PREPARING
FOR CHANGE
The first and foremost issue to be addressed is how to prepare staff for the dramatic changes that will occur with the introduction of a new system. How will the changes be introduced? How will the inevitable fears of displacement, obsolescence, disruption of traditional lines of authority and organization, elimination of jobs, and even the loss of esteem within the organization be addressed? The majority of fears surrounding the implementation of an automated system are created by a lack of information. The greatest fear of most of us is a fear of the unknown. Openness, honesty, and involvement are the greatest deterrents to staff resistance to change. To be acceptable, change must be communicated fully and understood by the staff. Involvement by those who will be affected by the change is critical. As managers, you must create a mechanism for staff involvement and encourage, or even coerce, staff to contribute to the planning and implementation of the new system and the changes that will accompany its introduction. Individual resistance to change is more difficult when the changes originate from a peer process as opposed to a management dictum.
433
ALA Annual Conference 1988
CHANGING
THE ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
Automation will create a need to reexamine the very organizational structure within which we operate. The advanced state of technology and the highly automated environment of materials acquisitions in libraries today have presented us with both the opportunity and the challenge to be innovative, to think creatively, and to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to old problems as well as to new demands. We must be willing to question traditions, to challenge the usual way of doing things, and to propose and accept innovation. For example: Why must all tasks associated with ordering materials be confined within the acquisitions department? l Why do we have to separate and distinguish monograph acquisitions from the mysteries of serial acquisitions? l Why must staff within each unit in the processing workflow ignore, discard, or verify information obtained by other staff in the workflow which precedes them? Do we assume incompetence on the part of all library staff outside our own department? Is that why the acquisitions staff distrusts information from the selection staff, and the catalogers distrust information from the acquisitions staff and, of course, the public services staff distrusts everyone and keeps duplicate records on everything? l What is the distinction between preparing and issuing a payment voucher for a monograph vs. a serial title, or between a book received on approval vs. a single title ordered directly? l Why are we afraid to give up our little square boxes on a chart defining traditional roles of acquisitions, cataloging, and processing which may have been necessary and effective in a manual system, but actually don’t work all that well in an automated system? . Why can’t we embrace the excitement of new possibilities, the challenge to explore new territories, and the unlimited possibilities to expand and develop new methods in order to achieve our ultimate goal of meeting the information needs of our clientele?
l
Automating the acquisitions process provides an opportunity to break down the barriers to progress based on tradition or historical justification. It allows the design of an organizational structure that can respond more effectively to the needs of the library patron, the acquisitions department, and the individual staff member. CHANGING
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Job descriptions in the new system will be a second major area of impact for staff. The implementation of an automated acquisitions system will immediately raise specific concerns among staff in regard to their current jobs. It is a fact that automation will and must change work patterns, and this will inevitably lead to changes in the boundaries and definitions of existing jobs. From a personnel perspective, the implementation of an automated acquisitions system raises issues such as: l l l l
What will be the impact of the number of jobs? Which jobs will be affected and how? Which jobs will disappear? What new jobs will be created?
434 l l
l
l l l
l
D. C. ROOKS
What functions will be eliminated, created, or merged? How will institutional, civil service, or union rules or policies affect what the organization wants to achieve in the area of jobs and job design? What are the library’s options and/or intent regarding attrition, lay-offs, retraining, and redeployment for displaced employees? Can new or remaining jobs be enriched or enlarged? Do the jobs in the automated system create new problems of boredom or stress? Can new jobs be designed so that tasks are combined in a way that will create a satisfying total job? Should job descriptions be revised with the introduction of the system or after the fact?
The implementation of automation creates some unique challenges for job design. Automation-assisted tasks are frequently dull and repetitive. The need for variety of tasks is present among most employees, but may be more significant for employees who feel tied to a machine. Yet the capability to incorporate variety can be achieved more easily in an automated system than in a manual system. The difference is the increased accessibility to data which is achieved in an online system. Access is no longer limited to a physical location such as a single order file maintained and tightly controlled by one or two individuals. Tasks that had to be performed at separate and distinct physical points in a manual system can be combined into a single point within the workflow of an automated system. Access in an automated system is distributed and limited only by the number of terminals available and the level of access codes authorized. Segmentation of tasks can be as narrow or as broad as the organization chooses. Let’s look at the example of the receiving function for books. Typically, staff in the receiving unit verify that the book received was indeed the book that was ordered and that the invoice accompanying this book is also a match. In most cases, the responsibility of the receiving staff is completed at this point. The book is then put back in the workflow where the staff in the next unit again take the book in hand, and again retrieve the information about the book to verify or match cataloging information. Why are these two processes separate now that the files are integrated and accessible through the online system? Why must the organizational structure, which is a hold-over from the manual system, require that the book be handled twice by two separate staff members who must retrieve the same information? Why can’t all the “matching” be established in one step? If the cataloging information was captured and input into the system at the point of ordering, the receiving staff could determine if a match existed for the bibliographic record at the same time they were verifying the receipt and invoice information. To carry this process a step further, while the information was still on the screen, the same person could wand the barcode into the record, press a button to generate the call number label from the record, and attach both the barcode and label. The book is then ready to be sent to the shelves, for use by the patrons, instead of merely shuffled down to the next work unit in processing. The staff member experiences a greater sense of accomplishment, has a greater awareness of a total job, and achieves increased variety of task.
CHANGING
STAFF REQUIREMENTS
The changes in job descriptions brought about by automation will, however, mean that each job must be audited to determine the appropriate level of classification. Many of the job
ALA Annual Conference 1988
435
descriptions will require new titles and new classifications to reflect the totally or partially changed content of the job. The skills and abilities needed by staff within an automated system may be vastly different from the qualifications required to function in the manual system. For example, the traditional acquisitions bookkeeper will now be expected to be proficient in electronic spreadsheets and the manipulation and interface of financial data within the computerized fund accounting systems of the library, the parent institution, and even the vendor. These may not be skills that the staff in the current financial unit possess or even want to learn. We all recognize the need for extensive training of current staff as the system is implemented. What is frequently overlooked is the need to reassure staff that they can master the new skills, they can become equally proficient in the new methods and techniques, and most importantly, that their efforts will yield adequate recognition and reward. The importance of carefully defining and evaluating new and revised responsibilities for staff within the automated system cannot be overestimated. The need to reclassify positions which have new and increased responsibilities and skill requirements, as a result of automation, is too frequently neglected under the guise of existing budgetary constraints. Funding to permit necessary staff reclassifications, promotions, or other salary increases must be identified in the automation planning and implementation process, in the same way that adequate funds for hardware and telecommunications are identified. If we expect more from staff who operate the automated system, we must be prepared to recognize their increased levels of contribution in an equitable manner. As acquisitions managers, you must clearly define the revised job responsibilities and delineate the skills and abilities required to perform tasks in the new system. You should work closely with the library’s personnel officer or other administrator to justify the necessary promotions and reclassifications to the appropriate offices within the parent institution. These actions should be considered a priority and an integral step toward the full implementation of the automated system. The changes in job descriptions and skill levels that will occur with automation also raise the difficult problems of extraneous staff, or staff who, despite all efforts at retraining, cannot adapt to the new system on the basis of interest, temperament, or other factors. Obsolescence of people is not an issue any of us wants to face. Libraries do not generally take the cold corporate approach to their employees. If the organization is large, there may be more options available for transfer of individuals who do not have a role within the new system. Current personnel policies, civil service regulations, or collective bargaining agreements also will need to be considered before a final decision can be made. The problem is not unique and libraries must find a creative way to balance the ethical and legal responsibilities to their staff and to their parent organizations.
OTHER AREAS FOR CONSIDERATION The staffing considerations inherent in automating an acquisitions system are indeed complex. In my limited time today, I have touched on only a few of the areas that will demand your attention as managers. One particularly critical aspect, which time did not allow me to address, is the need for training. It is mandatory that the library commit both adequate time and money to develop and continue an effective training program. Such a program must incorporate effective methods for training current staff in the new procedures, a system for
436
D. C. ROOKS
training new staff as they are appointed, and ongoing opportunities for updating skills as new software releases are implemented and as additional systems are introduced which will interface with the acquisitions system. Ergonomic needs is yet another important area which will require your attention. The ergonomic and safety considerations of automation are only recently being recognized as a concern and area for consideration. The potential for physical and psychological problems caused by working at isolated VDT workstations for sustained periods of time may necessitate development and installation of a totally new environment within the work area. Unique problems of employee motivation will arise in a machine-intensive environment. Automation brings with it the pressures of increased accountability, decreased social interaction, and the perception of the individual as an insignificant cog tied to the machine. Increased dependence on technology means that managers must devote increased attention to establishing and nurturing an environment which will be conducive to employee motivation. These are but a few of the issues that will be of concern and interest to staff during the implementation of an automated system. This list is not comprehensive, but I hope it will serve to increase your awareness of staffing considerations related to library automation in general. Implementation of an automated acquisitions system can yield tremendous benefits for the library, for patrons, and for the acquisitions operation. It can have the same benefit for the staff, if we remain aware of the human aspects and include staffing considerations as a priority within the planning and implementation process for automation.
ALA ANNUAL
0364~6408/88 $3.00 + .OO Copyright 0 1989 Pergamon Press plc
CONFERENCE 1988
IMPLEMENTING THE AUTOMATED ACQUISITIONS SYSTEM: PERSPECTIVES OF A PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR DANA C. ROOKS Assistant Director for Administration University of Houston Libraries Houston, TX 77204-2091
During the past twenty years, libraries have been pursuing the promises of technology to create the library of the future. Acquisitions librarians have certainly been participants and, at times, leaders in this effort. Going back to the early batch-processing systems, the goal of automating a library’s labor-intensive acquisitions processing has offered a strong lure to libraries of all types and sizes. The vision was and remains a valid and worthy goal. In the vision, computers will perform all the dull and routine work. Information will be available instantly, to anyone, from any location. Errors will be eliminated through automatic cross-checking within the computerized system. People will be free to use their heads rather than their hands. Managers will be able to make sound decisions based on complete and accurate data. What a world! No more drudgery, no more errors, no more limited access, no more inefficiency, and no more poor management decisions. Based on these promises my only question is, “Where do I sign up for this system?” Unfortunately, as with all dreams, the flaw is that eventually we have to awaken and face the dawn of the real world. This is not to say we should abandon the dream or forsake the vision it holds. We must strive to achieve the unachievable, and we must take a leadership role in the development and application of newer and better technologies to expand and enhance library operations and services. But while we push ahead, we must also deal with the present. While we focus much of our attention on the future promises of hardware and software, we must not overlook the present needs of the most critical and most valuable component in achieving the goals of the library-the library staff. The automating of an acquisitions system is a multi-faceted and highly complex undertaking. As acquisitions managers, you will be involved in the many decisions that must be made in the evaluation, selection, and installation of hardware and software for the system. You 431
432
D. C. ROOKS
will be expected to devote careful attention to the selection of effective and compatible communication systems, monograph and serial vendor systems, and other existing and future internal library systems. Even the impact on the patron will demand your attention during the implementation of an automated acquisitions system. You will be asked to evaluate issues such as: Should acquisitions on-order or receipt information be displayed in the online catalog? Should desiderata or o.p. requests be available for public access? Should there be a mechanism for patrons to request titles for purchase through the online system? These decisions will certainly be considered as keys to the success of the automated acquisitions system, requiring considerable attention of the manager. The decision to automate acquisitions does indeed present a multitude of issues to be considered. The problem has been that, too often, library managers become so involved in issues related to software, hardware, communications, and even the implications for the patrons, that the important and highly complex implications for library staff become lost in the process. The impact on library staff is only recently being recognized as a major factor for consideration and concern in the implementation and planning process for automation. In too many instances in the past, considerations of staffing implications were superficial, at best, or overlooked totally, at worst. Automation planning documents, typically provided cursory mention of the need for staff training and, if the authors dared, a hint that there might be a few problems related to quantity or qualifications of current staff following implementation of the new system. The human aspects of library automation have rarely received the attention devoted to the technical aspects. To some extent, the failure to achieve the full potential of technology has been a result of our failure to fully understand and appreciate the far-ranging implications of library automation for staffing. In my brief remarks today, I can only attempt to bring some of these issues to the forefront for your consideration in the planning and implementation of your own automated acquisitions system. I don’t contend that I have all the answers, but as a personnel administrator in a highly automated library, I assure you I am continually confronted with the questions.
PREPARING
FOR CHANGE
The first and foremost issue to be addressed is how to prepare staff for the dramatic changes that will occur with the introduction of a new system. How will the changes be introduced? How will the inevitable fears of displacement, obsolescence, disruption of traditional lines of authority and organization, elimination of jobs, and even the loss of esteem within the organization be addressed? The majority of fears surrounding the implementation of an automated system are created by a lack of information. The greatest fear of most of us is a fear of the unknown. Openness, honesty, and involvement are the greatest deterrents to staff resistance to change. To be acceptable, change must be communicated fully and understood by the staff. Involvement by those who will be affected by the change is critical. As managers, you must create a mechanism for staff involvement and encourage, or even coerce, staff to contribute to the planning and implementation of the new system and the changes that will accompany its introduction. Individual resistance to change is more difficult when the changes originate from a peer process as opposed to a management dictum.
433
ALA Annual Conference 1988
CHANGING
THE ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
Automation will create a need to reexamine the very organizational structure within which we operate. The advanced state of technology and the highly automated environment of materials acquisitions in libraries today have presented us with both the opportunity and the challenge to be innovative, to think creatively, and to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to old problems as well as to new demands. We must be willing to question traditions, to challenge the usual way of doing things, and to propose and accept innovation. For example: Why must all tasks associated with ordering materials be confined within the acquisitions department? l Why do we have to separate and distinguish monograph acquisitions from the mysteries of serial acquisitions? l Why must staff within each unit in the processing workflow ignore, discard, or verify information obtained by other staff in the workflow which precedes them? Do we assume incompetence on the part of all library staff outside our own department? Is that why the acquisitions staff distrusts information from the selection staff, and the catalogers distrust information from the acquisitions staff and, of course, the public services staff distrusts everyone and keeps duplicate records on everything? l What is the distinction between preparing and issuing a payment voucher for a monograph vs. a serial title, or between a book received on approval vs. a single title ordered directly? l Why are we afraid to give up our little square boxes on a chart defining traditional roles of acquisitions, cataloging, and processing which may have been necessary and effective in a manual system, but actually don’t work all that well in an automated system? . Why can’t we embrace the excitement of new possibilities, the challenge to explore new territories, and the unlimited possibilities to expand and develop new methods in order to achieve our ultimate goal of meeting the information needs of our clientele?
l
Automating the acquisitions process provides an opportunity to break down the barriers to progress based on tradition or historical justification. It allows the design of an organizational structure that can respond more effectively to the needs of the library patron, the acquisitions department, and the individual staff member. CHANGING
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Job descriptions in the new system will be a second major area of impact for staff. The implementation of an automated acquisitions system will immediately raise specific concerns among staff in regard to their current jobs. It is a fact that automation will and must change work patterns, and this will inevitably lead to changes in the boundaries and definitions of existing jobs. From a personnel perspective, the implementation of an automated acquisitions system raises issues such as: l l l l
What will be the impact of the number of jobs? Which jobs will be affected and how? Which jobs will disappear? What new jobs will be created?
434 l l
l
l l l
l
D. C. ROOKS
What functions will be eliminated, created, or merged? How will institutional, civil service, or union rules or policies affect what the organization wants to achieve in the area of jobs and job design? What are the library’s options and/or intent regarding attrition, lay-offs, retraining, and redeployment for displaced employees? Can new or remaining jobs be enriched or enlarged? Do the jobs in the automated system create new problems of boredom or stress? Can new jobs be designed so that tasks are combined in a way that will create a satisfying total job? Should job descriptions be revised with the introduction of the system or after the fact?
The implementation of automation creates some unique challenges for job design. Automation-assisted tasks are frequently dull and repetitive. The need for variety of tasks is present among most employees, but may be more significant for employees who feel tied to a machine. Yet the capability to incorporate variety can be achieved more easily in an automated system than in a manual system. The difference is the increased accessibility to data which is achieved in an online system. Access is no longer limited to a physical location such as a single order file maintained and tightly controlled by one or two individuals. Tasks that had to be performed at separate and distinct physical points in a manual system can be combined into a single point within the workflow of an automated system. Access in an automated system is distributed and limited only by the number of terminals available and the level of access codes authorized. Segmentation of tasks can be as narrow or as broad as the organization chooses. Let’s look at the example of the receiving function for books. Typically, staff in the receiving unit verify that the book received was indeed the book that was ordered and that the invoice accompanying this book is also a match. In most cases, the responsibility of the receiving staff is completed at this point. The book is then put back in the workflow where the staff in the next unit again take the book in hand, and again retrieve the information about the book to verify or match cataloging information. Why are these two processes separate now that the files are integrated and accessible through the online system? Why must the organizational structure, which is a hold-over from the manual system, require that the book be handled twice by two separate staff members who must retrieve the same information? Why can’t all the “matching” be established in one step? If the cataloging information was captured and input into the system at the point of ordering, the receiving staff could determine if a match existed for the bibliographic record at the same time they were verifying the receipt and invoice information. To carry this process a step further, while the information was still on the screen, the same person could wand the barcode into the record, press a button to generate the call number label from the record, and attach both the barcode and label. The book is then ready to be sent to the shelves, for use by the patrons, instead of merely shuffled down to the next work unit in processing. The staff member experiences a greater sense of accomplishment, has a greater awareness of a total job, and achieves increased variety of task.
CHANGING
STAFF REQUIREMENTS
The changes in job descriptions brought about by automation will, however, mean that each job must be audited to determine the appropriate level of classification. Many of the job
ALA Annual Conference 1988
435
descriptions will require new titles and new classifications to reflect the totally or partially changed content of the job. The skills and abilities needed by staff within an automated system may be vastly different from the qualifications required to function in the manual system. For example, the traditional acquisitions bookkeeper will now be expected to be proficient in electronic spreadsheets and the manipulation and interface of financial data within the computerized fund accounting systems of the library, the parent institution, and even the vendor. These may not be skills that the staff in the current financial unit possess or even want to learn. We all recognize the need for extensive training of current staff as the system is implemented. What is frequently overlooked is the need to reassure staff that they can master the new skills, they can become equally proficient in the new methods and techniques, and most importantly, that their efforts will yield adequate recognition and reward. The importance of carefully defining and evaluating new and revised responsibilities for staff within the automated system cannot be overestimated. The need to reclassify positions which have new and increased responsibilities and skill requirements, as a result of automation, is too frequently neglected under the guise of existing budgetary constraints. Funding to permit necessary staff reclassifications, promotions, or other salary increases must be identified in the automation planning and implementation process, in the same way that adequate funds for hardware and telecommunications are identified. If we expect more from staff who operate the automated system, we must be prepared to recognize their increased levels of contribution in an equitable manner. As acquisitions managers, you must clearly define the revised job responsibilities and delineate the skills and abilities required to perform tasks in the new system. You should work closely with the library’s personnel officer or other administrator to justify the necessary promotions and reclassifications to the appropriate offices within the parent institution. These actions should be considered a priority and an integral step toward the full implementation of the automated system. The changes in job descriptions and skill levels that will occur with automation also raise the difficult problems of extraneous staff, or staff who, despite all efforts at retraining, cannot adapt to the new system on the basis of interest, temperament, or other factors. Obsolescence of people is not an issue any of us wants to face. Libraries do not generally take the cold corporate approach to their employees. If the organization is large, there may be more options available for transfer of individuals who do not have a role within the new system. Current personnel policies, civil service regulations, or collective bargaining agreements also will need to be considered before a final decision can be made. The problem is not unique and libraries must find a creative way to balance the ethical and legal responsibilities to their staff and to their parent organizations.
OTHER AREAS FOR CONSIDERATION The staffing considerations inherent in automating an acquisitions system are indeed complex. In my limited time today, I have touched on only a few of the areas that will demand your attention as managers. One particularly critical aspect, which time did not allow me to address, is the need for training. It is mandatory that the library commit both adequate time and money to develop and continue an effective training program. Such a program must incorporate effective methods for training current staff in the new procedures, a system for
436
D. C. ROOKS
training new staff as they are appointed, and ongoing opportunities for updating skills as new software releases are implemented and as additional systems are introduced which will interface with the acquisitions system. Ergonomic needs is yet another important area which will require your attention. The ergonomic and safety considerations of automation are only recently being recognized as a concern and area for consideration. The potential for physical and psychological problems caused by working at isolated VDT workstations for sustained periods of time may necessitate development and installation of a totally new environment within the work area. Unique problems of employee motivation will arise in a machine-intensive environment. Automation brings with it the pressures of increased accountability, decreased social interaction, and the perception of the individual as an insignificant cog tied to the machine. Increased dependence on technology means that managers must devote increased attention to establishing and nurturing an environment which will be conducive to employee motivation. These are but a few of the issues that will be of concern and interest to staff during the implementation of an automated system. This list is not comprehensive, but I hope it will serve to increase your awareness of staffing considerations related to library automation in general. Implementation of an automated acquisitions system can yield tremendous benefits for the library, for patrons, and for the acquisitions operation. It can have the same benefit for the staff, if we remain aware of the human aspects and include staffing considerations as a priority within the planning and implementation process for automation.