We also define what happens when an error occurs. All other things being equal, if your competition is automated and you are not, if you are error-prone and they are not, if they get more done in the same period of time and you can't, then you risk losing. Related to IT operations, one time tasks may not be worth automating, as it could be less efficient to spend the resources to automate something that is only used once. Sometimes manual operation for certain tasks may be better. On the other hand, repetitive tasks like job streaming, where you always do certain things at the same time, day of week, etc. can greatly benefit from automation.
Automation ensures the same thing gets done on-time, every time.
Each organization would see a different benefit, depending on volume, resources, etc. So, what does it cost to do that and how long before you see a return. That depends on the internal costs of the organization and the cost of the automation. Also, what does it cost the organization NOT to automate in terms of competitiveness. It seems to me, that not having the information available for users to take action can result in significant costs, as well.