Due to the increasing complexity to handle conflicts and interruptions caused by resource failures and rush orders, shop control is obliged to redesign its organization according to the changing demands of the manufacturing control. These demands are leading to the development of decentralization and gradually to their permanent optimization. As a result, a powerful modeling method which can be adapted efficiently is required. The use of agent theory enables specific modeling of the relevant shop planning activities. The planning activities are modeled in a so-called activity modeling through the definition of three classes of agents; Plan Agent, Manufacturing System Agent and Control Agent as well as the description of the cooperative relationship among these agents. On the basis of the activity model the agent-based shop control method is developed which emphasizes the distributed problem-solving and the cooperation with relevant agents.