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An order picking app guides the picker product by product, checks each item by scan and prints the carrier label. Allow $6,800 to $22,400 (€6,000–€20,000)excl. VAT depending on the number of connections (store, marketplaces, carriers), for 1 to 3 months of development.
In an e-commerce warehouse, picking is often where the most time and money are lost: unnecessary walking, wrong products, re-packed parcels, unhappy customers. A well-designed picking tool cuts these losses without changing your sales platform. Here is what it should do, how it fits into your tools, and what it costs.
What a picking app should do
The goal is simple: the picker takes the right product, in the right quantity, without thinking about the route. In practice:
- group orders into pick lists, by wave, carrier or zone;
- sort lines along the route between locations;
- guide the picker product by product on a readable screen;
- check each item by scanning its barcode, with an alert on errors;
- handle real-world cases: missing product, stockout discovered on the shelf, approved substitution;
- print the carrier label and packing slip at the packing station;
- send the status and tracking number back to the store or marketplace.
Picking methods
The right tool adapts to the way you pick, not the other way around.
| Method | Principle | Suited when |
|---|---|---|
| Order by order | The picker handles one order at a time | Few orders, many lines per order |
| Batch picking | Several orders picked in one pass, then sorted | Many small orders |
| Zone picking | Each picker covers a zone, orders are consolidated afterward | Large warehouse, several pickers |
| Wave picking | Orders are released by time slot (carrier, cutoff time) | Several pickups per day |
Many warehouses combine two methods depending on the time of day. The app can support this, if it is planned during scoping.
Hardware and scanning
A web app runs on the hardware you already have, or on off-the-shelf Android devices. Two options for scanning:
- a dedicated scanner (handheld or device with a built-in reader), most of which behave like a keyboard: simple, fast and reliable;
- the phone camera, convenient for getting started. Browsers offer a barcode detection interface, but it is still flagged as “experimental” and “limited availability” in the MDN documentation for the Barcode Detection API (checked October 2026). So we use a proven scanning library and test on your devices.
For high volumes, I recommend a dedicated scanner: the gain in speed and reliability is clear.
How the tool fits into your systems
The picking app does not live on its own. It pulls orders from your store and marketplaces, reads locations and stock, and sends statuses back. If orders come from several channels, see centralizing orders and stock across marketplaces. If you already manage stock in an in-house tool, picking can become one of its modules: see the inventory management app.
Budget and timelines
These ranges exclude VAT and cover a first version running in production, based on my public price list.
| Scope | What it includes | Indicative budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple picking | Lists, scanning, missing items, connection to one store | $6,800 to $13,500 (€6,000–€12,000)excl. VAT | 1 to 2 months |
| Complete picking | The above + waves, zones, carrier labels, dashboard | $13,500 to $22,400 (€12,000–€20,000)excl. VAT | 2 to 3 months |
| Integrated with logistics | The complete tool + multi-warehouse, marketplaces, supplier receiving, offline mode | $22,400 (€20,000)excl. VAT and up | 3 to 5 months |
In my estimator, each connection (store, carrier, marketplace) counts for about $2,300 (€2,000)excl. VAT, offline mode and notifications $1,200 (€1,000)excl. VAT and a dashboard $1,700 (€1,500)excl. VAT. The estimator gives you a suitable range.
You still pay for hosting, scanning and printing hardware, and any fees for carrier services.
When it is not the right choice
- A few dozen orders a day, one picker. Your platform’s packing slip and well-organized shelves are often enough.
- Outsourced logistics. If a third-party logistics provider picks your orders, their tool is what matters: what you need is a solid connection to them.
- A highly automated warehouse. Beyond a certain level of automation, specialized warehouse management software is a better fit than a custom tool.
- A budget under $6,800 (€6,000)excl. VAT, the floor for reliable business software.
How the project works
- A 30-minute call (free): your volumes, your warehouse, your channels.
- Scoping (1 to 2 weeks), ideally with a visit or a video of the warehouse: picking method, locations, hardware, fixed quote.
- Clickable mockups tested by your pickers on the floor.
- Development in batches, each tested on real orders before the next.
- Go-live, picker training, three months of included support.
To see how I run a business software project, visit the business apps page.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to buy dedicated scanners?
Not necessarily. A web app runs on a smartphone, a tablet or a rugged Android device. For high volumes, a dedicated scanner remains faster and sturdier than a phone camera.
Does the app work if the warehouse Wi-Fi is poor?
It can be designed to keep working offline on a list that is already loaded, then sync when the network comes back. This needs to be planned during scoping, because it changes the design.
Can it handle several warehouses or storage zones?
Yes. Each product has a location per site, and pick lists are generated by warehouse, then sorted along the shortest path between locations.
How do we measure picking productivity?
The app records the start and end time of each list, the number of lines and the errors caught at scan. This data feeds a simple dashboard, useful for sizing the team during peak periods.