Justifying Changeability. A Methodical Approach to Achieving Cost Effectiveness

TLDR: A method is described that makes it possible for companies to calculate the relevant costs of change using the technique of scenario planning and is often neglected in planning projects because of the difficulty in justifying the additional costs.

Abstract: The often discussed challenge facing today's manufacturing companies can be summarized in just a few words: the rapid fulfillment of customers' requests in agile networks to secure a competitive position in the market. The continual changes occurring nowadays in the markets call for greater changeability respecting reconfigurability on the part of companies in reacting to the persistent pressure of the market. Though changeability represents an unquestionable necessity for forward-looking factories, it is often neglected in planning projects because of the difficulty in justifying the additional costs. This paper describes a method that makes it possible for companies to calculate the relevant costs of change using the technique of scenario planning.