A geographic information system-based decision support system for optimizing the use of business space using the analytical hierarchy process method
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Abstract
The rapid growth of commercial activities in Medan Tembung District has intensified competition for limited business spaces, making business location selection a complex multi-criteria decision-making problem. Although the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) have been widely applied in location selection studies, their integration into a unified decision-support framework for optimizing commercial space utilization remains limited. This study proposes a web-based Decision Support System (DSS) that integrates AHP and GIS to provide objective evaluation and spatial visualization of alternative business locations. A quantitative approach was employed using expert judgments for AHP pairwise comparisons and spatial data obtained from official government sources. The analysis identified Rental Cost (44.25%) as the most influential decision criterion, and the consistency evaluation yielded a Consistency Ratio (CR) of 0.0805, confirming the reliability of the expert judgments. The integrated AHP–GIS analysis ranked Jl. Tuasan as the most suitable business location with a final priority score of 0.6308. The main contribution of this study is the development of an integrated GIS–AHP framework that combines multi-criteria decision analysis with spatial intelligence in a single web-based platform. The proposed system provides transparent and evidence-based recommendations for business location selection and offers practical support for entrepreneurs and local governments in commercial land management, spatial planning, and sustainable urban development.
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