A method and a system model a manufacturing process wherein an manufacturing executing system implements the modeled manufacturing process and plans and/or controls the corresponding manufacturing at the shop floor. The method includes providing a number of real machines at the shop floor and describing each real machine by a real machine module having machine attributes in order to control the execution of the real machine. Within the manufacturing process a specific manufacturing activity is defined that requires the execution of a distinct subset of real machines in order to perform its specific production activity. Virtual equipment is provided by combining the real machines included in the subset and describing the virtual equipment by a virtual equipment model to plan and control the specific production activity. The virtual equipment model contains a planning level model and a controlling level model.