A method for reducing computational expenditure required to compensate for temperature-related dimensional deviations in a machine tool is described. Temperature-related dimensional deviations are compensated for before the user input information existing in the workpiece-specific coordinate system is converted into the machine-specific coordinate system. As a result, the requisite coordinate transformation carried out with the aid of a mapping matrix does not have to be performed twice, once for user input information and again for compensation values. In addition, the compensation values for the temperature-dependent expansion are only calculated when a minimum value for the temperature variation is exceeded.