Automation Made Easy: Everything You Wanted to Know about Automation—and Need to Ask provides a basic understanding of industrial automation. It removes the barriers and confusion surrounding the technical details and terminology used in this evolving field.

This book offers an introductory-level overview of key topics in industrial automation, including distributed control systems (DCSs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and manufacturing execution systems (MESs), among others. It is ideal for executives, business managers, IT professionals, accountants, maintenance staff, operators and production planners, providing a clear and accessible summary for newcomers who want to quickly understand the field.

Peter Martin has worked in industrial automation for more than 30 years in a variety of roles, primarily with Invensys, although he also worked at Automation Research Corporation (ARC). He was named one of the 50 most influential innovators in control and automation by InTech magazine and as a Hero of U.S. Manufacturing by Fortune for his work in real-time performance measurement and management, for which he also holds multiple patents. He has authored two other books, BottomLine Automation (ISA) and Dynamic Performance Management: A Pathway to World Class Manufacturing (Van Nostrand Reinhold), and is a contributing author to A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge (ISA) and Metrics that Matter (MESA).
Dr. Martin has also published numerous papers and articles in the area of industrial automation. He holds a BA and an MS in Mathematics, an MA in Administration and Management, a Master of Biblical Studies, a Doctor of Engineering in Industrial Engineering, and a Ph.D in Biblical Studies.

Gregory Hale is the editor of InTech magazine, the official publication of the International Society of Automation. Prior to starting at InTech in 1999, Hale was the editor in chief at Post-Newsweek's Reseller Management magazine. His extensive editorial, web, and management experience includes executive editorial positions with CMP's Computer Reseller News and Tour & Travel News, the Times Herald-Record (Middletown, NY), The Knickerbocker News (Albany, NY), The Boston Globe, and various other New England newspapers.