hub-and-spoke system
Central node routing
A hub-and-spoke system is a distribution or transportation model where all traffic flows through a central point.
Airlines pioneered this approach, routing passengers through major hubs rather than flying direct between smaller cities.
The model appears in logistics, broadcasting, and computer networks: FedEx's hub-and-spoke system routes packages through Memphis.
Efficient for operators, sometimes inconvenient for users who must pass through the hub.
- central hubPrimary coordination center
- regional officesLocal administrative centers
- delivery routesScheduled paths for transporting goods
- supply chainProduct delivery infrastructure
- shipping lanesDesignated ocean travel paths
trunk lines · airline networks · wireless networks · regional airports · FedEx · command centers · feedback loops · rail terminals · point to point · distribution centers · corporate hierarchy
hub-and-spoke systemmesh network
Interconnected node communication system
spoke, system, spokes, systems, systematic, systematize, systematically, systemic, systemically