A management device includes a node information storing unit which stores, for each of plural operation devices, an device state representing whether the operation device is in a working state or in a non-working state, the device state associated with an identifier of the operation device, a fault state acquiring unit which acquires a value representing whether or not a fault exists from each of the operation devices that are in the non-working state, and an instruction unit which sends, when a number of the operation devices is smaller than a predetermined value, a work instruction to the operation device from which the value representing that no fault exists is acquired and which is in the non-working state, among the plural operation devices which make a transition to the working state when receiving the work instruction while in the non-working state.