My company is looking to update our analysis software. Currently we use TurboChrome and are somewhat pleased with it. What we want is software that will make data entry into Excel much easier and less time consuming. Currently we have Varian and Waters instruments. Any advice or suggestions from anyone would be most welcome. Thank you for your time.

I bought a Varian Star System a number of years ago and was told that part of the package was that Varian would write custom macros to help you shoot data into Excel.

Do you recall if there is a time limit to that agreement from Varian?

Even old versions of Turbochrom allow you to save peak summary tables as a csv file that you can open with Excel. See this link: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/files/ambient/pams/gram16.pdf

Most new chromatography software will allow you to export data to Excel, I know ChemStation and Millennium will do this.

Tina,

I don't recall if there's a time limit. Give them a call and see if they'll help. They probably have some macros already written that will do the job.

Tina -

It sounds like you do this Excel exporting routinely. I'm guessing that you're not able to get the kind of reports you want directly from your data system; please clarify if there's another reason you're doing this.

Several modern data systems have pretty good reporting capabilities that may eliminate your need to export to Excel. The one my company sells, Chromeleon, has an Excel-compatible spreadsheet built right in, and lets you create multi-sheet workbooks with plots, custom formulas using standard Excel syntax, etc. You can also save single-injection and/or summary reports in native XLS format, with complete preservation of cell contents and formatting, either automatically or on demand.

There are many advantages to doing your reporting directly from the data system rather than exporting:
- operator effort and errors are reduced
- there are no intermediate files to manage and clean up
- nothing gets changed or lost in translation
- there's no transfer procedure to validate (and re-validate)
- you can upgrade software without worrying about breaking a transfer mechanism
- [with Chromeleon] results are updated instantly if you modify the integration, and the changes are tracked in an audit trail

Still, there are cases where exporting makes sense - for example, if you want to merge in
some external data, or send a report to someone who doesn't have the chromatography software and needs to manipulate the data.

I hope this info is helpful to you. If it isn't, please provide a little more detail about your
objectives and constraints, so that forum participants can offer more specific advice.

Jim

I guess from your use of the non-validateable Excel spreadsheet that you are not in a regulatory environment. With that in mind the system from scientific software will fit your needs quite well and they have the most varied amount of instrument control in the industry. If you are in a regulated business STOP using Excel and purchase Waters Millenium.

Just to set the record straight:

1. EZChrom supports more third-party devices than most data systems do, but Chromeleon is the clear leader in multi-vendor control. It provides full control of more than 150 LC and GC instruments, and the list continues to grow.

2. Millennium is one product that regulated labs should consider, but it's not the only one. Several products, including Chromeleon, are also quite strong on compliance-related features. Consult the vendor white papers on 21 CFR 11 Compliance for details, and keep in mind that there are other decision criteria (such as usability, flexibility, and performance) that also need to be considered.

The point of my previous posting was not to advocate Millenium over all other systems, but was instead intended to express that the use of Excel spreadsheets is a poor regulatory decision. In order to make it compliant it takes another piece of software to maintain control. I am interested now if jschibler works for Chromeleon.

To Anonymous: I agree that habitually exporting to Excel is not an approach that pleases auditors, for all the reasons detailed above. And, yes, Chromeleon is the product I represent - I have not made any effort to conceal that I work for Dionex. Clearly, nobody wants to see sales pitches in a forum like this, and hopefully my remarks aren't being interpreted that way. I think most forum readers would agree that it's appropriate for vendors to comment when an anonymous posting that advocates specific products contains inaccuracies or implies that the available choices are more limited than they actually are. Though this may not have been your intent, your posting did make it sound like there were only two solutions to consider.

Thank you all for your imput. Now I have another question about some software packages. Does anyone have experience (good or bad) with ThermoLab Systems Atlas CDS? My task group has taken your advice about Chromeleon and Millenium and are looking into those very seriously. But recently I was told that we are also persuing Atlas. If anyone has anything to say about Atlas I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you

can you tell me what chromatography is please

for a brief introduction, check here:
http://www.eng.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/CHROMO/chromintro.html

Sould I use a so called 'control" standard to make ensure the accuracy of the standard used for HPLC assay determination?
Thanks