Problem
PetroSpec, Inc. is an engineering company that develops a variety of Portable Fuel Analyzers. The unique feature of PetroSpec's Analyzers is their ability to improve fuel analysis accuracy by introducing user updateable calibration coefficients, fuel model analysis, and outlier detection algorithms. In order to obtain new calibration coefficients, newly collected sample data had to be added to the available data set and then new calibration coefficients could be recalculated using multiple linear regression analysis.

PetroSpec's problem was that all data preparation routines and calculations required for these calibration coefficients were performed through loading data into a spreadsheet application and then manually manipulating the data using a comprehensive statistical analysis software package such as SAS. PetroSpec had to perform these data manipulation steps by hand for every user that needed their calibration data to be updated causing inefficiency and quality issues.

Solution
The primary goal of the new Fuel Analysis Software was to automate the instrument's calibration process by providing data acquisition capabilities, a reference database, comprehensive statistical analysis tools, and the ability to upload new calibration coefficients to the Analyzer, all within a single software module.

In order to achieve the goal Coherent Solutions had to implement multiple linear regression and other statistical analysis and modeling algorithms with accuracy equal to that provided by SAS. In addition, all the calculations needed to be performed by the push of a button from the main program interface and allow for dynamic model configuration and resizing which none of the available statistical software would allow.

Coherent Solutions proposed and implemented a COM-based application which combined the data acquired from an embedded device with comprehensive statistical analysis functionality, which previously was available only through post-processing of the data using SAS. The solution featured a comprehensive database to store all data, data models, and filter coefficients for every property available for a given fuel and analyzer type.

Coherent Solutions helped PetroSpec successfully release the PetroSpec Fuel Analysis Software and has assisted in its support as it has been distributed worldwide.