Your company needs new software. This isn’t just any software. You need new distillation analysis software. Something this specific and niche is a little difficult to shop for, because it is so important to find the exact right option. Your company’s efficiency and your department’s results depend on this choice!

Making the right choice in software isn’t as impossible as it may seem. Use this list to get started and you’ll find yourself choosing a new software much easier than you feared:

#1 Look at the big picture. Creating a simple plan for the future is going to be the best way to begin the process. Who will be using this new software? What is your timeline? Consider the time required for training as well as the learning curve of working with new software. What is your budget? Look beyond the price tag and think about the impact the software will have on your business or overall operation. Consider the cost of the limitations in your current process. If it’s taking you too long to complete jobs or you have to turn work away, that cost might be recouped by investing in new software. 

#2 Consider two softwares, not one. You may not find something that’s absolutely perfect. Every software option has trade-offs, and in some cases you might need multiple solutions from different software developers to meet your requirements. For example, high temperature simulated distillation does not provide a complete and accurate boiling point distribution. That’s because the ‘front end’ boiling point distribution is distorted by the quenching effect of the carbon disulfide solvent which co-elutes with the light components in crude oil. Users of SimDis® Expert can easily overcome this problem by using our free ‘Merge Expert software which ‘merges’ DHA data with simulated distillation boiling point data. The result is a crude oil distillation curve that’s much more indicative of the true boiling point.

#3 Create a software vendor short list. Through online research, identify a list of software vendors that can provide the services and software required. Reach out and ask a few follow up questions. Their customer service at this stage in your shopping journey is incredibly important, because you will no doubt need them to be friendly and helpful in the future too.

Go ahead and start your research! We’re sure when you do your due diligence and look into your options for distillation analysis software, you’ll find the best distillation software through Separation Systems. Our website makes it simple to shop for the best software in the industry, including SimDis Expert, Hydrocarbon Expert, Sulfur Expert, and Merge Expert. If you’re not sure exactly which one you need or you have additional questions, you can always reach out to us by calling 1 (800) 340-3302 or emailing sales@separationsystems.com. Our industry-leading ‘Expert’ series software has been designed by our in-house experts who have over 75 years of firsthand experience working in laboratories just like yours as well as international standards organizations to develop, validate, and implement many of the methods used today. That’s why we’re so confident that our software is the right choice for you!