Training programme
SimaPro training: learn SimaPro for industry and academia
Progression path
Zero knowledge
Professional
Expert
Expert+
Expected outcomes by training plan
Professional
Participants gain working capability in SimaPro, covering product system construction, database handling, impact assessment, and interpretation of environmental results, and learn how to build and analyse life cycle models for sustainability analysis and research.
Expert
Participants develop stronger capability to carry out advanced modelling, evaluate alternative scenarios, manage modelling parameters, and interpret environmental results for more complex analytical work.
Expert+
Participants gain advanced proficiency in handling complex product systems, carrying out deeper environmental analysis, and managing the modelling structures that demanding research and consulting work requires.
The full curriculum opens on a separate page.
Pricing note
Prices shown are for remote training only
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All prices on this page apply to remote, online training. On-site training at your location and off-site training in Japan are priced higher and quoted on request.
Training plans
Compare the three SimaPro training plans
All three plans are taught in English by an expert LCA trainer and can run online, at your location in Japan, or at an international location. The tables below list every module in the curriculum and show which plan covers it.
SimaPro Professional
$2,280
12 hours of training
Price is per trainee
Recommended for sustainability analysts, engineers, and researchers seeking a structured entry into SimaPro and life cycle modelling. Focuses on practical capability in product system modelling, LCI data handling, and core LCIA application.
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SimaPro Expert
$3,250
18 hours of training
Price is per trainee
Best suited to sustainability analysts, engineers, eco-design professionals, and researchers who already understand life cycle fundamentals. Develops advanced capability in SimaPro modelling, parameter management, scenario evaluation, and comparative analysis.
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SimaPro Expert+
$3,900
21 hours of training
Price is per trainee
Built for consultants, advanced researchers, and R&D professionals. Covers complex system modelling, advanced scenario and sensitivity analysis, parameter control, and handling data uncertainty in real projects.
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Every module in this section is the same across all three plans.
| Curriculum | SimaPro Professional $2,280 12 hours of training Price is per trainee Recommended for sustainability analysts, engineers, and researchers seeking a structured entry into SimaPro and life cycle modelling. Focuses on practical capability in product system modelling, LCI data handling, and core LCIA application. Request a quotation → | SimaPro Expert $3,250 18 hours of training Price is per trainee Best suited to sustainability analysts, engineers, eco-design professionals, and researchers who already understand life cycle fundamentals. Develops advanced capability in SimaPro modelling, parameter management, scenario evaluation, and comparative analysis. Request a quotation → | SimaPro Expert+ $3,900 21 hours of training Price is per trainee Built for consultants, advanced researchers, and R&D professionals. Covers complex system modelling, advanced scenario and sensitivity analysis, parameter control, and handling data uncertainty in real projects. Request a quotation → |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format and access | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| Training is given in English by an expert LCA trainer at PhD level. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Scheduling is arranged regardless of time zone. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Intensive coverage of the complete programme. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| An active learning approach that speeds up understanding by adapting instruction to the individual, using discussion, interactive elements, demonstrations, worked examples, assignments, and trainee feedback. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Choose the training format: online, at your company’s location in Japan, or at an international location. Prices vary by format, and a minimum number of trainees applies to every format except online, which can be one-to-one or one-to-group. A single trainee is enough to run the chosen programme online. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| A minimum number of trainees applies. Contact DEISO for details. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Choose the training format: online, at your company’s location in Japan, or at an international location. Prices vary by format, and a minimum number of trainees applies to every format except online, which can be one-to-one or one-to-group. A single trainee is enough to run the chosen programme online. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Case studies included | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Foundation modules | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| A detailed walkthrough of the SimaPro interface and its function menus, explained panel by panel. The module also covers everyday tasks such as creating new projects, opening existing ones, and working through SimaPro’s functions — interface options, tools, data organisation, and overall structure — with productivity tips for the main interface. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Optional. A three-hour introductory module on the life cycle assessment method, aligned with the training needs for SimaPro. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Optional. Introductory training on ecoinvent, the core database in SimaPro and one of the most widely used in the LCA field. The module covers ecoinvent unit processes and system processes, the three ecoinvent system models (allocation cut-off by classification; allocation at the point of substitution, consequential, long-term; and allocation cut-off EN 15804), and the process types within each — market, transformation, and infrastructure. It works through the structure of the database so its components become clear. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Modelling principles | 9 of 12 | 11 of 12 | 12 of 12 |
| Understand SimaPro’s modelling principles, which differ between software platforms. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Deeper work on SimaPro’s modelling principles, which differ between software platforms. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Read process documentation before selecting a process for a project. Relying on process names alone is not sound practice; documentation has to be assessed for fit with the case study in hand. This module covers how to read process documentation and which information to verify every time. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Techniques for locating the processes a project needs, through filtering, global search, and navigating the process hierarchy — and when each approach is the faster route. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Working with process inputs and outputs is central to understanding the material, energy, and other inputs of a process, along with its main product and by-products. The module covers emissions to and from nature and the technosphere, and the media involved — water, air, and soil — applied directly to SimaPro processes. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Editing existing processes in SimaPro, including copying processes and carrying out manipulation and editing tasks. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| The ecoinvent database sits at the core of SimaPro and offers unit process and system process options within each of its three system models, which behave as three databases producing different results. The module covers the theoretical, technical, and mathematical aspects of each process type, how they differ, and when each is used. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced treatment of unit and system processes across ecoinvent’s three system models, including the mathematical basis of each type, how results diverge between them, and how to choose correctly for a given study. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| The ecoinvent database in SimaPro carries three process types — unit, system, and market — within the unit and system process groups. The module covers which to use for a given project and scenario. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Cut-off criteria | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Creating custom processes for the life cycle inventory using background data from literature, reports, and other sources, so that processes represent your own emission factor data precisely. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Professional modelling techniques | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Life cycle scope modelling | 5 of 8 | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 |
| Basic cradle-to-gate modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced cradle-to-gate modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Gate-to-gate modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Gate-to-grave modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic: cradle-to-grave modelling (the complete life cycle) | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced: cradle-to-grave modelling (the complete life cycle) | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic life cycle stage modelling (production, transport, use, reuse) | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced life cycle stage modelling (production, transport, use, reuse) | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Inventory and impact assessment | 5 of 11 | 10 of 11 | 11 of 11 |
| Basic inventory analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced inventory analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic impact assessment | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced impact assessment | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| LCA results can be produced at midpoint level, covering impact categories such as climate change, acidification potential, and human health potential. These categories — typically 15 or more depending on the LCIA method — are the midpoint impacts. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced midpoint-level work across the full set of impact categories, including how the choice of LCIA method changes the category set and the results. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| LCA results can also be produced at endpoint level, where the midpoint categories are aggregated into three or four indicators such as damage to ecosystems, damage to human health, and damage to resources. That aggregation is endpoint modelling. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced endpoint-level work, including how aggregation choices affect the damage indicators and how to interpret them in a comparative study. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Allocation principles and calculations | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Analysis and interpretation | 5 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 9 of 9 |
| Basic network analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced network analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic process contribution analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced process contribution analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Hotspot analysis pinpoints the weak points in a product’s life cycle. Identifying them lets practitioners prioritise where to reduce environmental impact and focus effort on the processes or materials carrying the largest burden, which supports better-informed decisions. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced hotspot analysis, working through more complex models to isolate the processes and materials carrying the largest environmental burden and to structure the results for decision-making. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Carrying out process technology analysis using SimaPro and Microsoft Excel, and drawing precise conclusions from it to inform decisions. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced process technology analysis in SimaPro and Microsoft Excel, applied to more complex systems and comparative work. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Comparing alternative products and technologies | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Parameters and uncertainty | 3 of 9 | 6 of 9 | 9 of 9 |
| Parameterising a SimaPro model with local parameters so it absorbs future data changes. Supports scenario analysis and development, eco-design modelling, and comparison between products and technologies, and covers how to update parameters as new data arrives. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Parameterising a SimaPro model with global parameters so it absorbs future data changes. Supports scenario analysis and development, eco-design modelling, and comparison between products and technologies, and covers how to update parameters as new data arrives. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Parameter calculations | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Converting a model to system process (LCI) results | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| How to quantify the uncertainty in the foreground data you enter for a case study or project, and how that uncertainty carries through to the final LCA results for a more complete evaluation of environmental impact. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Monte Carlo simulation runs a model repeatedly using random input values drawn from specified probability distributions. It accounts for uncertainty in LCA inputs and returns probability distributions of the outputs, which strengthens the reliability of the results and supports defensible conclusions. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic: performing Monte Carlo and uncertainty analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced: performing Monte Carlo and uncertainty analysis | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Sensitivity analysis evaluates how varying parameters change study outcomes, identifying the influential factors and what they mean for the reliability of the results. Systematically testing input variables — data uncertainties or methodological choices — strengthens the credibility of LCA findings and shows how much the assumptions matter. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Carbon and footprints | 0 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 |
| Analysing the two emissions that dominate climate change and product carbon footprint assessment: CO₂ and CH₄. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Carrying out a full climate change assessment using a range of life cycle impact assessment methods. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Carbon footprint calculation | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Water footprint calculation | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Scenarios and end-of-life | 1 of 7 | 4 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| A complete, parameterised waste management case study covering downstream municipal solid waste management. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| SimaPro waste scenario modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| SimaPro assemblies modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| SimaPro disassembly modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Credit modelling of energy (power and thermal energy recovery) | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Credit modelling of materials (material recycling) | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Scenario and eco-design modelling | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Results, dashboards, and reporting | 4 of 6 | 4 of 6 | 6 of 6 |
| Viewing and analysing the collated results of a model, and working through each results dashboard. The focus is the fourth phase of an LCA: interpretation of the final results. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced work with SimaPro’s results dashboards and calculation views, applied to interpretation of complex and comparative models. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Graph colour editing, formatting, and export | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Basic: exporting and working with SimaPro results in Excel | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Advanced: exporting and working with SimaPro results in Excel | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Optional module. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Database and maintenance | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 |
| Database management | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Database and project backup | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Database maintenance | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Optional module. | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Professional tips and tricks for using SimaPro | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
| Expert tips and tricks for using SimaPro | Professional | Expert | Expert+ |
Included in the plan
Not included
Select a module name with an information marker to read what it covers.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who the SimaPro training suits, how it is structured, what participants can do afterwards, and which standards it follows.
Who this training is for
The training is for professionals who need practical capability in SimaPro modelling and environmental analysis, not only software orientation. Typical participants include:
- Sustainability analysts
- Environmental engineers
- LCA practitioners
- Product sustainability specialists
- Corporate R&D teams
- Eco-design professionals
- Academic researchers and PhD students
- Consulting firms carrying out environmental analysis
Available training plans
Professional
Recommended for sustainability analysts, environmental engineers, and PhD researchers who need structured capability in SimaPro modelling and environmental impact analysis.
Expert
Built for experienced sustainability professionals, researchers, consultants, and technical specialists who need deeper capability in advanced life cycle modelling and environmental analysis.
Expert+
For advanced practitioners, sustainability consulting teams, independent consultants, and research groups needing high-level modelling capability and advanced analytical control in SimaPro.
How the training is structured
The training follows a progressive capability-building approach rather than a simple software walkthrough. Participants develop competence through:
- Guided software explanation
- Structured modelling exercises
- Case-based examples
- Analytical interpretation of results
- Practical discussion of environmental modelling challenges
The progression typically covers:
- SimaPro interface and model structure
- Flows, processes, and product systems
- Database navigation and dataset selection
- Model construction and documentation
- Impact assessment methods
- Interpretation of environmental results
- Scenario and comparative analysis
- Hotspot and sensitivity-oriented thinking
Depth of analysis and modelling complexity increases from Professional → Expert → Expert+.
What participants will be able to do
After completing the relevant plan, participants can:
- Work with the structure and logic of SimaPro models
- Construct product system models for environmental analysis
- Carry out gate-to-gate, cradle-to-gate, and cradle-to-grave modelling
- Work with databases, flows, and processes
- Apply life cycle impact assessment methods
- Interpret environmental performance results
- Carry out hotspot analysis and scenario comparison
- Analyse environmental impacts across life cycle stages
- Apply SimaPro more effectively in sustainability analysis and research
At the higher levels, participants also gain stronger capability to:
- Handle more complex product systems
- Conduct advanced scenario analysis
- Manage parameters and modelling assumptions
- Carry out deeper environmental interpretation
Typical use cases for this training
Organisations and professionals request this training when they need to strengthen their capability to use SimaPro for practical environmental analysis and sustainability work. Common situations include:
- Teams that recently adopted SimaPro and need structured training to use it effectively
- Sustainability professionals who need to build and analyse life cycle models rather than only understand LCA theory
- Engineers and environmental specialists working on product environmental performance analysis
- Corporate sustainability teams carrying out environmental impact assessments of products or processes
- Researchers applying life cycle modelling methods in academic studies
- R&D teams running material or technology comparison studies
- Organisations building internal capability in life cycle modelling and environmental analysis
The training gives the practical modelling knowledge and analytical capability these assessments need.
Prerequisites for participation
Professional
No prior hands-on experience with SimaPro is required. A basic understanding of sustainability, environmental science, or engineering concepts is helpful.
Expert
Participants should ideally have prior familiarity with life cycle thinking or environmental analysis. Previous exposure to LCA software is useful.
Expert+
Recommended for participants with prior experience in life cycle modelling, environmental analysis, or advanced research applications.
What problems this training helps solve
Many organisations adopt LCA software but struggle to use it well. The training addresses challenges such as:
- Difficulty understanding SimaPro modelling logic
- Lack of confidence building product system models
- Uncertainty in database selection
- Difficulty interpreting environmental results
- Inefficient model construction
- Slow learning through trial and error
- Moving from theoretical LCA knowledge to practical modelling
- Structuring product systems correctly
- Comparing alternative technologies or products
- Building defensible environmental models
- Limited internal capability in environmental modelling
- Heavy reliance on external experts
Methodological standards covered
The training focuses on using SimaPro, and follows internationally recognised life cycle principles and environmental assessment frameworks, including:
- ISO 14040 — life cycle assessment: principles and framework
- ISO 14044 — life cycle assessment: requirements and guidelines
- Life cycle modelling methodologies
- Environmental impact assessment approaches
- Scenario-based sustainability analysis
Why choose DEISO for SimaPro training
DEISO runs professional-level training focused on practical capability rather than interface explanation alone. The training emphasises:
- Structured capability development
- Real-world modelling logic
- Analytical interpretation of results
- Application to industry and research
- Flexible training formats
- Practical competence in environmental modelling
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