We don’t have time for automation—but manual testing slows releases and quality

TL;DR; Relying on manual testing slows releases, overwhelms testers, and lets bugs slip through, making it impossible to keep up with rapid changes. Automation is essential for maintaining both speed and quality in software development. Teams should prioritize moving to automated testing to avoid bottlenecks and improve release reliability.

Published on 7 April 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/f6S9lWfTQaQ

Every time I hear, “We don’t have time for automation,” I know exactly what’s coming next.

Regressions slowing down releases
Testers overwhelmed with manual work
Bugs slipping through because “there wasn’t time” to retest everything
A release cycle that feels like a game of Russian roulette

Manual testing is not scalable. If you’re serious about agility, you need automation. Otherwise, your “fast-moving” team is only as fast as the slowest manual test run.

Automated tests are the only way to keep up with change while ensuring quality. No more excuses.

What’s holding your team back from full automation?

Also published on: LinkedIn

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