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Shipping Hubs Documentation

Menu Location: (Accessed via database table admin-edit.php?table=shipping_hubs or related delivery settings)

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

Shipping Hubs (also called Distribution Centers or Regional Hubs) define the physical locations from which orders are shipped. This system allows you to manage multiple warehouses or fulfillment centers and route customers to their nearest hub for faster delivery and lower shipping costs.

Primary Functions:

  • Define shipping hub locations
  • Set hub addresses and coordinates
  • Assign customers to nearest hub automatically
  • Manage regional distribution strategy
  • Optimize shipping costs and delivery times
  • Support multi-location fulfillment

Page Layout

Table Columns:

  • Hub ID: Unique identifier
  • Hub Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "West Coast Hub", "Main Warehouse")
  • Address: Full street address
  • City, State, ZIP: Location details
  • Latitude/Longitude: Coordinates for distance calculations
  • Active Status: Whether hub is currently operational
  • Actions: Edit, Deactivate, Delete

Creating Shipping Hubs

Required Information

Hub Details:

  • Hub Name: Internal name (e.g., "Northeast Distribution Center")
  • Full Address: Street address, city, state, ZIP
  • Geographic Coordinates: Lat/long for accurate distance calculations
  • Contact Information: Phone, email for hub operations
  • Active Status: Enable or disable hub

Optional Settings:

  • Capacity Limits: Max orders per day
  • Operating Days: Which days hub ships orders
  • Service Areas: States or regions covered
  • Shipping Methods: Available carriers from this hub

Hub Assignment

How Customers Are Assigned

Automatic Assignment:

  1. Customer enters shipping address during signup
  2. System calculates distance to each active hub
  3. Customer assigned to nearest hub
  4. All future orders ship from that hub

Manual Override:

  • Administrators can manually reassign customers to specific hubs
  • Useful for exceptions or special routing

Factors Considered:

  • Geographic distance
  • Hub capacity
  • Service area restrictions
  • Shipping method availability
  • Custom routing rules

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Add New Distribution Center

Goal: Open new hub to expand service area

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Shipping Hubs
  2. Click "Add New Record"
  3. Enter hub name: "Southwest Hub"
  4. Enter full address: "123 Warehouse Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85001"
  5. Get coordinates (use Google Maps)
  6. Set status: Active
  7. Save
  8. Assign zip codes to new hub (see Shipping Zips documentation)

Result: New hub operational and ready for customer assignments

Use Case 2: Temporarily Disable Hub for Maintenance

Goal: Pause shipments from hub during repairs

Steps:

  1. Find hub in list
  2. Click Edit
  3. Change status to "Inactive"
  4. Save
  5. System automatically reassigns affected customers to next-nearest hub
  6. Re-activate when maintenance complete

Use Case 3: Optimize Regional Routing

Goal: Improve delivery times in specific region

Steps:

  1. Review customer distribution by hub
  2. Identify region with poor delivery times
  3. Consider adding hub in that region OR
  4. Reassign customers to different existing hub
  5. Monitor delivery time improvements

Use Case 4: Seasonal Hub Activation

Goal: Open temporary hub for holiday rush

Steps:

  1. Create new hub record
  2. Set as Active for holiday season
  3. Assign overflow customers to seasonal hub
  4. After holidays, deactivate hub
  5. Reassign customers to permanent hubs

Use Case 5: Split Large Service Area

Goal: Reduce load on overloaded hub

Steps:

  1. Identify hub at capacity
  2. Create new hub in same region
  3. Divide service area between two hubs
  4. Reassign half of customers to new hub
  5. Balance order volume across both hubs

Hub Performance Monitoring

Key Metrics

Track per Hub:

  • Orders shipped per day
  • Average delivery time
  • Shipping costs
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Capacity utilization

Optimization Opportunities:

  • High shipping costs = consider closer hub
  • Long delivery times = need regional hub
  • Over capacity = add hub or expand facility
  • Under-utilized = consolidate hubs

Integration with Other Systems

Shipping Zips to Hubs:

  • Map ZIP codes to specific hubs
  • Ensures consistent routing
  • See "Shipping Zips to Hubs" documentation

Route Management:

  • Local delivery routes start from hub location
  • Hub serves as dispatch center

Inventory Management:

  • Track product availability by hub
  • Route based on inventory location

Troubleshooting

Customers Not Assigning to New Hub

Check:

  • Hub status is "Active"
  • ZIP codes assigned to hub (see Zip Assignments)
  • Coordinates entered correctly
  • No conflicting hub assignments

Solutions:

  1. Verify all required fields completed
  2. Check ZIP code mapping configuration
  3. Manually assign test customer to verify
  4. Review assignment logs for errors

Incorrect Distance Calculations

Symptoms:

  • Customers assigned to far hub instead of nearest

Solutions:

  1. Verify lat/long coordinates accurate
  2. Use Google Maps to get precise coordinates
  3. Check for typos in coordinates
  4. Recalculate distances after coordinate update

Hub Shows in List But Not Available for Assignment

Check:

  • Active status is "Yes"
  • Hub has ZIP codes assigned
  • No date restrictions on hub availability
  • Capacity limits not exceeded

Best Practices

Hub Setup

  1. Strategic locations - Place hubs to minimize average shipping distance
  2. Accurate coordinates - Use precise lat/long for distance calculations
  3. Clear naming - Use descriptive names (region, city, or function)
  4. Document coverage - Note which states/regions each hub serves
  5. Plan capacity - Ensure hubs can handle projected order volume

Operations

  1. Monitor utilization - Track order volume per hub
  2. Balance load - Redistribute customers if hub overloaded
  3. Update addresses - Keep hub locations current if relocated
  4. Test assignments - Verify customers routing to correct hubs
  5. Plan redundancy - Have backup hub for each region

Expansion

  1. Analyze demand - Identify underserved regions
  2. Calculate ROI - Ensure new hub justified by shipping savings
  3. Phase rollout - Start with small coverage area, expand gradually
  4. Customer communication - Notify customers of new closer hub

Things to Avoid

  • ❌ Deactivating hub without reassigning customers
  • ❌ Incorrect coordinates causing bad routing
  • ❌ Too many hubs (complexity without benefit)
  • ❌ Overlapping service areas causing confusion
  • ❌ Not monitoring hub performance

Quick Reference Card

Task Action
Add new hub Click Add New Record, enter details
Edit hub location Click Edit, update address/coordinates
Deactivate hub Edit hub, change status to Inactive
View hub customers Filter customers by hub assignment
Get coordinates Use Google Maps, right-click location
Assign ZIP codes See Shipping Zips to Hubs page
Check hub capacity Review orders per day metric
Reassign customers Edit customer record, change hub

FAQs

How many shipping hubs should we have?

Depends on customer distribution and order volume. Most operations start with 1-2 hubs, expand to 3-5 for nationwide coverage. More hubs = faster delivery but higher operational complexity.

Can one customer ship from multiple hubs?

Generally no - customer assigned to single hub for consistency. However, split shipments from multiple hubs possible for special orders or inventory reasons.

How do I find latitude/longitude coordinates?

Google Maps: Right-click location → "What's here?" → Coordinates display. Copy/paste into hub settings.

What happens to orders when hub is deactivated?

Existing open orders stay with that hub. New orders automatically route to next-nearest active hub. Update customer hub assignments if deactivation is permanent.

Can customers see which hub ships their order?

Depends on system configuration. Typically customers see ship-from city/state on tracking but not internal hub names.

Do hubs affect shipping costs?

Yes! Shipping costs calculated from hub location to customer address. Closer hub = lower shipping costs. Use hubs strategically to minimize average distance.

How do I balance order volume across hubs?

Review orders per hub daily. If imbalanced, manually reassign some customers to underutilized hub or adjust ZIP code assignments to distribute load evenly.

Can I use 3PL warehouses as hubs?

Yes, many operations use third-party logistics (3PL) providers as shipping hubs. Create hub record for each 3PL location.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.