Calculate ROI of test automation

Make automation a business decision, not just a tech one.

Before committing time and effort to automate, it’s important to ask: Is it worth it? Every test case, flow, or process comes with a cost — and automation should create measurable returns. Step 2 is about turning effort into numbers.

By estimating the time saved, reduced manual effort, and fewer bugs, you can put a dollar value on each automation candidate — and prioritize based on impact.

Calculation for test automation in a sprint setup

Each sprint includes a manual smoke test across QA, staging, and pre-prod. To keep up with timelines, teams often skip less critical checks, increasing risk. Use the pointers below to calculate the real cost of this process and whether automation is worth it:

• Manual test time per run (in minutes)
• No. of runs per sprint
• Sprints per month
• Tester hourly rate
• Manual testing cost (monthly)
• One-time automation setup cost
• Monthly automation maintenance effort

The above numbers help you to compare the manual cost, automation cost, and risk cost to make a better decision.

API Example: Automating Health Check APIs to Reduce Recurring Manual Effort

Let’s say you run /health, /config, and /version APIs in every sprint to verify system readiness across QA, staging, and pre-prod.

You do this manually — copy/paste endpoints, switch environments, check responses.

Hidden cost you face every sprint:

• Time spent repeating the same steps
• Switching between tools or environments
• Risk of forgetting one check when in a hurry
• And sometimes, skipping it altogether

Now imagine doing this 3–4 times per sprint — it adds up. And skipping it occasionally might introduce bugs or delays later.

How BusStop helps you reduce that cost:

• Upload a simple API list file once
• Define your environments once
• Reuse the same config every sprint
• Run all in one click
• Get consistent results without repetition

Instead of recalculating and retyping every time, just upload the latest data file and click run.

BusStop removes the repetitive cost from your routine.