Collecting data in the assessment of investments within production

The advancing digitalization enables numerous potentials in production, ranging from data-driven optimization of machine processes to the optimization of the entire production-planning. As a consequence of Industry 4.0, many companies feel urged to invest in their production. However, one of the main hurdles is the assessment of the economic viability of such investments. This is not least due to a lack of methodical support. We present a method for data collection for investment decisions. It makes the process of assessing the benefits and expenses of investments transparent and comprehensible. We show the application in a project for planning a retrofit.