Frontline Systems Analytic Solver is an Excel add-on for performing data mining, and predictive analytics from within Microsoft Excel.
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JMP
Score 9.2 out of 10
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JMP® is statistical analysis software with capabilities that span from data access to advanced statistical techniques, with click of a button sharing. The software is interactive and visual, and statistically deep enough to allow users to see and explore data.
1. It is good tool for a mathematical model which is a single period and deterministic model 2. It is good for the users who are comfortable in handling the Excel Solver and needs to upgrade the Excel Solver for more than 200 variables 3. It works well for the multiple objective problems. 4. Difficult to manage the big model as 100 constraints and 2000 variables can limit the use of the tool's efficiency. 5. Its limitation is that a model designer can not make a big and complex model.
Many organizations have seen their analytical capabilities, and the results from them, plateau. Of these, we've observed, that most of them didn't appreciate that they could do (even) better. These companies should definitely consider JMP. Any company that is research-based can benefit from accelerating their research, learning more in less time, effort and cost, with JMP's tools. Basically, any organization that is hungry enough for improvement to seek out better ways is suitable for JMP. Those who are happy with their current performance are not likely to consider the changes, though they were not major impediments by our clients, required.
On the few occasions when I have used it to deal with problems of optimization of relatively large parameters (with a large number of restrictions and decision variables), the program has been slower, not substantially but slower, than programs such as the WinQsb, even when the latter runs on 32-bit machines and not 64. That has caught my attention, even though it is not a real problem for the uses I give to the program.
Given my partial function as a university professor, it has been much more effective and practical to use other software, due to the limited options that the educational license associated with the software has.
I've mentioned this earlier, but the licensing agreements are very prohibitive. I work with a company where my role has become less and less doing my own analytics and more and more trying to help other people in that role. As we are bringing more people "up to speed" it's hard to justify licenses for 2-3 people when they aren't full time, Six Sigma black belts just looking at stats all day. A floating license option would make this a no-brainer, since these people could continue their other work and add JMP usage as they grow their skills, but this is not something JMP/SAS has offered.
The GUI interface makes it easier to generate plots and find statistics without having to write code. The JSL scripting is a bit of a steep learning curve but does give you more ability to customize your analysis. Overall, I would recommend JMP as a good product for overall usability.
The helpful tips are great for new users. I am always able to find solutions to a tool I am working with through the hep section. And my area has a users group that meets each quarter to share ideas and view upcoming JMP revisions.
The use of this software does not necessarily follow that it is "globally better" than others. In the department we have used this and others with similar characteristics, given that, as previously indicated, all the software has advantages and weaknesses with respect to other software with similar characteristics. Obtaining better results lies in the user's ability to detect those "benefits and weaknesses" and maximize their usefulness within the specific field of work in which they operate. In our case, one of the reasons that led us to try and use it, was related to trying to "tie" more processes to the same environment, which in this case is the one associated with the Excel database, in such a way as to reduce the initial manipulation and accommodation that should be made to the data if they come from different sources such as MATLAB, or WinQsb. This facilitates the use of software for the type of user who does not necessarily have deep knowledge of linear algebra or operations research, for example.
On the contrary, the most analytical and knowledgeable user manifested in a high percentage, preferring to use MATLAB as a tool, claiming that they have a greater and easier access to the calculation functions, which even in specific cases, could be modified.
We actually use both JMP and IBM SPSS, but I think JMP's complexity lends itself to more in-depth statistical analyses. SPSS is designed for that as well, but we tend to use it more for quicker analyses, and we have found that JMP is far more powerful.
- It has allowed finding ways to optimize (minimizing costs or times) the field processes involved in various projects.
It has even allowed, in specific cases where it was used for that purpose, to optimize the allocation of resources (people) to work in different jobs that present weekly variations of the activity that these people must perform.
It has allowed the sensitivity analysis of projects to changes in the decision variables related to them, which, and in very dynamic and changing environments, resulted in substantial decreases in money losses.
JMP has resulted in literally millions of dollars in ROI due to identification of correctable errors.
Use of JMP control charts JMP has greatly simplified and improved interpretation of Lean, FMEA, and PDSA type analyses.
Use of JMP has enable the testing and subsequent selection of 'best practices' saving uncounted hours in false starts based on 'collective experience'.
The down side is that JMP is not a 'magic box', one still has to take care in applying the tools properly. Moreover, time-consuming approaches using JMP may still be the 'order of the day', because the service (even power user) is unaware of significant shortcuts available for free on the JMP community website.
