40 hours saved per run: how we proved the value of test automation for our retail client

OUR CLIENT 

Our client is a leading supplier of eye care products and services, operating 1,800 stores and serving more than 32 million customers worldwide.

Our client wanted to invest further in test automation but had no clear way to evidence the time savings or return on investment. Working with Roq, they implemented an Automation Value Assessment that turned raw execution data into meaningful insight and delivered 40 hours saved per regression run, break even after 12 runs and 960 hours saved to date.

THE CLIENT CHALLENGE

The client had already introduced automation across several programmes, but key questions remained unanswered:

• How much time was automation saving compared to manual regression testing?

• At what point does automation break even and start to generate a positive return?

• How to present time savings and ROI in a simple, consistent format that stakeholders could trust?

How to reuse this approach across future automation projects without starting from scratch every time?

WHAT WE DELIVERED

Roq worked with the client’s automation lead to design and implement a structured Automation Value Assessment, supported by reusable templates and guidance as part of our Test Automation solution:

• Defined a simple, agreed method for measuring time taken for manual regression versus automated regression

• Designed a data capture template to bring together scope, frequency, effort and execution timings for each regression pack

• Implemented an approach to extract execution times directly from the client’s test management tool, removing manual effort and reducing the risk of error

• Built an Automation Value Assessment calculator that uses this data to show time saved per run, break even point and ROI over time

• Left behind a template and guidance pack so other teams could run the same assessment for future automation initiatives

This approach aligned with Roq’s Quality Engineering principles by ensuring that automation decisions were based on evidence, not assumptions.

CLIENT IMPACT

The Automation Value Assessment gave the client clear, quantified benefits and a repeatable way to measure value:

• 40 hours saved per regression run compared to manual regression testing

• Break even achieved after 12 automated regression runs

• 100% ROI after 24 runs, doubling the initial investment in automation

• 960 hours total saved to date compared with manual regression testing, based on one automated regression run per week

Stakeholders at project level and the Automation Lead remarked how useful the data was in conversations with senior leadership. The visibility provided by the assessment helped them:

• Build confidence in existing automation by evidencing real time savings

• Prioritise future automation work on the areas with the greatest potential return

• Demonstrate that test automation is a measurable value driver within their Quality Engineering strategy

To find out how Roq’s Quality Engineering expertise and Automation Value Assessment can support your organisation, contact our experts at ask@roq.co.uk.