Advantages, Disadvantages and Limitations of test automation

Advantages of test automation include: 
 More tests can be run per build
 The possibility to create tests that cannot be done manually (real-time, remote, parallel tests)
 Tests can be more complex
 Tests run faster  Tests are less subject to operator error
 More effective and efficient use of testing resources
 Quicker feedback regarding software quality
 Improved system reliability (e.g., repeatability, consistency)
 Improved consistency of tests

Disadvantages of test automation include: 
 Additional costs are involved
 Initial investment to setup TAS
 Requires additional technologies
 Team needs to have development and automation skills
 On-going TAS maintenance requirement
 Can distract from testing objectives, e.g., focusing on automating tests cases at the expense of executing tests
 Tests can become more complex
 Additional errors may be introduced by automation

Limitations of test automation include: 
 Not all manual tests can be automated
 The automation can only check machine-interpretable results
 The automation can only check actual results that can be verified by an automated test oracle
 Not a replacement for exploratory testing