Location-allocation is the process of finding the best locations for one or more facilities that will service a given set of points and then assigning those points to the facilities. The location-allocation process takes into account factors such as the number of facilities available, their cost, and the maximum impedance from a facility to a point [1].
Network datasets are often used in location-allocation analysis. A network dataset is a dataset that stores topologically connected source features [2]. A topologically correct roads network is an example of a network dataset that is often used in location-allocation modeling. For example, if a business owner is trying to determine where to open a new store, a topologically correct roads network and location-allocation would help the owner determine where to place a store that is closest to the most customers.