# Order Routing

## Access and Overview

Order Routing is managed through the Production module within the VU Admin panel. Only users with Administrator permissions are able to view and modify routing criteria.

## Routing Process

The lifecycle of an order within the routing system typically follows these steps:

* Payment Trigger: For an order to appear in the VU OMS, it must first be completed through the e-commerce store checkout (such as Shopify) and pass through the "Orders Paid" webhook.
* Factory Assignment: Once in the system, orders are routed to the appropriate Factory—the manufacturing unit responsible for creating the product and sending it to a store or warehouse.
* Dynamic Routing: The platform supports dynamic routing rules, which can be configured to automatically direct specific types of orders to certain factories based on predefined criteria.

### How to create a order routing

Click **Add New** to view the new order routing configuration screen: 

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{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### **Select the Rule Type**

* **Field:** `Rule type`
* **Action:** Select **SKU** or **SKU regex match** or **Default** from the dropdown menu.
* **What this does:**&#x20;
  * SKU regex match - Moving entire product lines, brands, or categories that share a naming convention by looking for a specific text pattern within the SKU string.
  * SKU - Moving a specific list of items - You enter the exact Product SKU codes
  * Default - If an order does **not** match any of your other rules (SKU or Regex), it will fall back to this rule
    {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Fill in the Criteria

* **Field:** `Criteria`
* **Action:** Enter your Regular Expression string or SKU
* **The Logic:** You need to list the unique parts of the SKUs you want to catch, separated by a pipe symbol | (which means "OR"), and wrapped in parentheses ().
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Assign the Destination Factory

* **Field:** `Factory`
* **Action:** Select the fulfillment center from the dropdown that should handle these items.
* **What this does:** When an order comes in with a product SKU that matches the criteria above, the system will assign that specific line item to the pre-selected factory for fulfillment.
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}

## Production Integration

Routing is intrinsically linked to the physical production of the goods. As part of this process:

* Order Travelers: The system generates Travelers (Order Spec Sheets) that provide factories with the specific information needed for processing.
* Production Files: VU Custom provides formatted, production-ready artwork files to the factories.
* Access Methods: Factories can access these routing instructions and files via the VU Platform Web Portal, dedicated APIs, or an SFTP server.
* Data Portability: Administrators have the option to export or import factory order information using CSV files to facilitate external processing or reporting.

## External 3PL Coordination

Beyond internal factory routing, brands must often coordinate with Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers. The system facilitates a dynamic exchange of order updates between VU Custom and the 3PL or e-commerce platform to ensure that fulfilment tracking is accurate.