Evaluate a site

Available with Business Analyst license.

You can create and evaluate a new site using demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. For instance, a gym franchisee can use this workflow to analyze the population density and exercise habits of the community in 5- and 10-minute drive times around a prospective site.

The Evaluate Site workflow guides you through the process of locating a site, creating a buffer around it, and performing analysis using data enrichment, infographics, and reports.

To create and evaluate a site, do the following:

  1. On the Analysis tab, click Business Analysis to open the gallery, and click Evaluate Site Entry.

    The Evaluate Site workflow pane opens.

  2. For Step One: Location, do the following:
    1. Identify the location for analysis using one of the following:

      • Locate—Search for your site by entering an address or x, y coordinates in the Search text box Search icon. Select one candidate from the list of possible matches, which are provided by the ArcGIS World Geocoding Service. To change the search results view, click Menu Menu to select either the simplified List View or Detailed view. Optionally, configure your geocoding locators from the Options menu Options.
      • Layer Search—Select a feature from a layer in the map or search specific fields. Optionally, refine the search and match options from the Options menu Options or change the search results view by clicking Menu Menu. Example site searches could be the actual coordinates, a POI search, or a street address. To learn more, see Find places on the map.
      • Point on the Map—Click the Point on the Map button Point on the Map to select a point on the map. This retrieves the coordinates for where you click.

    2. Click Next once your site is selected.

      The map zooms in to your selected site.

  3. For Step Two: Buffer, create a buffer using one of the following options:
    • Trade Area Rings Trade Area Rings—Use the Radius field to select distance intervals and unit of measurement. Use the Dissolve Option drop-down menu to select either disk (excluding breaks) or ring (including breaks) polygons to represent the service area buffers.
    • Drive Time Trade Areas Drive Time Trade Areas—Use the Distance Type field to select an option, such as Driving Time or Driving Distance. Use the Time or Radius fields to select the intervals and units of time or distance. Use the Dissolve Option drop-down menu to select either disk or ring polygons. Optionally, use the Network Parameters options to add specifications to your buffer, such as using the options Travel Direction, Time Zone, and Polygon Detail.
    Note:

    The buffer Dissolve Option is either rings or disks.

    • Rings—The polygons representing larger breaks exclude the polygons of smaller breaks. This creates polygons between consecutive breaks. Use this option to find the area from one break to another. For instance, if you create 5- and 10-minute service areas, the 10-minute service area polygon will exclude the area under the 5-minute service area polygon. This is the default.
    • Disks—Polygons are created from the facility to the break. For instance, if you create 5- and 10-minute service areas, the 10-minute service area polygon will include the area under the 5-minute service area polygon.

    Click Next once your buffers are selected.

  4. For Step Three: Analysis, do any of the following:
    1. If you are using local data, select an analysis tool from the following options:

      • Create Infographics and Classic Reports—Select an infographic or classic report using keywords, or choose from Esri Reports, Standard Infographics, or My Reports.
      • Enrich—Append variables to the buffered area. Optionally, click Save List to save the variables, or click Remove all to remove the variables.

    2. If you are using online data, select an analysis tool from the following options:

      • View an Interactive Infographic—Select an infographic from Esri Templates or use a custom template.
      • Create Infographics and Classic Reports—Select an infographic or classic report using keywords, or select from Esri Reports, Standard Infographics, or My Reports.
      • Enrich—Append variables to the buffered area. Optionally, click Save List to save the variables, or click Remove all to remove the variables.

    3. Click Next once your analysis is selected.
  5. For Step Four: Summary, do the following:
    1. Review the summary of the information that you have selected to create and evaluate your site.
    2. Click Finish.

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