Operating method for a transmission for a transmission application which is configured as a wind power plant or an industrial application and has a plurality of transmission components (12, 12.1, 12.2) comprising the steps: a) establishing an operating state of the transmission and detecting a corresponding mechanical load of a first transmission component (12, 12.1); b) determining a degradation contribution at the first transmission component (12, 12.1) on the basis of the determined mechanical load for a first degradation mechanism; c) adding the degradation contribution to a damage sum in a first damage accumulation model of the first degradation mechanism; d) determining a model remaining service life of the first transmission component (12, 12.1) on the basis of the first damage accumulation model, and determining an occurrence probability for the model remaining service life; wherein the occurrence probability is determined for the model remaining service life on the basis of data sets of comparison components which are of structurally identical configuration with respect to the first transmission component (12, 12.1), wherein, in step b), a degradation contribution is also determined for a second degradation mechanism, and steps c) and d) are also carried out on the basis of this degradation contribution for a second degradation mechanism, which comprises determining a damage sum for the second degradation mechanism, characterized in that at least one model service life and its occurrence probability are stored in a data set which has an information item about the type of the corresponding degradation mechanism, wherein the data set for structurally identical further transmission components serves as a comparative data set and the comparative components are used in different transmissions, wherein the different transmission is a transmission which is different from the transmission in a different transmission application. a) establishing an operating state of the transmission and detecting a corresponding mechanical load of a first transmission component (12, 12.1); b) determining a degradation contribution at the first transmission component (12, 12.1) on the basis of the determined mechanical load for a first degradation mechanism; c) adding the degradation contribution to a damage sum in a first damage accumulation model of the first degradation mechanism; d) determining a model remaining service life of the first transmission component (12, 12.1) on the basis of the first damage accumulation model, and determining an occurrence probability for the model remaining service life; wherein the occurrence probability is determined for the model remaining service life on the basis of data sets of comparison components which are of structurally identical configuration with respect to the first transmission component (12, 12.1), wherein, in step b), a degradation contribution is also determined for a second degradation mechanism, and steps c) and d) are also carried out on the basis of this degradation contribution for a second degradation mechanism, which comprises determining a damage sum for the second degradation mechanism, characterized in that at least one model service life and its occurrence probability are stored in a data set which has an information item about the type of the corresponding degradation mechanism, wherein the data set for structurally identical further transmission components serves as a comparative data set and the comparative components are used in different transmissions, wherein the different transmission is a transmission which is different from the transmission in a different transmission application.