## 1 Introduction  
Manufacturing companies across all industries are facing new challenges from multiple sides. On the one hand, the various consumer markets are behaving more and more dynamically and unpredictably. This is forcing companies to design their business models and production systems to be more flexible and resilient than ever [1; 2; 3; 4]. On the other hand, various technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), additive manufacturing (AM), collaborative robotics, cloud computing, and advanced assistance systems like augmented reality have made huge improvements regarding price, performance, and usability. This offers the potential to substantially improve the efficiency and effectiveness of production systems [4; 5; 6]. This advancement in various technologies to a technological readiness level that allows for broad industrial application has often been referred to as the fourth industrial revolution of \"Industry 4.0\" [6; 7]. Industry 4.0 is generally seen as a new generation of industry: one that is characterized by more comprehensible, digital, and flexible manufacturing systems [4]. Network communications, computer technologies, autonomous systems, and other technologies are incorporated and connected within the smart and intelligent production system (the so-called smart factory) [8]. One of the key enablers of these connected factories is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) [9]. The IIoT is a subset of the much larger IoT (Internet of Things). It encompasses all of human society and entails many connected smart devices. This happens all across the globe, connecting every aspect of human life across all industries, continents, and societies, sensing, transmitting, processing, and relaying data and information from and to every point in the network. The IIoT, as a subset of the Internet of Things, focuses on industrial applications. It is a key element of the smart factory of the future [10]. It is constituted by cyber-physical systems (CPSs) or industrial-CPSs, networked devices, and systems. These systems consist of a digital (virtual) and a physical component. Both components interact with one another [11; 12]. With their ability to perform physical tasks and provide interconnectedness, a CPS is a key component for enhancing the flexibility of manufacturing systems. Despite these potentials, the overall adaptation of Industry 4.0 is not happening as quickly as many anticipated [6]. The reasons for this are manifold. The obstacles or challenges holding companies back can be found in various dimensions, both within the companies and their environment or the context of society. In a 2022 survey by BPM in the German-speaking world, only 41% agreed to have a digital strategy for the company. In total, 59% percent either had no strategy (29%) or were in the process of preparing one (30%) [13]. Furthermore, many companies reported a lack of skilled personal [14]. In the domain of manufacturing, the challenges are not limited to the availability of skilled employees that can implement Industry 4.0 technologies. The manufacturing systems and their elements, the machines, and the equipment available are often incompatible with the ideas associated with Industry 4.0. Many companies have a machinery and equipment park that dates back many decades. Back when machines were not fitted with sensors and powerful PLC, they were fitted to gather a host of different data which were then analyzed and interpreted within the cloud. These machines were purchased and depreciated decades back and still manufacture precise, high-quality products if maintained properly [6]. The overall configuration of the production system in many companies is a collection assembled over time. Today, production systems often contain equipment from each of the last few decades. This means there are machines that do contain the necessary sensors and computing power to facilitate the overall concept of Industry 4.0. They are, however, usually surrounded by equipment that completely and partially lacks those abilities [6; 8; 15].