Method for setting up and operating a system consisting of a base station and at least a first and a second self-propelled ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) for collectively working a predefined work area, wherein an individual ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) is designed to independently travel along a random path (W1, W2, W3, W4) within the work area, and each ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) is in the form of a lawnmower and has a drive, a control unit and a rechargeable battery on board the device for supplying energy to the ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4), and the work area of the ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) is bounded by an edge boundary wire, and each control unit of a ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) comprises a memory which is suitable for storing at least one operating variable (B, B') in the form of the starting time of operation, the duration of operation, the cutting height in the case of a lawnmower, the route to a charging station, a mowing schedule of a lawnmower as a weekly schedule, or the like, wherein the information relating to the operating variables (B, B') is input via an input field of an external input device and transmitted by the input device via a wireless radio link from the input device to the base station, and the external input device can be a mobile terminal, such as, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC or a smartwatch, and the external input device stores a user app which is suitable for inputting the information relating to the operating variables, wherein the base station is designed for wireless communication with the ground-working devices (1.1 to 1.4), and in that in order to set up and put the system into operation the information relating to the operating variables (B, B') is input via the input field of the external input device and transmitted to the base station, and the base station is designed to independently transmit information about information stored in a first ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) relating to an operating variable to further ground-working devices (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4), such as the second ground-working device, and, during operation of the system, the first ground-working device (1.1, 1.2) uses the information relating to the operating variables to autonomously travel along a random path within the work area independently of the second ground-working device (1.3, 1.4), and in that, during operation of the system consisting of a plurality of ground-working devices (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4), the individual ground-working devices (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4) report their present operating state to the base station, which adapts the information relating to the operating variables on the basis of the reported operating states, and in that, during operation of the system consisting of a plurality of ground-working devices (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4), the behaviour of an individual ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) is adapted on the basis of changes in the information relating to the operating variables using WLAN, NFC, Bluetooth, GSM or similar radio standards, wherein the base station is designed to change the information relating to the present operating variables into adapted information relating to the operating variables (B') on the basis of reported operating states of a first ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4), and to wirelessly transmit the information relating to the operating variables that was adapted by the base station to the second ground-working device (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) operating in the system.