Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Evaluating Automation Investments: Integrating Cost-Benefit Analysis into theDynamo++ Decision-Support Model
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

In today’s manufacturing landscape, automation is widely recognized as a key driver of productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness. However, despite its potential companies often face challenges justifying such investments due to limited integration of financial analysis in existing decision-support tools. While the Dynamo++ framework provides structured evaluation of Levels of Automation (LoA) across mechanical and informational dimensions, it lacks a financial component essential for strategic investment decisions. This thesis addresses that gap by integrating Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) into the Dynamo++ method. A mixed-method case study was conducted at a Swedish truck manufacturer, focusing on two assembly stations. The study combined Dynamo++ with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Benefit Change Scoring (BCS), and CBA. Data was collected using a mixed method approach. AHP was used to prioritize operational criteria, while BCS provided scenario-specific benefit scores. These were compared against investment costs using CBA. The results demonstrate that the integrated framework supports more balanced automation decisions by combining operational priorities with financial reasoning. Some lower-cost automation scenarios delivered strong benefit-to-cost ratios, while others with higher costs showed limited added value. Overall, the study demonstrates that combining Dynamo++ with CBA and supporting tools results in a more holistic and ransparent evaluation framework. This integrated approach bridges the gap between technical analysis and financialjustification, offering practical value for companies planning future automation investments in manufacturing environments.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 60
Keywords [en]
Automation, Level of Automation (LoA), Dynamo++ methodology, Cost-benefit analysis (CBA), Decision Support Tools.
National Category
Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:bth-28192OAI: oai:DiVA.org:bth-28192DiVA, id: diva2:1976111
Subject / course
Degree Project in Master of Science in Engineering 30,0 hp
Educational program
IEACI Master of Science in Industrial Management and Engineering
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-06-25 Created: 2025-06-24 Last updated: 2025-09-30Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(1695 kB)310 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 1695 kBChecksum SHA-512
18c1bb83d1ed5f2b2295709bb950c670defd35e2eb40cb91654c065c2239698932ba4920263c012f03bcc528f57105b04e4823573b1c36ce6a9ee811a71be484
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

By organisation
Department of Industrial Economics
Other Engineering and Technologies

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 314 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 297 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf