## 5 Developing the Approach for the Assessment of Innovation Projects in Manufacturing
### Phase I: Criteria Derivation for Innovation Project Assessment in Manufacturing
Changeability forms the fourth main criteria dimension for innovation projects in manufacturing. According to [PERSON] et al. [58], changeability consists of flexibility and adaptability, where flexibility is defined as the ability to meet necessary functional, dimensional, and structural requirements at different manufacturing system levels within a specific range. Additionally, adaptability is a potential going beyond this range to adjust the manufacturing system to changing conditions. The classification of Sethi and Sethi [59] is used to systematize changeability. Here, the individual types of manufacturing changeability are differentiated regarding processes, routing, product-mix, volume, and expansion. Figure 4 gives a detailed overview of the identified changeability assessment criteria. Social impacts form the fifth relevant main criteria dimension within innovation project assessment. From a manufacturing point of view, social influences are decisive since people form an essential production factor. Further, a correlation between performance and employee satisfaction can be observed [60; 77]. Manufacturing innovation can  
Figure 6: Relevant criteria to assess the risks of innovation projects in manufacturing. influence employee needs regarding a safe and healthy workplace. The workplace and its human-related activities can be further subdivided into environmental and activity-related stress [61]. Further, activity-related stress can be expressed as physical or psychological stress. A detailing of the relevant social assessment criteria is displayed in Figure 4.  
Since a purely economic evaluation of strategic decisions is no longer appropriate, ecological factors form the sixth main criteria dimension. Consequently, the goals of a manufacturing unit regarding the corporate ecological environment are to be considered using input-output relationships, which are already well described in the literature [62]. As displayed (Figure 4), operating materials and energy can be used as input factors, while emissions and waste are to be considered on the output side. Strategic factors form the final main criteria of Potential. In the context of the innovation project evaluation, strategic target values were considered that lie in functional strategies [1]. To fulfill this strategy, it is necessary to consider conformity and strategic impact [63]. For further strategic improvement, strategic knowledge must be generated, and non-value-adding activities must be identified, based on the Lean philosophy. Following, competency and transparency along the value stream is decisive [64]. The further detailing of these strategic criteria according to [PERSON] et al. [31], [PERSON] [63], and [PERSON] et al. [65] is displayed in Figure 4.  
In addition to the evaluation of potentials, a differentiated consideration of necessary efforts is required to decide between alternative innovation projects. However, so-called \"sunk costs\" [78] are no longer relevant to the decision as they have already occurred. Consequently, only future efforts were considered. Within manufacturing innovation projects, efforts can arise in many ways. Nevertheless, the project management theory considers two effort-critical resources: money and time [68]. The temporal assessment considers the required execution time, while the monetary view focusses on the expected expenses. Within the economic and temporal criteria, five dimensions were identified in the literature: development, organization, structures, qualification and consulting, and opportunity [39; 66]. Technology-specific efforts in innovation initiatives are summarized through research and development activities, designing, prototyping, testing, and activities of the specific implementation. Organizational efforts can be summarized by necessary resources for project planning and control. Structural efforts subsume all expenditures that arise from physical changes to the existing production system and its production factors.