Procedure to compensate for a malfunction of a field device (FG1, FG2, FG3, FG4, FG5) in a system used in automation engineering, wherein multiple field devices (FG1,..., FG5) are provided in the system, wherein each of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) has at least one sensor unit (SE1, SE2, SE3, SE3', SE4, SE5, SE5'), wherein said unit is designed to acquire at least one process variable, wherein the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) are integrated in a first communication network and communicate with a higher-level unit (GW, SPS) and with one another, and wherein the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) transmit the acquired process values, the diagnostic data and the status information to the higher-level unit (GW, SPS) via the communication network, wherein said procedure comprises the following steps: - Transmission of properties of the sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5') of a field device (FG1,..., FG5) to each of the other field devices (FG1,..., FG5), wherein the properties contain information about the type of process variables that can be acquired by the sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5'); - Transmission of the device status of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) and/or of the sensor units (SE1,..., SE5') to each of the other field devices (FG1,..., FG5), particularly permanently or at specified times; - Establishment of a replacement system, wherein each of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) knows the properties of each of the sensor units (SE1,..., SE5') and the device status of each of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) and/or of each of the sensor units (SE1,..., SE5'), and wherein, while the replacement system is being established, the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) independently determine which process variable of a sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5') can replace a process variable of another sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5'), with a predefined accuracy, as a replacement variable; and - Transmission of the replacement variable to the higher-level unit (GW, SPS) if at least one predefined device status of a field device (FG1,..., FG5) or of a sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5') occurs. - Transmission of properties of the sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5') of a field device (FG1,..., FG5) to each of the other field devices (FG1,..., FG5), wherein the properties contain information about the type of process variables that can be acquired by the sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5'); - Transmission of the device status of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) and/or of the sensor units (SE1,..., SE5') to each of the other field devices (FG1,..., FG5), particularly permanently or at specified times; - Establishment of a replacement system, wherein each of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) knows the properties of each of the sensor units (SE1,..., SE5') and the device status of each of the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) and/or of each of the sensor units (SE1,..., SE5'), and wherein, while the replacement system is being established, the field devices (FG1,..., FG5) independently determine which process variable of a sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5') can replace a process variable of another sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5'), with a predefined accuracy, as a replacement variable; and - Transmission of the replacement variable to the higher-level unit (GW, SPS) if at least one predefined device status of a field device (FG1,..., FG5) or of a sensor unit (SE1,..., SE5') occurs.