The value of data in the context of Industry 4.0 business case analysis: development of an evaluation model

The value of data in the context of Industry 4.0 business case analysis: development of an evaluation model | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The value of data in the context of Industry 4.0 business case analysis: development of an evaluation model Thomas Gartzen, Carsten Wohlgemuth, Marius Röth This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6956605/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This paper deals with the development of a model for assessing the value of production data for Industry 4.0 business case analysis. The aim is to demonstrate the profitability of investments in Industry 4.0 use cases in a comprehensible way, to improve the decision-making for companies. A five-phase model is being developed. The first three phases serve as preparatory work by elaborating Industry 4.0 applications for the further development of the production system. Phases 4 and 5 are the innovative features, as they create the essential substance of an Industry 4.0 use case evaluation. The focus here is on the data capabilities created as a result of the use case. Using a shell model, data is evaluated according to aspects such as quality, maturity and usability. This is complemented by a metric for non-financial valuation of data, which enables a granular analysis of data impact. The business case analysis (Phase 5) combines the financial benefits and costs of the use case with the value of data. For this purpose, approaches are presented that enable the non-financial data metrics to be converted into a monetary value. Application of the model in the context of quality management for a vacuum cleaner assembly illustrates the effectiveness of the approach. The targeted evaluation of the data impact and its integration into the business case led to a comprehensible presentation of the economic efficiency. At the same time, it became clear that the high initial investment and uncertainties in the qualitative assessment remain a challenge. Industry 4.0 Smart factory Maturity models Business Case Analysis Data value Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 23 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 23 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 19 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 26 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 25 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 23 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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