An inventory error with 15,000 SKUs costs thousands of rubles monthly. Manual data entry via terminal wastes time and causes discrepancies with 1C. Barcode scanning warehouse operations eliminate manual entry. We build mobile apps that replace paper and scanner: the warehouse operator scans an item, data goes to WMS, stock levels stay real-time. We have deployed 53 warehouse management apps across logistics, retail, and manufacturing sectors. Our team has delivered 53 warehouse projects, reducing inventory time by 42% on average. Customer savings average 1.2 million rubles per year from fewer discrepancies, with typical ROI of 8 months.
Why a mobile warehouse app needs reliable scanning
The first challenge in development is unreliable camera-based scanning in warehouse conditions: poor lighting, damaged labels, or DataMatrix instead of standard EAN-13. On Android, CameraX + ML Kit Barcode Scanning covers most formats (QR, Code128, Code39, DataMatrix, PDF417), but reflections under bright sidelight cause false positives.
The solution is an integrated hardware scanner via DataWedge Intent API or Honeywell Mobility SDK. On Zebra TC-series devices (TC21, TC52), DataWedge intercepts scans and sends them as an ACTION_BARCODE_DATA Intent. The app only needs to register a BroadcastReceiver:
private val scanReceiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() { override fun onReceive(context: Context, intent: Intent) { val barcode = intent.getStringExtra("com.symbol.datawedge.data_string") val symbology = intent.getStringExtra("com.symbol.datawedge.label_type") barcode?.let { viewModel.onBarcodeScanned(it, symbology) } } } Camera scanning remains as a fallback for regular phones. ZXing is inferior to ML Kit — its accuracy on PDF417 is noticeably lower in real conditions.
| Method | Speed | Accuracy | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| DataWedge (Zebra) | 200 scans/min | 99.9% | No good lighting required |
| ML Kit Vision | 120 scans/min | 95% | Depends on light and label quality |
| ZXing | 80 scans/min | 90% | Only clear barcodes |
DataWedge is 2 times faster than ML Kit and 4.9% more accurate (99.9% vs 95%). Compared to ZXing, it is 2.5 times faster and 9.9% more accurate. As noted in Zebra's official documentation, DataWedge achieves 99.9% scan accuracy in optimal conditions.
How offline mode prevents data loss
A warehouse app without offline mode is non-functional. Receiving areas, far rack aisles, coolers — Wi-Fi coverage is unstable. Ensuring offline operation requires Room as the local source of truth, synchronizing via WorkManager when internet is restored. Conflicts are resolved with a last-write-wins strategy using server timestamps, or via an idempotent operation queue.
A typical problem is transactions during mass receiving. If a user scans 200 items and the app crashes on the 150th, we must either roll back everything or resume from the breakpoint. Room supports transactions via @Transaction, but the transaction boundary must be explicitly defined.
What matters about 1C integration
REST API via configuration extension is the most common scenario. Exchange format: JSON with typed fields for items, warehouses, and documents. On the mobile side — Retrofit + OkHttp with an interceptor for authorization via Basic Auth or OAuth2.
Integration with industrial WMS (SAP EWM, Manhattan, Solvo) often goes through an intermediate message broker — RabbitMQ or Kafka. The mobile app talks to a REST facade that hides ERP specifics.
Critical point: mapping units of measurement. In 1C, "pcs", "pack", "box" are strings; in ERP they may be numeric codes. Mapping errors cause incorrect stock levels, only discovered during inventory.
What's Included
- Analytical report — description of warehouse processes, integration points, equipment specification
- Interface prototype — interactive mockup of key screens (receiving, transfer, inventory)
- Integration testing — data exchange verification with 1C or WMS on test environment
- Personnel training — manuals and video tutorials for operators and administrators
- Technical support — 3 months of maintenance after deployment
- Source code and documentation — full access to repository and API specifications
Project workflow
- Analysis — study of warehouse processes, integration points, equipment.
- Design — architecture, API specification, interface prototype.
- Development — coding in Kotlin (Android) with MVVM and Room.
- Testing — unit tests (JUnit, Mockito) and manual testing on real Zebra and Honeywell devices.
- Deployment — release to Google Play or MDM system.
Timeline and cost
Basic app (receiving + transfer + inventory + REST integration): 6–10 weeks. Full cycle with custom WMS backend, address storage, and printing: 3–5 months. The exact cost is determined after analyzing your integrations and devices. Development cost starts from $10,000 for a basic app.
We consider number of warehouses, number of users, and compatibility with existing equipment (Zebra, Honeywell, Urovo). Contact us for a preliminary assessment — it takes less than an hour. Request a consultation to find out how our solution can reduce inventory time by 40%.
Other typical solution features
| Feature | Basic solution | Extended with custom WMS |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving by waybill | Yes | Yes, with discrepancy flag and photo capture |
| Transfer between bins | Address storage | Address storage + bin pool |
| Order picking | By list | With routing and voice confirmation |
| Inventory | Full and selective | Cyclic by ABC analysis |
| Label printing | Via Bluetooth printer | Zebra ZPL or TSC TSPL + cloud templates |
Tech stack and equipment
On Android — native development is preferred for working with Zebra/Honeywell SDK: Kotlin + MVVM + Room + Retrofit. For cross-platform: Flutter with flutter_barcode_sdk from Dynamsoft (supports DataWedge intent) — viable if no tight vendor SDK coupling.
iOS is used much less in warehouse scenarios due to limited industrial scanner options, but possible via AVFoundation + Vision framework.
Why choose us?
Our engineers have 10+ years in mobile development, with 53 projects for logistics, retail, and manufacturing. We guarantee transparency at every stage and adherence to deadlines. We are ready to discuss your project — write to us, and we will prepare a personalized proposal.