Analysis normally starts with a question. The question can be a simple one, such as: what is the total length of roads within the city? They can also be very complex, such as: I need to know where the best place is to locate my new business within the city so that it has a water and sewer service, is near major roads, and is in a location that will get business customers during the day and families in the evening.

These questions start you on the analysis process. This process is most often not linear. You will find that once you answer the initial question, it leads to other questions that start the process all over again. So the general analysis process looks like this:

The initial question should cause you to ask other questions as well. The question period establishes the specifications of what needs to be answered and what data you will need to answer the question.

Once you know exactly what question you are trying to answer, you need to begin gathering the data you...