Computerization is the process of switching tasks that humans once did by hand or with simple tools to being done by computers instead. When a library computerizes its catalog, readers can search for books on a screen instead of flipping through paper cards in wooden drawers. When a factory computerizes its assembly line, robots and computer programs handle jobs that workers once performed manually.

The word describes a major transformation that swept through businesses, schools, hospitals, and homes starting in the 1970s and accelerating into the 2000s. Banks computerized their record-keeping, replacing enormous ledgers with databases. Architects computerized their drafting, trading pencils and drawing boards for design software. Even grocery stores computerized their checkout systems, scanning barcodes instead of typing prices.

Computerization usually makes work faster and more accurate, but it also requires people to learn new skills. A bookkeeper who spent decades working with paper ledgers might need months to master accounting software. When done thoughtfully, computerization frees people from repetitive tasks so they can focus on work that requires creativity and judgment. The computerization of a workplace doesn't just mean adding computers; it means fundamentally rethinking how work gets done.