With the development and application of advanced technologies such as Cyber Physical System, Internet of Things, Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Blockchain, etc., more manufacturing enterprises are transforming to intelligent enterprises. Smart manufacturing systems (SMSs) have become the focus of attention of some countries and manufacturing enterprises. At present, there are some applications of SMSs in different industrial fields. However, there is still a lack of a unified definition of SMSs and a unified analysis of requirements. In order to have a comprehensive understanding of SMSs, this paper summarized the evolution, definition, objectives, functional requirements, business requirements, technical requirements, and components of SMSs. At the same time, it points out the current development status and level. Based on above, an autonomous SMSs model driven by dynamic demand and key performance indicators is proposed. Through the review of this paper, the reference can be provided for the transformation of more manufacturing enterprises from the traditional to the intellectualized ones.