Control device for a machine, wherein the machine comprises a number of installation modules having actuators and sensors, wherein the actuators can be used to perform defined motion sequences for machine parts within the installation module, wherein the control device is programmed to perform a defined sequence, wherein the machine is divided into single control units in a program structure of the control device and wherein the programming is based on an association between single control units and actuators or sensors, characterized in that a plurality of control unit levels are defined, wherein a lower control unit level comprises basic single control units that form direct interfaces to the sensor system and actuator system and in which the simplest possible motion sequences for machine parts are reproduced, and wherein higher control unit levels comprise combinations of basic single control units, with the result that more complex motion sequences can be reproduced by superordinate single control units that combine multiple basic single control units with one another, wherein the motion sequences that can be performed by a single control unit are divided into services, wherein commands for actuating the actuators of basic single control units to perform the respective motion sequence are encapsulated within the services, and wherein services for actuating installation parts are defined by superordinate single control units without reference to the lower-level technologies; wherein the control device further comprises service managers, the service managers collecting data about a progression of the call to the respective service during operation, and wherein the service managers comprise a state machine in which at least the states Inactive, Operating and Finished relating to a single control unit are defined, wherein handover between states is effected implicitly by the service manager by evaluating a state reporting function that is integrated in the service manager and called in the service, wherein the input parameters transferred for a service are at least one parameter for enabling the service and possibly additionally process-relevant parameters and wherein the output parameters transferred for a service are information about the states of the service. characterized in that a plurality of control unit levels are defined, wherein a lower control unit level comprises basic single control units that form direct interfaces to the sensor system and actuator system and in which the simplest possible motion sequences for machine parts are reproduced, and wherein higher control unit levels comprise combinations of basic single control units, with the result that more complex motion sequences can be reproduced by superordinate single control units that combine multiple basic single control units with one another, wherein the motion sequences that can be performed by a single control unit are divided into services, wherein commands for actuating the actuators of basic single control units to perform the respective motion sequence are encapsulated within the services, and wherein services for actuating installation parts are defined by superordinate single control units without reference to the lower-level technologies; wherein the control device further comprises service managers, the service managers collecting data about a progression of the call to the respective service during operation, and wherein the service managers comprise a state machine in which at least the states Inactive, Operating and Finished relating to a single control unit are defined, wherein handover between states is effected implicitly by the service manager by evaluating a state reporting function that is integrated in the service manager and called in the service, wherein the input parameters transferred for a service are at least one parameter for enabling the service and possibly additionally process-relevant parameters and wherein the output parameters transferred for a service are information about the states of the service.