A method for operating an automation system (1, 100) comprising a local control device and at least one field device associated to the local control device, the method comprising the steps of: controlling an operation of the field device by the local control device based on control data generated by the local control device; in the local control device, receiving monitoring data from the field device, the monitoring data describing the controlled operation of the field device; in the local control device, modifying configuration data of the local control device based on the monitoring data, the configuration data being data based on which the local control device generates its control data; in the local control device, generating upload data comprising information about the modification of the configuration data and/or about changes in the operation of the field device resulting from the modification of the configuration data; transmitting the upload data from the local control device to a central control device; in the central control device communicatively connected to the local control device, deleting, encrypting and/or masking specified information from the upload data to generate modified upload data; providing the modified upload data and/or part thereof for use by another local control device; in the central control device, determining whether the modified upload data and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device based on similarity data indicating similarities between the local control device and the other local control device and/or based on past data indicating whether modified upload data of a certain category should be transmitted to the other local control device; transmitting (S6') the modified upload data and/or the part thereof to the other local control device if the central control device determines that the modified upload data and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device; in the other local control device, generating feedback data indicating whether the received modified upload data was useful for the other local control device in improving the operation of the other field device associated with the other local control device; transmitting the feedback data to the central control device; and incorporating the feedback data into the past data of the central control device. controlling an operation of the field device by the local control device based on control data generated by the local control device; in the local control device, receiving monitoring data from the field device, the monitoring data describing the controlled operation of the field device; in the local control device, modifying configuration data of the local control device based on the monitoring data, the configuration data being data based on which the local control device generates its control data; in the local control device, generating upload data comprising information about the modification of the configuration data and/or about changes in the operation of the field device resulting from the modification of the configuration data; transmitting the upload data from the local control device to a central control device; in the central control device communicatively connected to the local control device, deleting, encrypting and/or masking specified information from the upload data to generate modified upload data; providing the modified upload data and/or part thereof for use by another local control device; in the central control device, determining whether the modified upload data and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device based on similarity data indicating similarities between the local control device and the other local control device and/or based on past data indicating whether modified upload data of a certain category should be transmitted to the other local control device; transmitting (S6') the modified upload data and/or the part thereof to the other local control device if the central control device determines that the modified upload data and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device; in the other local control device, generating feedback data indicating whether the received modified upload data was useful for the other local control device in improving the operation of the other field device associated with the other local control device; transmitting the feedback data to the central control device; and incorporating the feedback data into the past data of the central control device.