Business analysis tool for small/medium enterprises using spatial databases

Abstract

All businesses strive to compete with one another and try to find the best methods to optimize their sales more and more each year. This is done using various different methods, starting from diverse marketing techniques to strategic business decisions. A very important factor that affects the sales of these businesses amongst others, are geographic locations. However, Small and Medium Enterprises, due to the way that they are built and operated, often fail to exploit this component in their business model. This dissertation seeks to investigate the usefulness and usability that a Business Analysis tool that uses location-based data would have on SMEs. This includes the tools' ability to cut down costs for these enterprises as well as maximizing the efficiency in their day-to-day operations as well as their strategic business decision making processes. This tool was based upon a questionnaire distributed to SMEs that are located in Malta. This questionnaire asked them about their view about such a tool's place in an SME environment. These responses aided in the development of the prototype. The finalized system was then evaluated by participants similar to the first questionnaire but in the form of an interview. This evaluation highlighted the usability and usefulness of this prototype. Lastly, the prototype was tested to derive the accuracy of the predicting ability in order to ensure that the predictive model used in the application is working at an acceptable rate.