If you want to develop a robotic system, a computer application or a phone application, you will need to know how to program. Even if it is not necessary to develop software, I would highly recommend to get to know at least the basics.
First of all, a program is a written list of instructions that need to be followed in a specific order to reach the goal. This can be the TV program showing what show is being released at what time, the program of a play in the theater that tells you which parts are played before the break or a software program telling the processor when to do which instruction.
The following guides will tell you more about software development and programming. They will tell you in a nutshell what software is, how it is written and different elements to it.