The use of commercial software packages has allowed Life Cycle Assessments to be undertaken more rapidly and easily. Your task is to investigate the software packages that are available, and give an overall review of the ways in which they make the process of conducting a LCA easier. As part of your review, you should do a more detailed comparison of two of the packages (you choose which ones), outlining their advantages, disadvantages and limitations. It should be somewhere between 2000-3000 words in length as a guideline.

What I am really looking for is evidence that you understand the benefits of software in conducting LCA, which is best demonstrated in how you answer the first, more general part of the assignment. For the first part, I am not looking for a re-wording of what an LCA is, more a good description of how software can help in the various stages. For the second part, by comparing software, I am looking for evidence that you understand the differences in how specific software packages deal with the various stages of LCA and how they differ in what they cover, their scope and limitations as well as a brief treatment of factual information about their features including cost.