1. A, tangible, non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium configured to store instructions executable by one or more processors in a simulation system configured to simulate operation of an industrial system using a plurality of virtual controllers, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to: receive, using the one or more processors, a simulation instruction from a simulation executive to execute a simulation step in the simulation system, wherein the operation of the industrial system is controlled based at least in part on results from execution of the simulation step; determine, using the one or more processors, a first subset of virtual controllers from the plurality of virtual controllers to use to execute the simulation step, wherein one or more of the plurality of virtual controllers have different execution periods; determine, using the one or more processors, whether each of the first subset of virtual controllers has completed execution of the one or more previous simulation steps; instruct, using the one or more processors, each of the first subset of virtual controllers to begin execution of the simulation step once each of the first subset of virtual controllers has completed execution of the one or more previous simulation steps to enable the first subset of virtual controllers to execute the simulation step in parallel; and transmit, using the one or more processors, an initiation complete status to the simulation executive once the simulation step has been initiated in each of the first subset of virtual controllers to enable the simulation executive to instruct the simulation system to execute a next simulation step directly after the simulation step without regard to whether execution of the simulation step has been completed.