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Center of Gravity Tool

Find optimal facility locations by calculating the center of gravity based on demand distribution and weighting factors.

Overview

The Center of Gravity (CoG) tool helps you determine the optimal location for facilities by analyzing the geographic distribution of your demand points. It calculates the weighted center point that minimizes transportation costs and maximizes service efficiency.

How to Access

  1. Navigate to your project's map view
  2. Click on the "Tools" tab in the right-side toolbar
  3. Select "Center of Gravity" from the available tools
  4. The CoG configuration panel will appear

Tool Selection

The Tools tab showing available map analysis tools

Configuration Options

Number of Facilities

Specify how many facility locations you want to calculate:

  • Enter the desired number of facilities (e.g., 1, 3, 5)
  • The tool will calculate optimal locations for each facility
  • More facilities may provide better coverage but higher costs

Number of Facilities

Input field for specifying the number of facilities to calculate

Weighting Configuration

The CoG calculation uses your dataset's weighting field to determine the importance of each demand point:

  • Points with higher weights have more influence on the center calculation
  • Common weighting fields include volume, value, frequency, or demand
  • If no weighting is specified, all points are treated equally

Running the Analysis

  1. Ensure you have a dataset selected with geographic coordinates
  2. Configure the number of facilities you want to calculate
  3. Click the "Calculate Center of Gravity" button
  4. The tool will process your data and display results

Calculate Button

The calculate button to run the Center of Gravity analysis

Understanding Results

Facility Locations

The tool displays optimal facility locations on the map:

  • Each facility is marked with a distinct icon and color
  • Facilities are numbered (1, 2, 3, etc.) for easy identification
  • Click on a facility marker to view detailed information

Center of Gravity Analysis Example

This interactive example shows how the Center of Gravity tool works in practice. You can see demand points (blue circles) connected to the optimal facility location (orange factory icon) with connecting lines showing the assignment relationships.

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Best Practices

Data Preparation

  • Ensure your dataset has accurate geographic coordinates
  • Use meaningful weighting fields that reflect actual demand or importance
  • Consider filtering out outliers that might skew the results
  • Verify that your coordinate system is consistent across all data points

Analysis Considerations

  • Start with fewer facilities and gradually increase to find the optimal balance
  • Compare results with different weighting configurations
  • Consider real-world constraints like existing infrastructure or zoning
  • Use the analytics to validate that results make business sense

Interpreting Results

  • Lower total distance indicates better overall efficiency
  • Higher coverage percentages mean better service accessibility
  • Consider both distance and cost metrics when making decisions
  • Use the results as a starting point for further analysis and planning
💡 Pro Tip

The Center of Gravity tool provides a mathematical optimum, but real-world factors like road networks, existing facilities, and business constraints should also be considered in your final decision-making process.

Use Cases

  • Warehouse Placement: Find optimal locations for distribution centers
  • Service Centers: Determine best locations for customer service facilities
  • Retail Locations: Identify prime spots for new store openings
  • Emergency Services: Optimize placement of fire stations or hospitals
  • Supply Chain: Plan manufacturing or processing facility locations