A distributed intelligence control system for controlling a cross direction profile characteristic of a traveling sheet, such as paper, during production, includes a scanner for measuring a property of the sheet at a plurality of cross direction locations and producing output signals indicative of the cross direction profile characteristic. A host controller system coupled to receive the output signals from the scanner produces signals representing desired profile information, based on the output signals from the scanner. The system further includes a plurality of actuators, each actuator being operatively associated with a corresponding intelligent actuator controller. A local area network provides a bidirectional communication link (1) between the host controller system and the intelligent actuator controllers and (2) between adjacent intelligent actuator controllers, the network transmitting to the intelligent actuator controllers the desired profile information from the host controller system and transmitting between adjacent intelligent actuator controllers actual actuator state information, the intelligent actuator controllers calculating target actuator positions based upon the transmitted information.