Custom Warehouse Management System for Multi-Location Operations
A custom-built WMS replacing spreadsheet-based inventory tracking across multiple warehouses in California - with QR scanning, real-time inventory visibility, and order management at a fraction of the cost of SAP.
About the Project
PCIM is a custom warehouse management system built for a family-owned warehouse operation in California that had outgrown spreadsheet-based inventory management. The business manages multiple warehouses with complex operational requirements - inventory tracking, customer management, order fulfillment, and dispatching - all of which were being handled in Excel. The result was data mismatches, lost visibility across locations, and operational errors that were costing time and money. Enterprise alternatives like SAP were evaluated but dismissed due to cost - minimum $10,000 per year in licensing alone, with significant implementation overhead on top. The client needed a system that was purpose-built for their specific warehouse workflows, affordable to own, and simple enough for their team to use from day one.
The Challenge
Technical challenges
Building a multi-warehouse architecture where each location maintains its own inventory while rolling up into a unified real-time view. QR code scanning needed to work reliably in warehouse environments (varying lighting, distance). The system needed to handle concurrent operations across locations without data conflicts.
Business challenges
The client managed multiple warehouses in California using spreadsheets. As operations scaled, Excel-based tracking became unreliable - inventory counts did not match reality, cross-warehouse visibility was nonexistent, and order management required manual coordination between locations. Enterprise WMS solutions like SAP were evaluated but dismissed due to cost ($10,000+/year minimum) and implementation complexity.
Product & UX challenges
Designing a system that warehouse staff with limited technical experience could adopt immediately. The interface needed to support QR scanning for dispatching, multi-warehouse inventory views, and order management - all without training sessions or thick user manuals. Each warehouse had slightly different processes that the system needed to accommodate.
What We Delivered
Email authentication
Deployed on AWS with production monitoring
Role-based access control
Order management and fulfillment tracking
Customer and product management modules
QR code scanning for dispatching and receiving
Multi-warehouse inventory management
Custom web-based warehouse management platform
Work Process
1
Operations audit & discovery
Mapped the complete warehouse workflow across all locations - receiving, storage, picking, dispatching, and customer delivery. Documented the specific pain points where spreadsheet management was breaking down and identified the highest-impact features for the MVP.
2
UX/UI design
Designed the warehouse interface for speed and simplicity - large touch targets for QR scanning, clear inventory views per location and across locations, and an order management flow that matched how the team actually works on the warehouse floor.
3
Platform development
Built the multi-warehouse system with React.js frontend, Nest.js backend, and MongoDB for flexible document-based inventory storage. Implemented QR code generation and scanning, real-time inventory updates across locations, and role-based access for warehouse staff, managers, and admins.
4
Deployment & handover
Deployed to AWS, loaded initial inventory data, trained the warehouse team on the new system, and monitored the first weeks of production usage to catch and resolve any operational issues.
Project team
Results
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100%
On-time delivery of the web platform with QR scanning, multi-warehouse views, and order management from day one
$10K+/yr
Saved compared to SAP licensing alone - before counting implementation and customization costs
Real-time
Unified inventory visibility across all warehouse locations - replacing daily phone calls and emailed spreadsheet updates
90%
Reduction in time spent on inventory tracking compared to spreadsheet-based management
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