Is Automation always advantageous?

It is not always advantageous to automate test cases. There are times when manual testing may be more appropriate. For instance, if the application’s user interface will change considerably in the near future, then any automation would need to be rewritten. Also, sometimes there simply is not enough time to build test automation. For the short term, manual testing may be more effective. If an application has a very tight deadline, there is currently no test automation available, and it’s imperative that the testing get done within that time frame, then manual testing is the best solution.
However, automation has specific advantages for improving the long-term efficiency of a software team’s testing processes. Test automation supports:
• Frequent regression testing
• Rapid feedback to developers during the development process
• virtually unlimited iterations of test case execution
• Customized reporting of application defects
• Support for Agile and extreme development methodologies
• Disciplined documentation of test cases
• Finding defects missed by manual testing