Set up data to expand an ATM network

A bank wants to expand its ATM network. It plans to use ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App to analyze potential ATM locations based on attributes such as visibility, distance from the street, and the number of nearby parking spaces. However, sites in a default Business Analyst project don't have these attributes.

In this tutorial, you'll create a project with custom site attributes to suit the bank's needs. Then, you'll create sites for candidate ATM locations and existing ATM locations that include these attributes. When you complete this tutorial, your project will be set up for on-site data collection and analysis.

This tutorial was last tested on July 3, 2024.

Requirements

• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role (see options for software access)
• ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App

Create a project

First, you'll create a project with custom attributes. Attributes are fields that contain information about a site. For instance, for sites representing residential dwellings, an attribute might list the number of bedrooms. You'll set attributes that enable you to store information relevant to ATM locations.

Modify default attributes

In Business Analyst, new projects are prepopulated with a default set of attributes. Not all of these attributes are applicable to the purpose of your project, which is to determine suitable locations for new ATMs. You'll edit or delete some of the default attributes while you create your project.

1. Go to Business Analyst.
2. If you are not signed in, click Sign In. Sign in with your ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.

   Your account must be licensed to use Business Analyst Web App. If you are the administrator of your organization, you can assign yourself a license. Otherwise, you'll need to contact your administrator for permission.

3. If necessary, close any What's new window.

   Note:

   If this is your first time using Business Analyst Web App, you may see a Welcome window asking you to add a profile image. If so, click Skip This Step and click Create Project.

4. If necessary, on the ribbon, click Home. Click New project.

   

5. In the Create project window, for Project name, type ATM Locations.

   You can customize the project attributes before creating the project.

6. Click Customize project attributes.

   

   The section expands, listing the default project attributes. There are four attributes: Building area, Site area, Frontage, and Parking.

   Note:

   If your organization's administrator has set different default project attributes, you may encounter a different list of attributes.

   Every site created in your project will include the project attributes. However, most of the default attributes are more appropriate for commercial real estate listings than ATMs. Only the Parking attribute is useful for your project, because the bank wants to consider parking locations near prospective ATM sites. You'll remove all default attributes except Parking.

7. For Building area, click the remove button.

   

   The attribute is deleted.

8. Delete the Site area and Frontage attributes.

   Only the Parking attribute remains. You'll take a closer look at this attribute's validation rules and change them as necessary.

   Validation rules specify the permitted values that can be assigned to an attribute. For instance, an attribute might have validation rules that only allow yes or no values. Setting appropriate validation rules prevents invalid values from being accidentally assigned.

9. Click the arrow to expand Parking.

   

   The attribute has the default validation setting of None. You'll change the setting to be a range between 0 (if there is no parking) and 1,000 (a large maximum). This range will prevent negative numbers or unrealistically large numbers from being assigned.

10. For Set validation, click None and choose Range.

    

11. For Minimum, type 0. For Maximum, type 1000.

    

    You'll edit the attribute's name to make it more clear that the attribute is for the number of parking spots.

12. Next to Parking, click the edit button.

    

13. Change the name to Parking Spots and press Enter.

    The attribute is now modified to your needs.

Add custom attributes

Next, you'll add custom project attributes specific to your goal of analyzing prospective ATM sites.

First, you'll add an attribute for dedicated parking. This attribute will record how many of the parking spots (if any) are reserved for ATM users. For example, a strip mall with an ATM may have a parking lot with 100 spots, but at busy times parking may not be available. The ATM will be much more accessible if there are nearby spots marked only for ATM use with a 10-minute time limit.

1. Click Add attribute.

   

   A new attribute is added with a default name.

2. Delete the default name, type Parking Spots (Dedicated), and press Enter.

   As there are less likely to be many dedicated parking spots, you'll set the validation rules to a range between 0 and 10.

3. For Set validation, choose Range. Set Minimum to 0 and Maximum to 10.

   

   Next, you'll add an attribute to represent how easy it is to see the ATM from the street. This factor impacts foot traffic to ATMs, as users are more likely to make unplanned stops at ATMs that they can see while driving.

4. Click Add attribute. Name the new attribute Visibility from Street.

   Unlike the previous attributes, this attribute will represent a qualitative and descriptive assessment of the visibility. For consistency, you'll ensure only five values can be assigned: not visible, poor, acceptable, good, or excellent.

   It's possible to change this attribute to a text attribute, but you'll keep it a number attribute, with certain numbers corresponding to the five possible values. This way, the attribute can be used for ranking ATM locations or performing comparative analysis between them.

5. For Set validation, choose Preset values.

   Two empty values are displayed. The Value field stores the actual value (a number), while the corresponding Name field stores the textual alias that users will see and select.

6. For the first Value field, type 0. For the first Name field, type Not visible.

   

7. For the second Value field, type 1. For the second Name field, type Poor.

   You need to specify three more values.

8. Click Add value as necessary and add the following values:
   • For Value, type 2, and for Name, type Acceptable.
   • For Value, type 3, and for Name, type Good.
   • For Value, type 4, and for Name, type Excellent.

   

   Next, you'll add an attribute to record the distance of the ATM location from the nearest accessible street.

9. Click Add attribute. Name the new attribute Distance from Street (ft).
10. For Set validation, choose Range. Set Minimum to 5 and Maximum to 1000.

    

    The final attribute you'll add will allow those working on the project to mark a site as shortlisted for consideration, with validation rules to accept values of either yes or no.

11. Click Add attribute. Name the new attribute Shortlisted.

    There's no need to use this attribute for comparative analysis, so you'll set it to accept text instead of numbers.

12. Click Number and choose Text.

    

13. For Set validation, choose Preset values. Create values Y and N with corresponding names of Yes and No.

    

    You've added the custom project attributes you need. Your project is ready to be created.

14. At the bottom of the Create project window, click Create.

    A status message appears, informing you of the progress in creating your project. When finished, the message indicates your project has been created.

15. If necessary, check Open new projects as soon as they are created and click OK.

    

    Tip:

    You can alternatively open your project by closing the confirmation window and finding the project under the Projects tab on the Home page.

    The ATM Locations project opens. Like any newly created project, it already has one layer for each type of site. The My point locations layer is the empty layer for point sites; you'll use this layer for ATM locations.

You've created a project with modified and customized project attributes with validation rules to ensure consistent attribute values. Your project is ready for you to map ATM locations.

Map ATM locations

Now that you've created a Business Analyst project with custom attributes to store information about ATM locations, you'll use the project to create sites for ATMs. You'll create sites for two types of ATM locations: locations where the bank can construct a new ATM, and locations of existing ATMs the bank is considering for acquisition.

Create sites for new ATMs

By default, a Business Analyst project includes an empty layer for point locations, polygons, and geographies. The point locations layer includes the custom attributes you specified when creating the project, so you'll use it to contain candidate locations for new ATMs.

First, you'll rename the default layer to indicate its purpose.

1. In the project pane, for My point locations, click the options button and choose Rename item.

   

2. Change the layer name to New ATM locations and press Enter.

   Next, you'll create sites for three candidate locations the bank has identified. You'll find these locations using their street addresses.

3. On the ribbon, click Define areas and choose Find location.

   

   The Find location pane appears.

4. For Enter an address or drop a pin on the map, type 1400 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX, 77006. Click Go.

   

   The map zooms to the address and adds a pin at its location.

5. For Name your location, type Proposed new location 1 and click Apply.

   

   On the map, the pin's name is updated in its pop-up.

   Next, you'll add a ring around the location. Adding a ring will complete the site and enable you to populate its attributes. The size and number of rings don't matter for this analysis, so you'll create a single small ring. The ring size can be edited later, if the bank wanted to use the rings as the area from which an ATM is expected to draw customers.

6. For Add an area around your location, confirm that Rings is selected.
7. For Radius, type 0.5 in the first field and delete the values in the second and third fields. Confirm the unit of measurement is set to miles and click Apply.

   

   A half-mile ring is added around the point on the map, creating the site. Now, you can populate the site's attributes.

8. On the map, in the pop-up, expand Attributes and click Get started.

   

   The site's attributes are displayed. The attributes match those you set for the project. Currently, no values are entered. The bank has already scouted this location and provided you with the values, so you'll enter them.

9. Enter the following attribute values:
   • For Parking Spots, click Enter value and type 0.
   • For Parking Spots (Dedicated), click Enter value and type 0.
   • For Visibility from Street, choose Acceptable.
   • For Distance from Street (ft), click Enter value and type 50.
   • For Shortlisted, choose No.

   

10. In the Find location pane, click Finish.

    The site is saved. You'll add two more.

11. Under What do you want to do next, click Find another location.

    

12. Add a location at 1003 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77006 named Proposed new location 2. Add a 0.5-mile ring around the location and populate it with the following attributes:
    • For Parking Spots, click Enter value and type 120.
    • For Parking Spots (Dedicated), click Enter value and type 1.
    • For Visibility from Street, choose Not visible.
    • For Distance from Street (ft), click Enter value and type 135.
    • For Shortlisted, choose No.
13. Click Finish.
14. Add a location at 4400 Yupon St, Houston, TX 77006 named Proposed new location 3. Add a 0.5-mile ring around the location and populate it with the following attributes:
    • For Parking Spots, click Enter value and type 20.
    • For Parking Spots (Dedicated), click Enter value and type 1.
    • For Visibility from Street, choose Excellent.
    • For Distance from Street (ft), click Enter value and type 30.
    • For Shortlisted, choose No.
15. Click Finish. Under What do you want to do next, click I'm done.

    You've added three sites for proposed new ATM locations.

Create sites for existing ATMs

You'll also create sites for the locations of ATMs the bank is considering acquiring or licensing. These ATM locations have additional attributes useful to the bank beyond the project attributes you set. You'll create a second point locations layer, add more custom attributes, and add sites.

1. On the ribbon, click ATM Locations.

   

   The project pane appears.

2. For Point locations (sites), click the options button and choose Add new locations layer.

   

   The Create point locations layer window appears.

3. For the layer name, type Existing ATM locations.

   

   You'll leave the check box to make this the target layer checked. The target layer is where newly created point locations sites are saved. When you create new sites, they'll automatically be added to this layer. You can change the target layer at any time, allowing you to add sites to either the new or existing ATM locations layers.

4. Click Save.

   A status message tracks the progress of the layer as it's created. When finished, the new layer is added to the project pane under Point locations (sites), with the name in bold to indicate it is the target layer.

   For existing ATM locations, there are two attributes the bank wants to track that aren't relevant to new ATM locations. These attributes will track whether the ATMs are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the width of the door leading to the ATM. The new ATM locations didn't need to track this information, as the new ATMs will be built to meet accessibility requirements.

   It's possible to add custom attributes for individual layers, even after setting custom attributes for the project.

5. In the project pane, for Existing ATM locations, click the options button and choose Edit attributes.

   

   The Edit layer attributes window appears. This window is similar to the one you used to customize the project attributes.

6. Click Add attribute and name the attribute ADA Compliant. For the attribute type, click Number and choose Text.

   

7. For Set validation, choose Preset values. Add values Y and N with corresponding names Yes and No.

   

8. Add an attribute named Door Width (inches). Change Set validation to Range with a Minimum value of 20 and a Maximum value of 60.

   

   You've added the attributes you need.

9. At the bottom of the Edit layer attributes window, click Apply.

   The Attention window appears, informing you that the new attributes will be empty if you already have sites in the layer. You haven't added any sites to this layer yet, so the warning doesn't apply.

10. In the Attention window, click OK.

    The attributes are added. Next, you'll add sites for three ATM locations the bank has already scouted.

11. On the ribbon, click Define areas and choose Find location.
12. Following the same process you used to add sites to the New ATM locations layer, add the following sites, naming them Existing location 1, Existing location 2, and Existing location 3:

    Address	Parking Spots	Parking Spots (Dedicated)	Visibility from Street	Distance from Street (ft)	Shortlisted	ADA Compliant	Door Width (inches)
    1701 Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098	240	0	Not visible	150	No	No	28
    4313 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006	70	10	Excellent	50	No	Yes	42
    920 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77006	20	1	Excellent	70	No	No	42

13. When you're finished, click I'm done.

    Your project data is now ready. You can access any site you created by opening the project pane and expanding the layer with the site. For each site, you can click the options button and choose Show details to view and edit the attribute.

    You can also compare all sites in a layer. In the project pane, for the layer, click the options button and choose Show attribute details to view a table with all attribute values for all sites in the layer.

In this tutorial, you created a Business Analyst project with custom attributes. You used the default point locations layer to add potential new ATM sites, then created a second point locations layer with modified attributes for existing ATM locations.

Your project content can be accessed through any Business Analyst app, including the web app, the mobile app, or the ArcGIS Pro extension. The project you set up could be used with the mobile app so field workers can physically visit the sites and edit information about the attributes, enabling faster data collection.

It's also possible to import attributes from one Business Analyst project to another. To learn more, read the blog article Import attributes when creating an ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App project.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• World Streets Map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), NOSTRA, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community