Analytic Solver

Kommentare: I primarily use Analytic Solver to analyze stochastic problems associated with government social service delivery systems. For example, I've run analyses to determine the probabilities of meeting legal settlement system performance targets. Most recently, I've used Analytic Solver to inform leadership about reimbursement rate setting and contract terms for supported employment service providers.

Vorteile: The thing I like most about Analytic Solver is that it has handled everything I've thrown at it. In fact, it's limited only by my abilities as a user.

Nachteile: Since being introduced to Metalogs as a means of quickly and flexibly building distributions, I've grown to dislike the distribution builder in Analytic Solver. I wish they would include the Metalog as an option.

Kommentare: Overall experience has been great. We finally obtained a set of coherent optimums for each of our optimizing challenges.

Vorteile: The interface, the access to more sophisticated optimizing algorithms, the transparency between the product catalog and what you get with your purchase. Also customer service has been always great.

Nachteile: Sometimes we had problems when the percentile formula was used in the model, and that formula is essential in some risk models.
The software was hard to program. Would have been great to give the software the instruction to make a set of optimum solutions for a defined range of parameters (as an efficient border for example). Then we can leave the software running during night.
Would also have been useful to have a bit more automation. For example, make the software get a set of optimums using different optimization methods. This could have been particularly useful for us, because our models are extremely complex and tailor-made, so it is hard to define them as a particular kind of model.

Kommentare: Blending scrap to create alloys for melting.
Design of plant lay out. (Minimize travel between work stations.)
Select best city to locate certain equipment based on raw material available and transportation costs.

Vorteile: Easy to use. Applications can be changed with little effort. i have used it to solve several types of problems and have never been disappointed.

Nachteile: i have had NO negative experiences. the software performs as advertised and the support is exceptional.

Kommentare: We mostly work in optimization, occasionally with LOTS of variables (9.2 million). Solver can solve those (given a big enough machine to run on) but the software cost is prohibitive.

Vorteile: It is a high-end add-on to Excel. I like working in Excel largely because we work with a lot of nonprofits who don't have a load of money to spend on software and they all know Excel, but don't know GAMS, R, etc.

Nachteile: The licensing. No other software firm I am aware of ties the license to both IP address and user name. Also, the educational licensing is not a great deal compared to many other firms.

Kommentare: I used this software in my prescriptive class to solve linear optimization problems. The software is easy to use. Even though it has limits on number of variables and constraints, I think 2000 variables and 100 constraints are enough to solve problems in small to medium companies.

Vorteile: It is easy to use. The software is integrated to Excel so that beginners can learn how to solve large-scale linear optimization problems for a short amount of time. This software also works for non-linear optimization and Monte-Carlo simulation. Functions relating to data mining and machine learning are also included. If you are a teacher and you want to use this for your class, you can get its licenses for free for 6 months.

Nachteile: Even though it can work with non-linear model, some time the results are not good. In addition, it can be difficult to build a complex model . You may need other tools if you want to do so. The cost is high for personal use.