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Weekly Cycle Configuration Documentation

Menu Location: Settings > Weekly Cycle

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Weekly Cycle page configures the weekly operational schedule for your subscription delivery business. This is one of the most critical settings pages, defining when orders are created, when customization cutoffs occur, when packing happens, when deliveries go out, and when billing occurs.

Primary Functions:

  • Configure weekly timeline from order creation to delivery
  • Set customer customization deadlines
  • Schedule packing and fulfillment days
  • Define billing cycle timing
  • Coordinate with delivery routes
  • Manage multiple delivery schedules

Understanding the Weekly Cycle

Key Concepts

Weekly Cycle Phases:

  1. Order Creation - System generates next week's orders
  2. Customization Window - Customers can modify orders
  3. Cutoff - Last chance for customer changes
  4. Packing Day - Orders are packed at warehouse
  5. Delivery Day - Orders are delivered/shipped
  6. Billing - Customers are charged

Timeline Example:

  • Friday: Orders created for next week
  • Friday-Tuesday: Customers can customize
  • Tuesday 11:59 PM: Customization cutoff
  • Wednesday: Orders packed
  • Thursday: Orders delivered
  • Thursday: Customers billed

Why Timing Matters

Too Short Customization Window:

  • Customers feel rushed
  • Higher support volume
  • More "missed cutoff" complaints

Too Long Between Cutoff and Packing:

  • Products sit longer
  • Freshness concerns
  • Warehouse storage issues

Optimal Cycle:

  • 4-5 days customization window
  • 1 day between cutoff and packing
  • Same day or next day delivery after packing

Configuring the Cycle

Order Creation Day

When Orders Generate:

  • Select day of week
  • Set time (typically morning)
  • How far in advance of delivery

Common Configurations:

  • Friday for next week - 6 days advance
  • Saturday for next week - 5 days advance
  • Sunday for next week - 4 days advance

Considerations:

  • Give customers adequate time
  • Staff availability to handle questions
  • Vendor ordering lead time
  • System processing time

Configuration:

  1. Select creation day
  2. Set creation time (e.g., 6:00 AM)
  3. Set which delivery week (next week, 2 weeks out, etc.)
  4. Save settings

Customization Cutoff

Last Chance for Changes:

  • When customization window closes
  • No changes after this point
  • Orders lock for fulfillment

Typical Cutoff:

  • 2-3 days before delivery
  • End of day (11:59 PM)
  • Account for packing schedule
  • Vendor ordering deadlines

Setting Cutoff:

  1. Select cutoff day (e.g., Tuesday)
  2. Set cutoff time (e.g., 11:59 PM)
  3. Configure timezone
  4. Enable reminder emails
  5. Save

Buffer Time:

  • Build in cushion for vendor orders
  • Processing time for large order volume
  • Staff work schedule
  • Unexpected issues

Packing Day

When Orders Are Packed:

  • After cutoff, before delivery
  • Coordinate with warehouse schedule
  • May span multiple days
  • Route-based packing order

Configuration:

  1. Set primary packing day
  2. Optional secondary days for large volume
  3. Set packing start time
  4. Integration with packing system
  5. Route packing sequence

Packing Schedule Example:

  • Tuesday: Route 1 & 2
  • Wednesday: Route 3 & 4
  • Thursday: Route 5 & pickup orders

Delivery Day

When Orders Go Out:

  • Delivery routes run
  • Shipments sent out
  • Pickups available

Multiple Delivery Days:

  • Different routes on different days
  • Tuesday/Thursday split
  • Monday/Wednesday/Friday
  • Depends on route capacity

Configuration:

  1. Set delivery days by route
  2. Define delivery windows
  3. Set estimated arrival times
  4. Configure tracking updates
  5. Save schedule

Billing Day

When Customers Are Charged:

  • Options:
  • On delivery day (most common)
  • Before delivery (1-2 days prior)
  • After delivery (upon completion)
  • Specific day of month

Recommended:

  • Charge on delivery day
  • Or 1 day before
  • Reduces payment failures
  • Aligns charge with value received

Configuration:

  1. Select billing timing
  2. Set retry logic for failures
  3. Configure billing notifications
  4. Payment failure handling
  5. Save settings

Advanced Settings

Multiple Weekly Cycles

Different Schedules:

  • Some customers weekly, others bi-weekly
  • Different delivery days for different areas
  • Separate cycles for different box types

Configuration:

  • Create named cycles (e.g., "Tuesday Route", "Friday Route")
  • Assign customers to cycle
  • Each cycle has own timeline
  • Coordinate to avoid conflicts

Holiday Adjustments

Automatic Cycle Adjustment:

  • Holiday week modifications
  • Earlier cutoffs before holidays
  • Shifted delivery days
  • Advance delivery options

Integration:

  • Links with Holiday Weeks page
  • Auto-adjusts affected cycles
  • Customer notifications
  • Resume normal after holiday

Seasonal Cycles

Different Cycles by Season:

  • Summer: Different schedule (travel season)
  • Winter: Adjusted for weather
  • Peak season: Earlier cutoffs (higher volume)
  • Off-season: Relaxed timeline

Configuration:

  • Set date ranges for each seasonal cycle
  • Automatic transition between seasons
  • Notify customers of schedule changes
  • Adjust vendor ordering

Customer Communication

Cutoff Reminders

Automated Emails:

  • 3 days before cutoff: "Don't forget to customize"
  • 1 day before cutoff: "Last chance to make changes"
  • Cutoff day morning: "Cutoff tonight at midnight"

Email Content:

  • Which delivery week
  • Current box contents
  • Customization link
  • Cutoff time
  • Contact for questions

Schedule Visibility

Customer Dashboard:

  • Shows delivery calendar
  • Highlights next delivery date
  • Displays cutoff for each delivery
  • Upcoming orders section

Order Confirmation:

  • Confirms delivery date
  • Shows when customization closes
  • When they'll be charged
  • Tracking available when

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Standard Weekly Cycle Setup

Goal: Configure typical weekly delivery schedule

Configuration:

  • Order Creation: Friday 6:00 AM for next week's deliveries
  • Customization Opens: Friday 6:00 AM (same time as creation)
  • Customization Cutoff: Tuesday 11:59 PM (5 days)
  • Packing Day: Wednesday (full day)
  • Delivery Day: Thursday
  • Billing Day: Thursday (same as delivery)

Timeline:

  • Fri: Orders created, customers can customize
  • Sat-Tue: Customization window
  • Tue midnight: Cutoff
  • Wed: Pack orders
  • Thu: Deliver & charge

Result: 5-day customization window, 1-day pack buffer, same-day billing

Use Case 2: Multiple Delivery Days

Goal: Split deliveries across Tuesday and Thursday

Configuration:

  • Two Routes:
  • Route A: Tuesday delivery
  • Route B: Thursday delivery
  • Order Creation: Friday for both
  • Route A Cutoff: Saturday 11:59 PM (3 days advance)
  • Route B Cutoff: Monday 11:59 PM (3 days advance)
  • Packing: Monday for Route A, Wednesday for Route B
  • Billing: On respective delivery days

Result: Staggered packing and delivery, manageable volume

Use Case 3: Bi-Weekly Customers

Goal: Support weekly and bi-weekly subscribers

Configuration:

  • Weekly Cycle: Every week as configured
  • Bi-Weekly Cycle:
  • Orders created every other Friday
  • Same cutoff days relative to delivery
  • Deliveries every other week
  • Billing every other week
  • System handles: Alternating weeks automatically based on customer frequency

Result: Mixed frequency support

Use Case 4: Short Advance Window for Fresh Products

Goal: Minimize time between order and delivery for ultra-fresh items

Configuration:

  • Order Creation: Monday 6:00 AM for that same week
  • Cutoff: Wednesday 12:00 PM (2.5 days)
  • Packing: Wednesday afternoon
  • Delivery: Thursday morning
  • Billing: Wednesday (pre-delivery)

Challenges:

  • Tight timeline for vendor ordering
  • Less customer flexibility
  • Staff must be responsive
  • Higher operational coordination

Best For: Ultra-premium fresh products, shorter routes

Use Case 5: Seasonal Cycle Adjustment

Goal: Adjust schedule for summer travel season

Summer Cycle (June-August):

  • Order Creation: 10 days in advance (earlier)
  • Cutoff: 5 days before delivery (earlier)
  • Reason: Customers traveling, need more advance planning
  • Communication: "Summer schedule allows extra time to pause for vacations"

Regular Cycle (Sept-May):

  • Standard 5-day customization window
  • 3-day cutoff

Result: Accommodates seasonal customer behavior

Troubleshooting

Customers Missing Cutoff

Common Issues:

  • Don't understand cutoff time
  • Forget to customize in time
  • Confused by timezone

Solutions:

  1. More prominent cutoff reminders
  2. Earlier reminder emails
  3. Show cutoff in customer's local time
  4. Grace period (30 min) after cutoff
  5. FAQ about cutoff

Orders Not Generating

Check:

  1. Creation day/time configured correctly
  2. System cron job running
  3. No errors in creation process
  4. Holiday week not blocking
  5. Manually trigger if needed

Billing Failures

Timing Issues:

  • Charging too early (before delivery)
  • Charging too late (after order complete)

Solutions:

  1. Adjust billing day to delivery day
  2. Retry failed payments
  3. Notify customer of failure
  4. Pause subscription if repeated failures
  • Holiday Weeks - Modify cycle for holidays
  • Routes - Delivery route schedules
  • Email Templates - Cutoff reminders and notifications
  • Customers - View customer delivery schedules

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Administrator or higher

Why Restricted:

  • Affects entire operation
  • Changes impact all customers
  • Coordination with warehouse/logistics
  • Financial implications (billing timing)
  • Requires understanding of full operation

Best Practices

Timeline Planning

  1. Work backwards from ideal delivery day
  2. Account for all phases (order, customize, cutoff, pack, deliver, bill)
  3. Build in buffer time
  4. Consider staff work schedules
  5. Coordinate with vendor ordering

Customer Experience

  1. Give adequate customization time (4-5 days minimum)
  2. Clear cutoff communication
  3. Reminder emails at key points
  4. Visible calendar in account
  5. Grace period for cutoff when reasonable

Operational Efficiency

  1. Batch packing by route
  2. Minimize time between packing and delivery
  3. Bill on or near delivery day
  4. Coordinate with vendor deliveries
  5. Allow buffer for unexpected issues

Communication

  1. Explain schedule to new customers
  2. Send cutoff reminders consistently
  3. Announce schedule changes in advance
  4. Post schedule on website/FAQs
  5. Train customer service on cycle details

Things to Avoid

  • Cutoff same day as order creation (no time to customize)
  • Too many days between cutoff and delivery (product freshness)
  • Billing before delivery (feels premature to customers)
  • Changing cycle frequently (confusing)
  • No buffer time for errors

Quick Reference Card

Task Action
Set order creation day Order Creation > Select day/time
Set cutoff Cutoff Settings > Day/time
Configure packing day Packing Schedule > Select days
Set delivery days Delivery Schedule > Select days by route
Configure billing Billing Settings > Timing
Add second cycle Create New Cycle > Configure
Test cycle Create test order, verify timeline
Adjust for holiday Holiday Weeks > Configure adjustment

FAQs

Can customers have different cycles?

Yes, assign customers to different cycle groups (weekly vs bi-weekly, different delivery days, etc.).

What's the ideal cutoff time?

3 days before delivery is common. Balance customer flexibility with operational needs. 11:59 PM is customer-friendly.

Should I bill before or after delivery?

Most bill on delivery day or 1 day before. Customers prefer charge close to receiving value.

How do I handle customers in different timezones?

Display cutoff in customer's local time. System uses single timezone for actual processing but communicates in customer's time.

What if a customer wants to customize after cutoff?

Policy decision. Small grace period OK. After packing starts, generally too late. Train service team on exceptions.

Can I have different cycles for different box types?

Yes, create separate cycles for different offerings. Example: Produce box Thurs delivery, Meat box Fri delivery.

How much buffer between cutoff and packing?

Minimum 12-24 hours. Allows vendor orders, last-minute order review, and unexpected delays.

What happens during holiday weeks?

Holiday Weeks page handles modifications. Cycle can shift earlier or skip entirely. Automatic customer notification.

Can I change the cycle mid-year?

Yes, but communicate changes clearly weeks in advance. Affects customer expectations and habits.

How do I reduce missed cutoffs?

Earlier and more frequent reminders, prominent cutoff display, SMS reminders if available, simplify customization process.

End of Documentation

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