# Analysis of Selected IT Tools for Environmental Product Assessment
## 5 Discussion  
The analyzed tools were compared in seven different aspects, including the ability to model complex processes, the number of available environmental analysis methodologies, and the database capacity. In terms of the ease of use, the Sustainable Minds tool was rated the best. This was due to its intuitive interface that guides the user step by step during the construction of the product model. SimaPro, which is an advanced tool and requires familiarization with the interface before starting work, was rated lower. The GaBi tool was rated the lowest. This is due to the unclear interface and a more complicated stage of adding new processes than in the case of the SimaPro tool. The second category was the access to training materials. In this aspect, SimaPro was rated the highest. The publisher of this tool provides very extensive training materials. Additionally, there are many free instructional materials available created by the community using the program. The Sustainable Minds tool was rated lower. The most difficult access to training materials occurred in the case of GaBi. It is suspected that this is due to the change in software owner and its release under a new name, which may make searching for training materials difficult. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Software** & **B\_EU Variant** & **B\_RoW Variant** \\ \hline SimaPro & 43 kg & 153 kg \\ Sustainable Minds & 70 kg & 190 kg \\ GaBi & 14 kg & 22 kg \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Summary of CO2 emissions results for product B variants. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Software** & **A\_EU Variant** & **A\_RoW Variant** \\ \hline SimaPro & 99 kg & 198 kg \\ Sustainable Minds & 186 kg & 189 kg \\ GaBi & 61 kg & 65 kg \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Summary of CO2 emissions results for product A variants. In the category of modeling complex processes, SimaPro is the best. In this tool, the user can easily add products whose BOM structure consists of many levels, and perform additional activities on subassemblies consisting of several elements. The Sustainable Minds tool does not have this option. Activities can only be added to basic parts, not to assemblies. This is a serious limitation that makes it difficult to build complex models. SimaPro has the most extensive database of materials and processes. For example, the user can specify the detailed type of machining (e.g., turning on a conventional lathe and turning on a CNC lathe), as well as the region in which it is performed. The Sustainable Minds tool does not distinguish the region of the process, but it is characterized by a wide range of manufacturing processes, which is why there was no problem when modeling the reference products. Such a problem was encountered in the GaBi software. The database of this software does not include the steel casting process. This problem may result from the educational version of the software that was used for the purposes of the analysis. Another category is the availability of the methodology used to calculate the results. The largest selection is distinguished by SimaPro, where the list of choices includes a dozen or so items, divided into different industries and regions. Several methodologies are available in the GaBi software. In the Sustainable Minds tool, the results are calculated according to only one available SM 2013 methodology. The penultimate of the assessed categories is the clarity of the results. Sustainable Minds received the highest rating, because the results are displayed in the form of a report and it is easy to switch between different result cards. In the GaBi tool, the results are displayed in graphs that can be edited, but only a few of the most emission-intensive processes are presented in them. The SimaPro program received the lowest rating. This is due to the fact that the user receives a lot of data that are difficult to interpret. There is no filtering function that would make the work easier.