GIS and spatial information in business decision support: the case of automobile service network planning

Service network expansion and rationalization is a major aspect of business planning in large multi-site organizations. In this paper an approach is presented to provide decision-support for managers engaged in network expansion and rationalization. The approach rests on the analysis of spatial data. Particular attention is drawn to the value of geographical information systems (GIS). An application is described, based on the experiences of dealer x who had the task of managing six existing service centers in Melbourne, Australia, and which was considering a number of options for the location of new centers. The application demonstrates that spatial analysis, supported by GIS technology, has the capacity to assist decision-makers when planning their service networks.