A computer-implemented method for configuring a new field device in an industrial plant that replaces a previously used field device in the industrial plant, comprising the steps of: • detecting that the new field device is connected to a network of the industrial plant; • obtaining, for the new field device, driver information and/or software that allows communication with the new field device and is indicative of which configuration parameters of the new field device may be set, and how; • determining the previously used field device which is to be replaced by the new field device; • determining whether the driver information and/or software for the new field device matches the previously used driver information and/or software for the previously used field device; and • in case of a match, provisioning the new field device with the previously used configuration parameters for the previously used field device, and • in case of no match, provisioning the new field device with new configuration parameters by: ∘ creating, from device description information of the new field device, an instance of a configuration for the new field device; ∘ determining semantic meanings (3b*) of new configuration parameters in the instance of the configuration; ∘ determining semantic meanings (2b*) of previously used configuration parameters for the previously used field device; ∘ setting values of new configuration parameters in the instance of the configuration whose semantic meanings (3b*) match semantic meanings (2b*) of previously used configuration parameters to the values of these previously used configuration parameters; and ∘ provisioning the new field device with the instance of the configuration, wherein the creating an instance of a configuration for the new field device comprises: • setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to default values given by the device description information; and/or • setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to values given in a template configuration stored in association with the type of the new field device; and/or • setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to values obtained from an engineering system of the industrial plant. • detecting that the new field device is connected to a network of the industrial plant; • obtaining, for the new field device, driver information and/or software that allows communication with the new field device and is indicative of which configuration parameters of the new field device may be set, and how; • determining the previously used field device which is to be replaced by the new field device; • determining whether the driver information and/or software for the new field device matches the previously used driver information and/or software for the previously used field device; and • in case of a match, provisioning the new field device with the previously used configuration parameters for the previously used field device, and • in case of no match, provisioning the new field device with new configuration parameters by: ∘ creating, from device description information of the new field device, an instance of a configuration for the new field device; ∘ determining semantic meanings (3b*) of new configuration parameters in the instance of the configuration; ∘ determining semantic meanings (2b*) of previously used configuration parameters for the previously used field device; ∘ setting values of new configuration parameters in the instance of the configuration whose semantic meanings (3b*) match semantic meanings (2b*) of previously used configuration parameters to the values of these previously used configuration parameters; and ∘ provisioning the new field device with the instance of the configuration, ∘ creating, from device description information of the new field device, an instance of a configuration for the new field device; ∘ determining semantic meanings (3b*) of new configuration parameters in the instance of the configuration; ∘ determining semantic meanings (2b*) of previously used configuration parameters for the previously used field device; ∘ setting values of new configuration parameters in the instance of the configuration whose semantic meanings (3b*) match semantic meanings (2b*) of previously used configuration parameters to the values of these previously used configuration parameters; and ∘ provisioning the new field device with the instance of the configuration, • setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to default values given by the device description information; and/or • setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to values given in a template configuration stored in association with the type of the new field device; and/or • setting values of configuration parameters in the instance to values obtained from an engineering system of the industrial plant.