At Centercode, we know how essential it is to invest in the right tools—especially when it comes to test automation. Recently, we sat down with quality testing leaders to talk about the roadblocks they face when setting up test automation frameworks—systems that run tests, check results, and automatically flag issues. One challenge stood out: securing executive buy-in.

You might think getting executive buy-in would be easier given how prevalent automation has become. But the benefits of automation can feel a little abstract when you're requesting a sizable investment upfront. While the need to release products faster and more reliably has never been greater, it’s often tricky to move stakeholders from viewing automation as a “nice-to-have” to a must-have.

Test Automation: A Boost in Velocity and Stability

Automation doesn’t just streamline processes—it’s key to speeding up development. By catching issues earlier, developers can fix them while the code is still fresh in their minds. However, for many executives, the value of addressing issues earlier might not be immediately obvious. If bugs are fixed before launch, why does it matter when they were found? It’s easy to underestimate how much time is lost when developers revisit code weeks after writing it.

Beyond accelerating the process, test automation leads to a more stable product. As automation coverage expands, more of the product is tested with every iteration. This not only improves stability but frees up your team to focus on other priorities once the framework is fully operational—yielding tangible ROI over time.

So how do you show that automation increases both velocity and stability—even when the risks aren’t always apparent? Here’s how to get stakeholders on board before hidden issues turn into bigger headaches.

Three Paths to Test Automation

Automation typically gains traction in three key ways within organizations:

1. Grassroots Effort: A few engineers and a manager begin automating tests as a side project. Over time, they start saving time, and after a year, their efforts have made life significantly easier for the team. As word spreads, other teams join in, and eventually, upper management takes notice. This organic growth can be highly effective, though the lack of initial coordination may lead to some bumps down the road. In fact, 77% of companies report starting their test automation journey as a team-level initiative, showing how common grassroots efforts are in initiating automation.
2. Reactive Implementation: A major issue crops up—perhaps a critical test case was missed, or QA couldn’t keep up with the rapid pace of development. When a problem finally gets executive attention, automation is often rushed in as a solution. While this approach ensures fast adoption, it can feel like a “fire drill” with minimal strategic planning. 48% of companies report adopting test automation after experiencing a major defect or delay, indicating that high-impact incidents often trigger reactive approaches to automation.
3. Proactive Initiative: The ideal scenario. A quality leader gathers data, builds a strong case, and secures the resources to start automating before a crisis hits. This approach requires an executive sponsor who can advocate for the cause—and that’s where your preparation comes in.

Make the Case: Emphasize the Hidden Costs of Poor Quality

To make a compelling argument for proactive automation, highlight the hidden costs of poor quality. Think of technical debt: It might not be immediately visible, but once it piles up, your team is suddenly dealing with delays and frustrated customers. Automation helps prevent these issues from escalating by catching defects early, allowing developers to focus on new features instead of firefighting.

A 2020 McKinsey report found that companies often pay 10-20% more on projects due to technical debt. If you have examples from past projects, use them to show how a lack of automation caused delays or expensive fixes—real-life examples make the risks much more tangible.

Balancing Preventative vs. Reactive Costs

Expanding on the idea of hidden costs, it’s crucial to highlight how automation balances upfront investment with long-term savings. While automation might seem like a significant expense at first, it prevents much higher costs later. When bugs hit production, the costs rise dramatically—customer support, emergency patches, and potential damage to your brand’s trust all add up quickly.

Automation catches these issues early, enabling smoother, more reliable releases. To strengthen your case, calculate the Cost of Quality (CoQ)—the total cost of preventing, detecting, and fixing defects. Compare the cost of investing in automation to the higher expenses of reactive fixes, and you’ll demonstrate the clear financial benefit of being proactive.

Position Automation as a Business Safety Net

Executives are always looking to minimize risk, and automation is key to managing that risk. In fast-paced release cycles, manual testing can’t catch everything, and new features can unintentionally break existing ones. Automation serves as a safety net, continuously ensuring that new code doesn’t destabilize the product.

If your team has ever caught a critical bug right before launch, you know how costly that can be. Automation mitigates those risks, offering a safeguard that protects both the product and the business from expensive, last-minute surprises.

Consider Netflix, which uses an automated tool called Chaos Monkey to randomly disable parts of their production environment. While this is an extreme example, it demonstrates how automation can be a vital tool in ensuring resilience.

The Future: AI-Driven Testing

Finally, position automation as a long-term investment. Automation isn’t just about what you can accomplish today—it lays the foundation for future innovations. AI-driven testing, with predictive insights and self-healing tests, is already transforming the landscape. By adopting automation now, your organization will be ready for smarter, more efficient testing methods down the line.

Use examples from early adopters who’ve seen faster release cycles and fewer defects thanks to automation. Showing how they’re now prepared to explore AI-driven testing is a forward-thinking move that resonates with executives.

Win Over Stakeholders with Data and Strategy

As a quality leader, your job is not only to ensure product quality but also to help executives understand why automation is a smart business decision. Frame it in terms they care about: cost savings, risk management, and future growth.

Start small with a pilot automation project, gather data, and use that success to build momentum. By showing that automation is more than a technical upgrade, you can demonstrate its long-term value and make a compelling case for broader investment.