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WarehouseCounter: High-Volume Depot Auditing System

Description

Technologies used

  • Docker
  • Google Cloud Run
  • Kotlin
  • MySQL
  • .NET
  • PHP

Responsibilities

  • Product owner
  • FullStack developer
  • Windows CE App Main developer

WarehouseCounter is a high-performance inventory auditing utility designed for the rapid generation of updated stock records in environments like supermarkets and industrial depots.

  • Architecture: The solution runs from a dockerized image which provides an API for the mobile data collector applications.
  • Performance: It is engineered to audit hundreds of articles in minutes, with the capacity to handle thousands of items.
  • Operational Agility: Key features include automatic item description retrieval, partial count tracking, and a "multiplier" function that enables high-speed counting of full boxes or pallets with minimal manual entry.

Achievements

  • Streamlined delivery of Excel-formatted inventory audits upon completion.
  • On-the-Fly Cataloging: Enabled dynamic product registration during the scanning process, allowing operators to add new SKUs without interrupting the audit workflow.
  • Stand-Alone "Last-Mile" Integration: Engineered the system to operate as a high-performance "last-mile" solution, featuring robust import/export capabilities for seamless interoperability with SAP and other enterprise ERPs.
  • Cloud-Native Efficiency: Optimized the API for deployment on Google Cloud Run (GCR), achieving high availability and performance with minimal resource consumption
  • Cross-Hardware Compatibility: Developed a dedicated Android data collection suite with universal support for diverse scanning hardware and industrial mobile printers
  • Advanced Product Mapping: Implemented support for multiple identifiers per SKU, including DUN-14 (Distribution Unit Numbers) and secondary barcodes, ensuring global supply chain compatibility.
  • User-Centric Design: Designed an intuitive, "zero-learning-curve" interface that allows new operators to become proficient in minutes.
  • Internationalization (i18n): Successfully implemented full multi-language support

Design

graph TB
    MAIN([<b>DB</b> </br> MySQL])
    WEBSERVICE[<b>FrontEnd / Backend API</b></br>]
    BARCODE_LABEL_PRINTERS[<b>Printers</b> </br>Zebra/Honeywell/etc]
    DATA_COLLECTORS[<b>Data collectors</b> </br>Android o WCE/ WEH]

    MAIN <--> WEBSERVICE
    WEBSERVICE <-->  DATA_COLLECTORS
    DATA_COLLECTORS --> BARCODE_LABEL_PRINTERS

Components

  • FrontEnd and API (Yii)

    • Developed in PHP using Yii
    • Multi user application
    • API for connecting to connect easily to other systems
    • Custom ConJob administrator allows running import / export / cleanup processes.

    View Api

  • Windows CE APP (Deprecated)

    • Developed for Windows CE and Windows Embedded Handheld (WEH) environments.
    • Lifecycle Management: Currently in the maintenance phase of its lifecycle, providing critical support until the transition to updated customer hardware is complete.
    • Offline-First Architecture: Designed as a standalone application capable of full functionality without a network connection, enabling audits in high-security or zero-coverage areas.

  • PlayStore Android App (deprecated)

    We currently do strategic distribution: Managed via a private repository to address specific dependency constraints and ensure compatibility with legacy data collection hardware.

    • Modern Kotlin Development: Leveraged Kotlin to build a robust, performant mobile application.
    • Offline-First Architecture: Designed as a standalone application capable of full functionality without a network connection, enabling audits in high-security or zero-coverage areas.
    • Continuous Integration & Deployment (CI/CD): Implemented automated pipelines for web builds.

    View Playstore

Windows app Windows app

Android app Android app Android app Android app Android app

Main advantages

  1. High Concurrency Multi-Warehouse Auditing
    • Distributed Stocktaking: Supports simultaneous auditing across multiple warehouse locations with real-time synchronization between several concurrent users.
    • Granular Unit of Measure (UoM) Auditing: Provides the flexibility to perform audits at the unit level or by full case/packaging, ensuring accuracy across different handling types.
  2. Scalable Data Architecture
    • Recursive Location Hierarchies: Features an unlimited parent-child relationship model for warehouses and clients, allowing for highly complex organizational structures and optimized search performance.
    • Full Operational Oversight: Provides administrators with total control over audit data, offering centralized visibility into progress, discrepancies, and historical records.
  3. Seamless Interoperability
    • Flexible Data Exchange: Features robust import/export engines for Excel and CSV formats, ensuring seamless integration with external ERP systems and legacy data sources.
    • Industry Versatility: Engineered to adapt to diverse environments, from high-traffic retail (Kiosks and Supermarkets) to large-scale logistics (Warehouses and Storage Facilities).