Patent ID: 7181411

Claim:
A method for collecting a fee for an upgrade package for a production unit, which unit is a unit or a group of units in a papermaking, cardboard, or converting process, wherein the production unit has initial production features, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: analyzing the initial production features of the production unit; determining a set of objectives for production performance of the production unit; determining the upgrade package for upgrading the production unit; determining the upgrade package composition for producing a volume of production; and collecting the fee for the upgrade package by making an agreement with a customer for the upgrade package, wherein the agreement comprises a step of the customer paying a total price for the upgrade package comprising for an investment fee of the upgrade package and a cumulative fee P cum wherein the total price is of the form P(total)=SP+P cum , wherein the cumulative fee depends on a production performance (p) such that P(total)=SP+P cum =SP+∫y(p), where y(p) is some function of the volume of production.