Method for operating a production plant, and production plant

A method for operating a production plant including a central control device, workstations, and vehicles, at least two workstations having a similar configuration, each vehicle including a processor connected to the central control device via a communications channel adapted for data transmission, each vehicle including a position-detection system adapted to detect a position of the respective vehicle, comprising:

• transmitting from the central control device to the processors of the vehicles a position allocated to a respective workstation that is to be approached by the vehicle for performance of a production-method step at the workstation;
• transmitting from the central control device to the processors of the vehicles an individual order that includes a sequence of the workstations to be reached;
• transmitting from the processors of the vehicles to the central control device respective vehicle position;
• recurrently transmitting from the central control device to all processors the respective instantaneous vehicle positions;
• determining, by the respective processor of a vehicle, a driving path that is as short as possible and is a function of the position of the other vehicles, and in an effort to avoid congestion or to shorten production time, the driving path is determined such that instead of leading to a first workstation, the driving path leads to a similarly configured second workstation.