We present a structure theorem referring to the decomposition of ordered hypersemi- groups into simple components. For an intra-regular ordered hypersemigroup H, the very simple form of its principal lters leads to a characterization of H as a semilattice of simple hypersemi- groups; that is as an ordered hypersemigroup for which there exists a semilattice congruence  such that (x) is a simple subhypersemigroup of H for every x 2 H. This is equivalent to saying that H is a union of simple subhypersemigroups of H. In addition, an ordered hyper- semigroup H is intra-regular and the hyperideals of H form a chain if and only if it is a chain of simple hypersemigroups. On this occasion, some further results related to intra-regular ordered hypersemigroups have been also given.