> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstresonance.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> How ION models your factory: locations, their types and hierarchy, and the work center as a location that executes runs.

A location is a place where inventory sits or where work happens. Locations model the physical map of your factory, and every [inventory](/manage-supply-chain/inventory) transaction records the location it happened at. You manage locations from the **Factory** area in the **Production** section of the sidebar. For the steps, see [Manage locations](/build-hardware/locations-and-work-centers/manage-locations).

## Types and hierarchy

Each location has a **Type**: Warehouse, Rack, Shelf, Tote, or Workcenter. The type tags what a location is; it does not restrict nesting.

Locations nest into a tree through the **Parent Location** field, mirroring your building: a warehouse contains racks, a rack contains shelves, a shelf contains totes. Root locations sit at the top of the Factory tree, and each child rolls up under its parent. To build and reorganize the tree, see [Organize locations into a hierarchy](/build-hardware/locations-and-work-centers/manage-locations#organize-locations-into-a-hierarchy).

## Work centers

A work center is a location whose **Type** is **Workcenter**. There is no separate work-center record, so you create one by creating or editing a location. A work center is where runs and run steps are executed: run steps route to a work center, its capacity feeds scheduling, and operators work its queue of due steps. To designate one and run work there, see [Set up a work center](/build-hardware/locations-and-work-centers/set-up-a-work-center).

## Fields

| Field                                | Notes                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**                             | Location name. Required. Sort order drives the kit picklist pick path, so sortable names such as `A1-01` produce a sensible sequence. |
| **Type**                             | `Warehouse`, `Rack`, `Shelf`, `Tote`, or `Workcenter`.                                                                                |
| **Description**                      | Free text.                                                                                                                            |
| **Parent Location**                  | Sets the location's place in the hierarchy.                                                                                           |
| **Supervisor**                       | The person responsible for the location.                                                                                              |
| **Inventory Available**              | Controls whether inventory can be stored here.                                                                                        |
| **Exclude from Inventory Merge**     | Keeps this location's inventory from auto-merging.                                                                                    |
| **Address**                          | Optional. Postal address, used for bill-to and ship-to on purchase orders.                                                            |
| **Geolocation Latitude / Longitude** | Optional coordinates.                                                                                                                 |
| **Image**                            | Optional. A thumbnail for visual identification.                                                                                      |

A location's status (**Active** or **Archived**) shows as a badge and changes with the **Archive** or **Unarchive** action, not as a field.

<Tip>
  Your org can add **custom attributes** to locations for data the built-in fields don't cover. See [Custom attributes](/administration/custom-attributes).
</Tip>

## How locations are used

* **Inventory**: every inventory transaction has a location, so on-hand quantity is always tied to a place. **Inventory Available** and **Exclude from Inventory Merge** govern what can rest and merge there.
* **Runs and execution**: run steps are worked at a work center, and its queue buckets steps into Overdue, Now, Next, and Blocked. See [Run steps at a work center](/build-hardware/runs-and-execution/workcenter-execution).
* **Scheduling**: work-center capacity feeds [run scheduling](/build-hardware/runs-and-execution/scheduling).
* **Kitting**: kits are addressed to a destination location.
* **Barcodes**: locations carry barcode labels for scanning. See [Print a label](/build-hardware/labels-and-scanning/printing).

## Lifecycle

ION never deletes a location that carries history: archiving hides it from active use while keeping its transactions intact, and you can unarchive it later. Deletion is permanent, requires the `DeleteLocation` permission, and is blocked for a location set as your org's default bill-to or ship-to. For the actions, see [Archive or delete a location](/build-hardware/locations-and-work-centers/manage-locations#archive-or-delete-a-location).