1. In a finishing system having at least one finishing device that is controlled separately from production equipment and having a controller with access to device-dependent parameter information, including constraints for the at least one finishing device, with access to a description of the workpieces of a job, and with access to the manner in which such workpieces are to be finished, a method for an automated production monitor control function, comprising: a) selecting at least one finishing device for use during finishing of the workpieces; b) identifying constraints of the selected device; and c) specifying, with the controller, job segments of workpieces such that the attributes of each job segment do not exceed the identified constraints.