A control device controls a processing installation for the production of collections of printed products, wherein the processing installation includes installation sections which combine input streams of part products into output streams of collections of these part products. Control units are assigned to the installation sections and which, on the basis of a predefined product requirement (Pa2, Pa3, Pa4, Pa21, Pa31, Pa41), activate the assigned installation section for the production of a respective output stream. In each case a control unit is set up to obtain product requirements from the master control or from a different control unit, and to produce product requirements for the control unit of an installation section arranged upstream.