Fuzzy Spatial Analysis Techniques in a Business GIS Environment

The purpose of the paper is to explore the use of fuzzy logic techniques in spatial analysis. The focus is laid on illustrating whether there is a value added within the context of Business GIS. The issue of geomarketing for illustrative purposes is considered and a case study which works with real world data is discussed. The objective of the case study is to identify spatial customer potentials for a specific product, a prefabricated family house, using customer data of an Austrian firm. Fuzzy logic is used to generate customer profiles and to model spatial customer potential of the product in question. The use of fuzzy logic in comparison to crisp classification techniques and modelling with crisp operators for solving the problem is illustrated, and more generally how the use of fuzzy logic may be to the advantage of businesses. 2 1