This paper is presented the concept of developing a generic reference architecture model for the specification, development, control and reconfiguration of a manufacturing enterprise at a work cell level. It is described a generic system architecture for FMS; there is also briefly explained how to configure the different resource modules that actually control the tasks of the physical device and put together a work cell consisting of other FMS resources. Using the principles of distributed object technology there could be implemented each resource in the work cell as a distributed object. Finally, an example on building a FMS using a hierarchical approach is presented.