Spatial Analysis of the Location of Banks, Financial and Credit Institutions in 6th District of Tehran by DEMATEL techniques and Analytic Network Process (ANP)

Growth of banks، financial and credit institutes in the recent years، their competition for more advantages and also the subject of customer satisfaction made it essential to use scientific methods for an optimized performance. An optimal decision، especially in site selection of financial institution or services، plays an important role in successful achievement of the goals and is also effective in customer attracting. A wrong site selection of the financial institution or services will reduce the efficiency، increase the costs and may also cause the irreversible losses in the competition with other institutions. Therefore، it is necessary to make an optimal decision in site selection of the banks and financial and credit institutes to achieve the highest rates of return rather than the costs of setting up in order to provide customer service، and establishing the highest possible use of site capacity. For example، evidence shows that customer satisfaction has a direct relationship with access to the ATMs. Thus، urban economic zoning to select the suitable areas for such activity، and to evaluate the current performance and subsidiaries of future potential، is very important for closing the branches and move them to the appropriate locations. This research has been executed in a development-application approach and employed descriptive-analytical methods. According to the research objectives، the economic criteria in the banking system have primarily been identified through a literature review (previous research) and also completed through expert opinions. Then، in a field survey the required data have been collected to prepare the criteria for future analysis. DEMATEL1 techniques have been used for identification of the internal relationships among the criteria. After completing the pairwise comparisons questionnaire، and obtaining the results by the experts based on Copeland method and by Analytical Network Process (ANP) model the weights has been determined for each pair of the criteria. To determine the potential radius of influence for each criterion in a given area، the model presented by Keyter has been used. Fuzzy membership function for each of the indices have been calculated and then combined by Fuzzy Algebraic Sum operator. In this research، MATLAB software has been applied to implement DEMATEL techniques. Super Decision software has also been applied for calculation of analysis network process model، and ArcGIS software for spatial modeling and zonation. Afterwards، the status of each branch of the banks and the financial and credit institutes of the region was obtained by plugging it into the model output in tables. Finally، the SPSS software was used to assess homogeneity of the results obtained from models and the results of field observations. The first step in the site selection of the banks and the financial and credit institutes is to determine the effective criteria، identify and prepare them by expert opinion taken from literature and previous evidence (Table 1). For identification of the relations between the criteria، DEMATEL technique has been performed. The weights of criteria and sub criteria have been determined using the Analytic Network Process. This Classification is useful for managers of the banks and the financial and credit institutes and also the planners to identify the area of economic-potential for the construction of new branches and establishment of ATMs and also to identify the current status against other competitors for the current and future planning. The results also can be very useful for closing the non-optimal branches and reestablish them in the appropriate areas. This can also be utilized for allocation of ATM machines to each of the branches، according to their location and adjustment of ATMs in non-optimal branches to transfer them to other optimized branches. The results will provide the economic managers with a broad insight into the most important world economy positions.