Real Dictionary

automation in American English
in manufacturing, a system or method in which many or all of the processes of production, movement, and inspection of parts and materials are automatically performed or controlled by self-operating machinery, electronic devices, etc.
noun: the technique, method, or system of operating or controlling a process by highly automatic means, as by electronic devices, reducing human intervention to a minimum

automation in British English
noun: the use of methods for controlling industrial processes automatically, esp by electronically controlled systems, often reducing manpower