Page 161 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

SOFTWARE FOR LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT 145

Online-tools usually offer a clean, modern, and therefore attractive user
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interface . Furthermore, they need to be installed only once, which is an advan-
tage for larger companies or larger user groups; finally, data can be centrally
managed, and software updates can be managed centrally
At first, web applications lacked many of the features of desktop LCA soft-
ware system. But now there seems to be a trend to enrich web applications.
For example, the Quantis Suite 2.0, a web application as the first Quantis Suite,
released end of 2011, allows the user to select from several impact assessment
methods, while previously only one impact assessment method was available.
Even the visualisation of process chains is available in some recent web appli-
cations, for example in earthster, released 2011 [earthster 2012]; an openLCA
web version, currently developed for BASF, will contain the full BASF eco-
efficiency method, and visualise the processes along the supply chain as well
[GreenDeltaTC2012].
On the other side, the local user has less control over software and data, and
typically also over the server where the software is running; if the server is not
responding, either because the server is down or because the connection is not
working, the software cannot be used. Users might be reluctant to upload sen-
sitive data to a web server that is not fully under their control. Also, handling
large amounts of data requires careful optimisation even with modern, fast
connections, and is still posing challenges to web applications.
Multi-user desktop software systems are in some respects comparable to
web-based software; also here, data can be centrally managed. Software needs
to be installed locally, though, too. SimaPro for example is available also in a
multi-user, client/server license type.

6122 Commercial Tools versus Freeware
With the emergence of LCA methodology, also license fees for LCA software
systems have increased, to several thousand Euros per license. Yet still, some
tools have always been freely available. Two examples, shown in Figures 6.2
and 6.3, are CMLCA, created byReinout Heijungs at CML Leiden [CMLCA
2012] and Gemis, created by the German ÖkoInstitut [Gemis 2012].
These free tools usually do not offer all features of commercial LCA systems;
workflow and user interface design do not always comply with user interface
conventions, and sometimes are different on purpose. More advanced fea-
tures, as the graphical visualisation of supply chains, and in-depth result and
contribution analysis may be lacking. Some more advanced and special, rather
experimental methods may be available in free tools, on the other side.
Open source tools are also freely available; they are different from the free
tools discussed here since they can also have a commercial side.

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One reason may simply be that they are relatively new and, therefore, better reflect recent user
interface design conventions and experience.