A computer implemented method generates a Petri Net simulation model of an industrial controls system. The method includes providing a basic Petri Net system model employing a generic component model. The system model has at least two component places for generating parameterisation tokens, at least two family places for generating component instantiation tokens, and an architecture place for generating family instantiation tokens for the family place in response to an initial token. The method further includes providing a component family library including component family data, providing a component parameter list including component parameter data for each individual component of the Industrial Control System. Furthermore, the method includes assigning a unique identifier to each component of the component parameter list, assigning each component present in the component parameter list to one component family, and instantiating the basic Petri Net model by processing the component parameter list.