An industrial control system for an industrial automation system, wherein the industrial control system is configured to: directly communicate with one or more directly coupled control systems of the industrial automation system; communicate with one or more indirectly coupled control systems of the industrial automation system via the one or more directly coupled control systems; receive an input that corresponds to a selection of at least one of a plurality of hierarchical levels associated with the industrial automation system, wherein the hierarchical levels include a factory-level, a work area-level, a cell-level, or a component-level, and wherein the industrial control system controls respective operations of respective components that correspond to the selected hierarchical level; send a request for processing information to at least two control systems (232, 234), wherein the at least two control systems are associated with the selected hierarchical level, wherein a request to a directly coupled control system is sent via a direct communication link between the industrial control system and the directly coupled control system, and wherein a request to an indirectly coupled control system is sent via a directly coupled control system; receive processing information from the at least two control systems associated with at least two components within the industrial automation system, wherein the processing information comprises a processing load value for each of the at least two control systems; determine whether processing loads between the at least two control systems in the selected hierarchical level are balanced; and distribute one or more processing operations associated with the at least two control systems between the at least two control systems when the processing loads are unbalanced. directly communicate with one or more directly coupled control systems of the industrial automation system; communicate with one or more indirectly coupled control systems of the industrial automation system via the one or more directly coupled control systems; receive an input that corresponds to a selection of at least one of a plurality of hierarchical levels associated with the industrial automation system, wherein the hierarchical levels include a factory-level, a work area-level, a cell-level, or a component-level, and wherein the industrial control system controls respective operations of respective components that correspond to the selected hierarchical level; send a request for processing information to at least two control systems (232, 234), wherein the at least two control systems are associated with the selected hierarchical level, wherein a request to a directly coupled control system is sent via a direct communication link between the industrial control system and the directly coupled control system, and wherein a request to an indirectly coupled control system is sent via a directly coupled control system; receive processing information from the at least two control systems associated with at least two components within the industrial automation system, wherein the processing information comprises a processing load value for each of the at least two control systems; determine whether processing loads between the at least two control systems in the selected hierarchical level are balanced; and distribute one or more processing operations associated with the at least two control systems between the at least two control systems when the processing loads are unbalanced.