VDI 5600 Blatt 2:2013-03

When introducing an MES a company has to calculate the involved costs and estimate the benefits with precision to ensure its investment decision. This guideline supports companies which are willing to introduce an MES or which are already working with it, to estimate cost and benefits that occur during the introduction phase or during operation of an MES. Thus, helping to facilitate the cost-benefit analysis. When introducing a software project empirically it is hard to calculate the cost-benefit. Especially the benefit is disputed when speaking with decision makers. One-time charge and permanent costs as well as monetary and non-monetary costs are considered when looking at cost-benefit. The guideline considers quantifiable benefits and unquantifiable production-independent benefits. In addition, benefit factors are discussed which result from an MES implementation, such as reorganization and updating of the leading ERP application.