Is Home Automation Really Worth It?

I’m a @SmartThings user even though I believe the product has not been that great lately. Since the buyout from Samsung, the product has been sub-par. Even though I was not a Kickstarter backer, I was able to buy the product from another user.

I currently have the system to detect garage motion, turn on and off lights in my bedroom, and detect when my front door is open and closed. Maybe I am missing the point, but how is this home automation? Do I need to setup more routines? Do I need to buy more things?

When setting up SmartThings I feel the setup is a breeze but configuring and binding all the devices via Z-Wave or Zigbee is something I can not handoff to someone (like my parents) without detailed instructions.

The app in and of itself is okay, but could be better. I feel that its missing something but the configuration to all your “things” are all over the place.

Home Automation is supposed to be easy and I should be able to give it to my parents to setup in their own home without my help. What other products are available for home automation or is home automation really worth it? Does it simply need a few years to grow? Did the company suffer a hit when they where bought out by Samsung? What do you think?