Everyone here will agree that Test Automation has an important place in Software Testing, but how carefully do we really think about when Test Automation should take place and where it fits in the Quality Assurance process? Test Automation is very important, of course, but executing Test Automation can be a force multiplier when it is done in the right place and at the right time. Timing is a crucial factor for effective Test Automation: when done too early, Test Automation simply automates bugs. Too often, I have seen the test automation process begin too early before effective manual test case creation and execution with exploratory testing eliminates easy to find bugs. The inevitable result is that bugs get automated and routinely get passed as a regular, functional aspect of the system. Test Automation itself cannot find the bugs; a good tester must find bugs first and then write detailed tests that will report bugs that contravene both design and business requirements. However, when done too late, Test Automation does not provide enough benefit because there is not enough time to write and execute many good tests.