Application of Geographic Information Systems in optimal management of spatially expanded organizations (Example: Payame Noor University)

At the present, Payam-e-Noor University (PNU) has more than 500 educational centers and units around the country. The need for rational management of this university requires that new management technologies be used at different levels. The relatively large number of centers, students and users of educational services at Payam-e-Noor University has created a huge amount of data and information. It seems that managing and organizing this amount of data is not in the power of a particular person or persons, even if they are very strong managers. In most cases, managers and officials do not have accurate statistics and information on the various situations of the centers under their management. This can lead to insufficient knowledge and sometimes incorrect decisions in university administration. On the other hand, sometimes the amount of information and data is so large that many people feel lost in the seemingly unrelated mass of information. Creating a comprehensive database containing all the data, statistics, figures and various information related to the centers and units can help manage and organize them. The present study is based on the data of Golestan Comprehensive System of Payam-e-Noor University from 2014 to 2017. In this study, before testing any hypothesis or examining the relationships between variables, the emphasis is on creating a comprehensive database for Payam-e-Noor University that can be used in the environment of geographic information systems. Based on this database and according to different research or administrative-executive needs, various analyzes of this database can be performed. The results of this study are in the form of a comprehensive database in the environment of geographic information systems, which as a powerful tool can provide managers with appropriate and useful solutions. Managers can make the right and effective decisions based on it. Therefore, using the results of this research can lead to better management at the level of central organization, provinces and centers and units of the PNU.