Location Selection Criteria Research Articles

The Impact and Investigation of Starbucks’ Profit Generation Strategies

The noticeable proliferation of Starbucks outlets stands as a testament to the company’s burgeoning success in the market and its exceptional adaptability within the dynamic beverage industry landscape. In this paper, we embark on an in-depth exploration of various dimensions within Starbucks’ intricate marketing strategy, encompassing elements such as brand logo, brand loyalty, target consumer demographics, location selection criteria, pricing methodologies, product promotion tactics, and advertising strategies. As Starbucks continues its relentless global expansion, our comprehensive analysis endeavors to illuminate the multifaceted strategies that the company employs to sustain its preeminence in the fiercely competitive coffee market. The study delves into the ways Starbucks has effectively harnessed the power of its iconic brand logo, masterfully cultivated unwavering brand loyalty among its diverse consumer base, astutely catered to the unique preferences of specific target demographics, strategically handpicked prime locations for its outlets, meticulously positioned its pricing strategies, and innovatively deployed product promotion and advertising techniques. By conducting a thorough examination of these diverse facets that constitute the bedrock of Starbucks’ approach, our research seeks to offer invaluable insights into the complex interplay of factors that underlie the brand’s enduring prosperity and its enduring appeal on a global scale. As Starbucks’ influence continues to expand and evolve, our analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics that drive its continued success, making it a compelling case study for both academics and industry professionals alike.

Location selection criteria for a military base in border region using N-AHP method

<abstract> <p>The existence of natural gas and rare mineral reserves, energy transmission lines, and sacred places within its borders makes that geography a target for other countries, whether neighboring or not. These countries spend most of their budgets on war technologies and good defense. There are many factors to consider when choosing the location of a military base, which is vital in terms of both defense and logistic support. This study aimed to determine the criteria that should be taken into account in determining the borderline security and selecting the location of military bases of great strategic importance by getting rid of the disadvantages of classical decision-making processes. For this purpose, a solution to the problem was sought with the method obtained by combining the AHP method, one of the latest approaches in the decision-making process, with neutrosophic logic. In order to enable the experts to cope with uncertain information and to prevent errors in preference values due to differences in individual approaches, three expert opinions were obtained and the Delphi method was used to increase the advantages of the neutrosophic analytic hierarchy process (N-AHP) method by utilizing the degree of consensus. Expert opinions were received to determine, prioritize, and group the criteria using the Delphi method, and after these criteria were analyzed, their importance levels were determined by weighting the criteria using the N-AHP method. Thus, an important study in which these two compatible methods were used together for the establishment of a military base was presented to researchers. When the criteria weights of the 12 sub-criteria are analyzed, it was concluded that ease of logistics access is the most important criterion for base location selection.</p> </abstract>

Strategic location analysis for offshore wind farms to sustainably fulfill railway energy demand in Turkey

Providing the energy demands of various sectors through the utilization of renewable energy sources offers a more sustainable and long-term approach compared to fossil fuel consumption. In this study, the proposition is made to address Turkey's rail industry energy demand through Offshore Wind Farms (OWF). Accordingly, the spatial analysis for determining the most suitable OWF location is explored. The research methodology is conducted based on a Geographic Information System-Multi-Criteria Decision Making (GIS-MCDM) hybrid approach. Alternative OWF locations are identified using GIS. Location selection criteria are established based on literature review, and a fuzzy-based decision matrix is constructed, incorporating expert opinions. To leverage two distinct fuzzy number sets, Intuitionistic Fuzzy Weighted Averaging (IFWA) and Spherical Fuzzy Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SF-SWARA) methods are employed for criteria weighting, followed by the aggregation of criterion weights using the Einstein Operations t-norm technique. To ensure comparable OWF alternative rankings, five different alternative ranking methods are employed to obtain alternative rankings. Ultimately, the most suitable OWF location for meeting the energy demand of the rail industry is determined to be the Izmir region. The research findings contribute to managerial perspectives by proposing recommendations concerning strategic location selection, optimized resource allocation, risk mitigation and policy alignment and sustainable long-term planning.

Match Our Cities: Cross-Location-Based Games to Enable Simultaneous Multiplayer

Location-based games have become a worldwide phenomenon, but their multiplayer options typically are either superficial or force players to play together only locally. We introduce a system that compares game areas around the globe and matches points of interest onto each other, allowing for simultaneous gameplay across city or country borders. Thereby, we achieve game areas with an equal representation of their point of interest structure, allowing for fair and equal starting conditions. Our approach procedurally generates content based on factors such as spatial relation and cultural relevance for multiple players. Each generated game area can be adapted in size, orientation, and cultural location selection criteria to provide a level playing field for players with different mobility patterns or areas with different sociocultural conditions. The content creation process utilized publicly available OpenStreetMap data and achieves comparable results of high quality even in suburban or rural areas, where a lower content density in today's location-based games is found.

Determination of Location Selection Criteria and Their Importance Levels for Air Cargo Companies: A Case from Turkiye

Air cargo transportation attracts increasing attention among other alternative transportation models in developing countries due to its ability to provide the fastest transportation service to distant locations. A cargo hub, where air cargo companies perform their cargo operations, plays a critical role, especially in service time and cost. In choosing a site for their operations, understanding the importance of many seemingly independent factors/criteria such as airport system and infrastructure, proximity to production and consumption sources, and transportation connections play a critical role in balancing time and cost. Hence, the study aims to determine the location selection criteria of the cargo hub as the operation site of air cargo companies and to rank their importance. For this purpose, the opinions of experts in university and managers of big air cargo companies in Turkiye were collected. In the first stage of the study, the criteria were determined and categorized into four categories by using the Delphi method. In the second stage, the importance levels of the criteria were determined using the G-AHP method. The research findings highlighted “transportation diversity of the region”, “proximity to important production resources”, and “the structure of existing warehouses” as the most important criteria among others. The importance levels of location selection criteria categories ranked as “Supply, Equipment and Costs”, “Transportation Connections”, “Consumer” and “External Factors”. In summary, findings show that the most important factor affecting the location selection decision is related to the suitability of the airport's infrastructure for cargo operations.

An integrated interval type-2 fuzzy BWM-MARCOS model for location selection of e-scooter sharing stations: The case of a university campus

Scooter sharing has gained tremendous popularity among university campuses as in other places with many visitors. In practice, shared dockless scooters are more widely used than dock-based scooters. However, dockless scooters can cause inefficient mobility in case of the needs such as recharging and finding the nearest scooter among scattered ones in various places. Since the scooter-sharing literature still has significant knowledge gaps regarding identifying an optimal deployment of scooter-sharing stations, this paper aims to determine the necessary criteria to be considered while deploying scooter-sharing stations and identifying the best locations based on a university campus case using an integrated interval type-2 fuzzy BWM-MARCOS model. This study focuses on a university case that can be exemplary for other universities and similar locations, including many people in their various parts. Universities are bounded areas, and their visitors are mostly the same people for a long time. Therefore, first location selection and corrective actions in time may give more traceable and precise results. This research identifies the main criteria and presents a systematic road map for location selection of shared e-scooter stations, applying ITF2-BWM to determine the importance weights of the location selection criteria and employing IT2F-MARCOS to select the most optimal shared e-scooter stations. Hence, the current paper differs from past studies concerning the studied case and the proposed integrated model. A comparative study with IT2F-TOPSIS is employed to strengthen the accuracy of the results produced by the proposed model. Also, a sensibility analysis of the results was performed to test how changes in criteria weights would affect the final scores of alternative locations.

DEPO YERİ SEÇİM KRİTERLERİNİN ÖNEM DÜZEYİNİN BWM YÖNTEMİ İLE ÖLÇÜLMESİ

Warehouse performance has a major role in improving the effectiveness of supply chain considering especially the location where the warehousing activities occur. Warehouse location selection criteria have been widely used by decision-makers and researchers to achieve operational efficiency and reduce operational costs in the supply chain. On the other hand, the location of the warehouse is usually evaluated and decided on individual basis. This research determines the weights of the warehouse location criteria obtained from literature, using the Best-Worst Method (BWM), a multi-criteria decision-making method. A questionnaire form was sent to five warehouse professional experts in different companies including suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors in Turkey. From the BWM results, we can understand that ‘Market’ criterion has the most influence on decision about warehouse location.

EVALUATION OF LOCATION SELECTION CRITERIA FOR COORDINATION MANAGEMENT CENTERS AND LOGISTIC SUPPORT UNITS IN DISASTER AREAS WITH AHP METHOD

In recent years, human beings and our planet have suffered great losses in the frequent disasters. Effective and timely intervention is of utmost importance in all large-scale disasters, whether natural or man-made. In this article, a study has been conducted on a model in which the location selection criteria of the management and support centers, where the coordination works as well as the management and administration are carried out in disaster areas, are evaluated by the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method. For this, an in-depth literature analysis was carried out at the first stage, and then all the findings obtained as a result of the literature research were presented to the professionals related to the subject, and expert opinion was sought. In the light of expert opinion, the location selection criteria for the coordination management center and logistic support units in disaster areas were determined, and a model proposal was made, in which the importance values ​​were weighted by using one of the MCDM methods, The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which is widely used.

도심항공교통(UAM) 버티포트(Vertiport) 입지 선정 영향요인 연구

UAM vertiport may have a problem constructing on an unnecessary area if the location selection criteria are not prepared at an early stage. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a basic study on the factors affecting the proper location selection of vertiport in preparation for the commercialization of urban air traffic system. This study derived the main variables affecting UAM demand. This study presents the evaluation index when constructing the UAM transfer system in the future, and it is important to quantitatively calculate the weights of each influential factor. The first variable was summarized by examining previous studies related to the location and transfer of UAM vertiport. FGI was conducted for experts in each related field, and the final factors were selected and stratified. To calculate the importance of the factors, a survey was conducted for 15 experts and weights were calculated by AHP. As a result of the analysis, it is necessary to first review the installation of UAM vertiport in urban infrastructure for better railway route linkage. Also, areas that can activate urban space should be considered in priority for the installation of vertiports rather than traffic congestion areas. In terms of social acceptability, it is necessary to review the areas where noise and user safety can be considered at the same time.

Location Selection Model for Small Wholesale Shops in Samutprakarn Province, Thailand

The objectives of this research were to study the factors affecting the importance of location selection criteria and present a model for the location selection of a small wholesale store in Samutprakarn province. The research applied the Modified Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology: screening the criteria of location selection from the literature review by interviewing five small wholesale business owners and using a set of questionnaires to collect data from 60 small wholesale merchants, followed by an analysis. The research found that the location zone is the most important factor influencing the location selection criteria. For the stores located in the industrial area, the priority is given to the parking space and the width of the road, while those located in the residential area place the first priority on the proximity or being located along the main and secondary roads. However, the importance level of the location selection criteria ranked in the second and third positions was similar for industrial and residential locations, namely proximity to fresh markets and proximity to distribution centers, respectively. The location selection model will help the small wholesale business owners in Samutprakarn province and similar areas consider the potential location for their business establishments. Furthermore, the commercial building owners can also use this model to assess the rental potential of their commercial buildings. Academia can also use the acquired factors and models for further studies.

A process approach to the open green space system planning

Open green spaces have significant contributions to the city, urban residents and ecosystem. However, these contributions could not be fully reflected on the urban space due to rapid urbanization. Furthermore, studies on this reflection have focused only on a specific function of open green spaces without a holistic approach. Also, there is no common framework for the definition, classification and standardization of open green spaces or a comprehensive analysis of these domains. The present study aimed to propose a guideline that included five criteria to serve as a baseline to plan open green space systems. In the study, open green spaces and the city were considered as a subsystem of the landscape. Thus, open green space objectives and strategies were proposed based on the landscape functions, urban character and urbanization level (urban density). Furthermore, the study reconsidered the definition and classification of open green spaces and recommended standards. These standards were categorized in two groups based on recreational standards and natural disasters. Thus, the open green spaces were analyzed based on qualitative, quantitative, connectivity and location selection criteria with a holistic approach and a multi-dimensional framework was developed based on ecological, recreational and disaster criteria.

An advanced decision-making model for evaluating manufacturing plant locations using fuzzy inference system

Locating a manufacturing plant is a complex multi-criteria decision-making problem as it involves many tangible and intangible criteria. This paper contributes to the existing theory by integrating a qualitative Delphi and a quantitative fuzzy inference system (FIS) for developing an advanced and intelligent decision-making framework for evaluating manufacturing plant locations. The Delphi method is used to identify the most significant manufacturing plant location selection criteria. The identified major criteria are used to develop an advanced FIS framework to evaluate potential manufacturing plant locations. A real-life case is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the developed decision-making framework. This paper contributes to the literature by developing an advanced decision-making framework for evaluating manufacturing plant locations and by integrating qualitative Delphi and quantitative FIS, which can help industrial managers locate their manufacturing plant locations intelligently and accurately.

해상풍력 공동접속모선 입지 및 345kV 송전선로 최적 경과지 선정시 중립성 확보를 위한 기준 마련에 관한 연구

Recently, as renewable energy has been expanded as a private project, Therefore, there is an irrationality in that the distance of the submarine cable for each power generation company is different depending on the location of the common access bus used by several power generation companies. However, the transitional site selection work promoted by the private sector is inefficient but unsystematic compared to Korea Electric Power Corporation, which has a lot of experience and achievements, and there is a significant lack of objective grounds. Therefore, a neutral and equitable location selection criteria are needed. Accordingly, it reviews the regulations of relevant laws and regulations, determines resistance values and weights, selects an virtual candidate area through the existing Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial analysis data, and derives the minimum cost through the Transportation Planning Act to determine the optimal transit site. A plan for securing neutrality in selection was presented.

Hospital Location Selection: A Systematic Literature Review on Methodologies and Applications

The increased focus of people on the quality of health care in recent years has led hospital owners to develop strategies and policies to improve medical services through the establishment of new hospitals. For hospitals to be competitive, the hospitalʼs location and proximity to potential patients are considered crucial factors in establishing new hospitals. In this context, evaluating and selecting the most suitable hospital location to establish a new hospital from the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) perspective is a priority for the entrepreneurs or government to gain a competitive advantage. Therefore, this study aims to present a systematic literature review of the hospital location selection problem considering the applied methods and application areas. The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis statement (PRISMA) are used as a reference framework. Initially, known electronic databases (Web of science, IEEEXplore, Scopus, Science direct, and Google Scholar) were searched up to the early 2021. A number of 47 articles are selected and analyzed under this systematic framework based on inclusion-exclusion points. State-of-the-art developments in adopting MCDM methods and their fuzzy extensions are summarized. All the articles have been examined in a systematic taxonomy to find answers to six research questions (trend, country of origin, outlet journal, MCDM methods used, MCDM environment and criteria type, and decision criteria used). Results show that (1) AHP and GIS-based MCDM models are the most contributing approaches to the solution of this problem, (2) location selection criteria are mostly cost, demand, environment, population, government, competition in the market, and distance to some important places, (3) the fuzzy structure is also preferred in addition to the MCDM structure depending on the crisp data type, and (4) the location selection criteria are mostly considered subjective. We pay attention to promising directions that can dominate future research in this field from a methodological or applicability perspective. This study shows the current views and opportunities for researchers and practitioners and acts as a guide to encourage more creative studies in this field.

Capacity development in environmental epidemiology research in Africa: experience from ISEE sponsored short course in Nigeria

A short course on environmental epidemiology and exposure assessment sponsored by ISEE Capacity and Education committee in 2019 was aimed to strengthen the ability of African researchers to conduct more studies in Africa to fill data gaps. This complements the mission of ISEE Africa chapter. A local institution (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) was sourced to partner with ISEE Africa chapter to host the 3-day introductory training. The course was advertised extensively to all parts of Africa through social media and focus groups. Eligibility criteria for applicants are that they must be African, graduate students and scientists with basic degree in environment, health or a related discipline and ability to meet own transportation and accommodation. Applicants submitted online essay on African environmental issues, research interests and how the training will benefit own career. Training was face-to-face tutorial, videos, group work and hands-on exercises. The course faculty were four experienced tutors from 1SEE and partner institution. 213 (39%) out of 545 applications received from 15 African countries, passed the eligibility and screening criteria. Seventy-three (13%) successful applicants were invited but only 59 from Nigeria, Uganda and Guinea attended. Participants comprised 46% female and 54% male with 97% possessing a postgraduate qualification. Participants came from a heterogeneous background and for many, this was their first epidemiology course. Forty-eight participants joined ISEE. Participants feedback was very positive. There was potential for continuation of work locally. For future courses, location selection criteria should include a place that may attract participants from other countries, collaboration with reputable local institution, consideration for post-training sustainability, local organizing committee that can mobilize high number of participants and members for ISEE. Increased knowledge of environmental health risks in Africa is important to improve global public health. Therefore, capacity development in environmental epidemiology in Africa deserves priority in global scientific agenda.

Facility Location Selection for B-Schools in Indian Context: A Multi-Criteria Group Decision Based Analysis

Facility location is one of the critical strategic decisions for any organization. It not only carries the organization’s identity but also connects the point of origin and point of consumption. In the case of higher educational institutions, specifically B-Schools, location is one of the primary concerns for potential students and their parents while selecting an institution for pursuing higher education. There has been a plethora of research conducted to investigate the factors influencing the B-School selection decision-making. However, location as a standalone factor has not been widely studied. This paper aims to explore various location selection criteria from the viewpoint of the candidates who aspire to enroll in B-Schools. We apply an integrated group decision-making framework of pivot pairwise relative criteria importance assessment (PIPRECIA), and level-based weight assessment LBWA is used wherein a group of student counselors, admission executives, and educators from India has participated. The factors which influence the location decision are identified through qualitative opinion analysis. The results show that connectivity and commutation are the dominant issues.

Exploring Managers' Opinions on Planning and Designing Adult Day Care Centers.

To explore managers' opinions on planning and design of location, building type, spatial layout, and interior design of adult day care centers (ADCCs). The planning and design of new ADCCs affect subsequent service users and workflows. Studies explore the factors affecting such planning and design using qualitative methods and from the perspective of users. Quantitative methods are rarely employed to explore factors affecting planning and opinions on the design of ADCCs from administrators' perspective. Stratified sampling was used to collect data from managers of ADCCs in Taiwan. A mixed-method approach with an analytic hierarchy process was used to quantify the relative importance of factors affecting location and building type selections. Participants responded to open-ended interview questions followed by focus group interviews to examine the key points for spatial layout and interior design. The managers deemed support and attitudes from local residents (group weight = .208) and authorities (group weight = .187) as their first two critical location selection criteria. Regarding their opinions on the conditions of building type, those that prioritized the products and technologies of facility design were deemed the most critical (group weight = .193), followed by those that valued daylight quality (group weight = .161). Six key points of spatial layout and interior design were obtained from the focus group interviews. This study provides a reference for the effective planning of operations, including geographical location, building type, spatial layout, and interior refurbishment and design.

Offshore wind power potential of the Black Sea region in Turkey

ABSTRACTMajority of the studies on offshore wind power potential assessment is limited to the examination of the wind speed only. This study examines the offshore wind power potential of the Black Sea coastal region in Turkey based on location selection criteria including territorial waters, military areas, civil aviation, shipping routes, pipelines and underground cables, social, and environmental concerns. Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) is used to do the statistical analysis of wind speed and wind direction data for 20 locations in the Black Sea coastal region. WAsP results are then elaborated based on the location selection criteria for better assessment of offshore wind power utilization. The study reveals that there are limited numbers of locations for offshore wind power generation in the Black Sea region in spite of its long coastline. Moreover, there is a high need for a zoning change for Amasra shores in order to utilize high offshore wind power potential of Amasra. Our finding suggests that location selection criteria other than wind speed should definitely be considered for better assessment of the wind power potential of a region.

Location selection criteria for a second data center or off-site storage of materials

As organizations develop secondary data centers, it is critical that they be placed in locations that serve the organization yet do not have a shared risk with the primary data center. The organization needs to consider factors or guidelines which mitigate potential issues that could affect both the primary and secondary data center. It is impossible to eliminate all risk to a single data center but an organization needs to ensure that at least one data center remains operable. The article will propose that data centers be located 50 km or approximately 30 miles apart. The proposal is supported by evaluating earthquake intensity maps that will show that earthquakes damage drops to relatively safe levels after the 30 miles from the epicenter. The article will show that other environmental factors such as power, floods, fire, transportation, fire, and soil are also mitigated by a 30-mile separation guideline.

Evaluation of alternative criteria for determining the optimal location of RWIS stations

This article presents a comprehensive framework for determining the location of road weather information system (RWIS) stations over a regional road network. In the proposed methodology, the region is divided into a grid of equal-sized zones which are considered as the minimum spatial unit for allocating a candidate set of RWIS stations. These zones are ranked according to a set of pre-specified criteria that reflect the needs for, and potential benefits from, real-time road weather information, including road surface temperature variability, precipitation, network traffic, and collision patterns. A case study based on the existing RWIS network in the province of Ontario was conducted to illustrate the major features of the proposed method and evaluate the implications of alternative location selection criteria. The findings of the study suggest that it is feasible to develop a systematic process for locating RWIS stations using an integrated location criterion to capture multiple factors being considered in practice. The study has also revealed the need to establish quantitative models for estimating the benefit of real-time information from RWIS stations, which is the foundation of a cost–benefit-based RWIS location optimization model.