Automation ROI (Return On Investment)

• Time Savings - This one should be more quantifiable than other types of ROI. Time savings comparing manual test execution to automated execution should be useful in building a good case.
• Repeatability - Automated tests are executed precisely the same way every time they are executed. This might not seem like a big return, but consider how many steps would need to be executed manually if these tests were not present and then consider how many mistakes might be made with that effort.
• Traceability - Automated tests (usually) provide some type of evidence of execution. It could be a traditional log or a simple pass/fail output from execution, but either way, automated tests can keep better track of what was measured during execution and provide the data with less variation than a manual tester.
• Availability - Automated tests can be kicked off manually or automatically to run at any hour of the day. They don't get tired, sick, or take vacations, and they can be made to work weekends without special arrangements.
• Speed and Accuracy - Since the execution time is reduced the software life cycle takes place faster unlike in manual testing where the process is much longer. The results achieved in automation testing are more accurate in nature.
• Easy to Access - It allows access to all data, objects, web applications and protocols that manual testing cannot do.
• Accumulation - As the application matures the number of tests increases. Therefore, engineers need not test the same functionality over and over again but instead they can constantly add on to the test suite.
• Manageability - The artifacts can be managed through the automation tools.
• Availability - once the automation scripts are developed it can run at anytime from anywhere without the need of being attended to.

The ROI will be positive if the gain (savings) exceeds the costs (including investment). ROI will be negative if costs are greater than gain.