On Oct 8, 2005, at 11:56 AM, Narendra Roy wrote:
> We may be helpful in the analysis using the very
> effective software Bentley PlantFLOW. We will solve a
> simple network for you to demonstrate the capability
> of the software and then you may decide to get license
> for one seat for your technical services group or for
> REAL.
Never, ever assume that a simple demo problem run by a VAR is going to
do what you want. PlantFLOW may be the greatest software ever written,
but the VAR's people won't know your business or your plant or your
requirements. Moreover, there's no guarantee that you'll get up the
speed on the software in time to do what you need to have done. The
software isn't going to do your thinking for you and it won't know the
questions you need to have answered.
I make my living with engineering software of various sorts, and I'm
real pleased that I can, but software is a tool, not a solution. If you
don't understand what you need and the physics of what you're faced
with, all that eye candy is just clutter. Do a walkdown and find out
the problems from the people who run the plant. Then do your own
estimates based on first principles. Then buy the fancy software only
if you yourself have determined it'll make you more productive.
Christopher Wright P.E. |"They couldn't hit an elephant at
chrisw@skypoint.com | this distance" (last words of Gen.
.......................................| John Sedgwick, Spotsylvania1864)
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