A control device adapted to control operation of a control-target device group out of a plurality of device groups each of the plurality of device groups making up a production line (1,...,5) of a production plant, wherein each of the plurality of device groups is composed of a plurality of devices which are configured to process a workpiece being an object to be processed, and which are closely associated with each other in operation, each of the plurality of production lines (1,...,5) includes one device of the plurality of devices set, in advance, as a corresponding representative device (12, 22, 31, 41, 52), the representative device being (a) closely associated, in terms of operation, with other devices of the device group making up the production line in which the representative device is provided, and (b) carrying out a major process in the production line in which the representative device is provided, and the representative device of the control-target device group is configured to obtain operational information from representative devices of associated device groups, said control device comprising: an operational information obtaining section which is adapted to obtain, from each of the associated device groups, the operational information indicative of an operational status of the each of the associated device groups, the associated device groups being device groups associated in advance with the control-target device group among the plurality of device groups; a storing section storing first control setting information, the first control setting information specifying, for each combination of operational statuses of the associated device groups, contents of control carried out with respect to the control-target device group; and an operation control section adapted to control operation of the control-target device group in accordance with (i) the operational information on the each of the associated device groups, which operational information has been obtained by the operational information obtaining section, and (ii) the first control setting information stored in the storing section, wherein: (i) the operational information is any one of information indicating whether the representative device, which is a predetermined one of devices provided in the each of the associated device groups that corresponds to the operational information, is in an operating state or a stopped state, information indicative of an amount of electric power consumed by the representative device provided in the each of the associated device groups, information indicative of a total amount of electric power consumed by the each of the associated device groups that corresponds to the operational information, and information indicative of a total amount of electric power consumed by the representative device provided in the each of the associated device groups that corresponds to the operational information; (ii) the storing section stores second setting information and third setting information, the second setting information specifying, depending on an operational status of the representative device which is the predetermined device set in advance and provided in the control-target device group, contents of control carried out with respect to the other one, than the representative device, of the devices provided in the control-target device group, and the third setting information specifying, depending on an operational status of each of the devices provided in the control-target device group, contents of control carried out with respect to the representative device of the control target group. an operational information obtaining section which is adapted to obtain, from each of the associated device groups, the operational information indicative of an operational status of the each of the associated device groups, the associated device groups being device groups associated in advance with the control-target device group among the plurality of device groups; a storing section storing first control setting information, the first control setting information specifying, for each combination of operational statuses of the associated device groups, contents of control carried out with respect to the control-target device group; and an operation control section adapted to control operation of the control-target device group in accordance with (i) the operational information on the each of the associated device groups, which operational information has been obtained by the operational information obtaining section, and (ii) the first control setting information stored in the storing section, (i) the operational information is any one of information indicating whether the representative device, which is a predetermined one of devices provided in the each of the associated device groups that corresponds to the operational information, is in an operating state or a stopped state, information indicative of an amount of electric power consumed by the representative device provided in the each of the associated device groups, information indicative of a total amount of electric power consumed by the each of the associated device groups that corresponds to the operational information, and information indicative of a total amount of electric power consumed by the representative device provided in the each of the associated device groups that corresponds to the operational information; (ii) the storing section stores second setting information and third setting information,