Bespoke Development · Warehouse Management Systems
Warehouse Management Systems Built Around You
Off-the-shelf WMS platforms make your operation fit around their software. We build the other way around: a system shaped to how you actually work, connected to everything it needs to be.
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Sound Familiar?
Signs your WMS is costing you more than you think
Most businesses don't realise how much their warehouse system is costing them until they add it up. If any of these sound familiar, the number is probably larger than you expect.
The reconciliation spreadsheet
Someone on your team maintains a spreadsheet that corrects what the WMS gets wrong. It exists because the system can't handle something fundamental about how you work.
Stock levels you don't trust
What the system says you have and what's actually on the shelf are two different numbers. Your team knows this and works around it every day.
Integrations that break
Adding a new carrier, channel, or supplier system takes weeks and costs money every time. Or it never quite works properly even after it's "done."
Pick errors are a weekly conversation
Wrong items, wrong quantities, wrong locations. The errors keep happening because the system doesn't enforce the right process at the right moment.
No single view across locations
If you run more than one site, depot, or storage location, getting a clear picture across all of them requires logging into multiple systems or running manual reports.
The licence costs more than the problems it solves
You're paying monthly for a platform that still requires significant manual workarounds. The total cost of ownership, licence plus staff time plus errors, is higher than it looks.
Most WMS platforms are built for someone else's warehouse
We build warehouse management systems for businesses across a wide range of sectors: fashion and ecommerce retailers, steel and metals stockholders, paper and print distributors, catering equipment hire companies, building materials suppliers, and industrial parts distributors. What they have in common is that no off-the-shelf platform was built with their specific operation in mind.
Platforms like Linnworks, Brightpearl, and Veeqo are built for ecommerce retail. If you run a steel stockholder, a hire fleet, or a bulk materials operation, those tools aren't even in the right conversation. And even for ecommerce businesses, most standard platforms require constant workarounds to handle anything unusual. The cost of those inefficiencies, in staff time and mistakes, usually exceeds the licence fee several times over. A bespoke system removes that overhead permanently.
How does a bespoke WMS compare?
An honest side-by-side. Off-the-shelf platforms aren't always wrong, but here's where bespoke wins.
| Criteria | Dev Partners Bespoke WMS | Linnworks | Brightpearl | Veeqo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits your exact workflows | ✓ Built around youEvery process designed for how you operate | ~ Configure to fitWorks well for standard operations | ~ Retail-focusedStrong on standard retail workflows | ~ Multi-channel focusAmazon/eBay/Shopify led |
| Shopify integration | ✓ Deep native integrationReal-time sync, custom logic, ShopFlow option | ✓ YesStandard connector, some limitations | ✓ YesGood for Shopify Plus | ✓ YesShopify native (Amazon-owned) |
| Custom picking workflows | ✓ Fully bespokeZone picking, batch picking, any logic you need | ~ Standard workflowsLimited customisation | ~ Basic workflowsNot a specialist WMS | ~ Standard pick/packLimited advanced logic |
| Monthly licensing fees | ✓ NoneYou own the software outright | ✗ From £449/monthScales with order volume | ✗ £375+ /monthPlus implementation costs | ✓ FreeAmazon-owned, costs elsewhere |
| ERP and back-office connection | ✓ Any systemBuilt to connect with whatever you run | ~ Popular ERPs onlyCustom integrations extra | ~ Select partnersLimited connector library | ~ LimitedShipping and channel focus |
| You own the code | ✓ Full ownershipNo vendor lock-in, ever | ✗ SaaS platformDependent on continued service | ✗ SaaS platformIris Commerce acquisition adds uncertainty | ✗ Amazon-ownedStrategic risk if priorities shift |
| Best for | Operations with unusual workflows, complex integrations, or that have outgrown standard platforms | Multi-channel retailers with standard fulfilment needs | Mid-market retail businesses on Shopify Plus or Magento | Amazon-first sellers wanting free multi-channel management |
WMS functionality that works the way you do
Every warehouse is different. Here's the kind of functionality we build as standard, and what we extend when your operation needs it.
Stock management and real-time visibility
Live inventory levels across every location, bin, and channel. No more stock-outs from overselling, no more manual counts to reconcile what the system thinks you have with what's actually on the shelf.
Multi-channel order management
Orders from Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and Etsy feeding into a single pick queue, with rules to handle channel-specific SLAs, packaging requirements, and carrier allocation automatically.
Custom picking workflows
Zone picking, batch picking, wave picking, or any combination your operation requires. Pick routes optimised for your warehouse layout. Logic that handles fragile, hazardous, or oversized items correctly every time.
ERP and back-office integration
Your WMS connected to your finance system, your ERP, your carrier accounts, and your supplier portals. One system talking to everything rather than five systems with gaps between them.
Mobile picking and scanning
Barcode scanning and mobile pick confirmation for warehouse staff. Works on standard Android devices, no proprietary hardware required. Reduces pick errors and speeds up throughput measurably.
Reporting and operational insight
Dashboards and reports built around the numbers that actually matter to your operation: pick rate, error rate, stock turn, carrier performance, fulfilment SLA compliance. Not generic analytics nobody uses.
Three ways we approach WMS projects
Not every business needs a ground-up build. Here's how we scope the right solution for where you are.
A complete warehouse management system designed and built around how your operation works today, with the flexibility to evolve as your business grows. We start with a detailed discovery process to map your current workflows, identify the inefficiencies and limitations you're working around, and design a system that handles them correctly from day one.
The build typically covers stock management, order intake from all channels, picking workflows, carrier integration, returns handling, and reporting. Depending on your operation we add labour management, supplier portals, or cross-docking functionality on top. You own the code outright on completion, with no ongoing licence fee to a platform vendor.
ShopFlow is Dev Partners' own inventory and order management platform, built specifically for Shopify retailers who need more than Shopify's native tools provide but don't want to pay the ongoing fees of a full ERP system like NetSuite or Brightpearl. It handles multi-warehouse stock, order management, picking, and despatch, with a native Shopify connection that keeps everything in sync in real time.
ShopFlow suits retailers at the point where Shopify alone isn't enough but a £20,000-a-year ERP licence is disproportionate to the business size. It bridges that gap at a fraction of the cost, with the option to customise beyond the standard platform when your operation needs it.
Learn More About ShopFlowSometimes the problem isn't that you don't have a WMS, it's that the one you have doesn't do something critical, or forces you into workarounds that cost more than they save. We take on projects that involve extending an existing platform with bespoke modules, building custom integrations that the platform doesn't support natively, or migrating your data and workflows away from a platform you've outgrown into something built properly for where you are now.
If you're currently on Linnworks, Brightpearl, or a legacy in-house system that's become a liability, this is the conversation to have.
WMS built for fashion, retail and distribution
The warehouses we work with span a wide range of sectors. Fashion ecommerce is one of them. Steel stockholding, paper distribution, catering equipment hire, and building materials are others. The common thread is that none of them could get what they needed from a standard platform.
From pick face to despatch, built to your operation
We've built warehouse management systems for fashion retailers processing thousands of orders a day, steel and metals stockholders managing complex cut-to-order stock, paper and print distributors handling bulk and split pallet movements, catering equipment hire companies tracking serialised assets across multiple depots, and ecommerce brands connecting Shopify to third-party logistics providers.
Every one of those operations is different. Every system we build reflects that. We don't take a retail WMS template and adjust it for a steel warehouse. We start with how your operation actually works and build from there.
- Real-time stock sync across Shopify, Amazon, eBay and Etsy
- Bespoke pick workflows including zone, batch and wave picking
- Barcode scanning on standard Android mobile devices
- Carrier integration: Royal Mail, DPD, DHL, UPS, and others
- Returns management with automated restock logic
- ERP connection: NetSuite, Sage, and bespoke back-office systems
- Reporting dashboards built around your operational KPIs
Is a bespoke WMS right for your business?
The questions worth asking before you commit to any warehouse management solution.
What are you currently working around?
List every process where your team does something manually because the software can't handle it. If that list is long, you're paying for inefficiency every day. A bespoke system is justified when the cost of workarounds exceeds the build cost within a reasonable period.
What does your current WMS actually cost?
Add up licence fees, implementation costs, ongoing support charges, and the cost of integrations your platform doesn't handle natively. For many businesses at scale, bespoke has a lower total cost of ownership within two to three years.
How unusual is your operation?
Standard operations with standard products and standard channels are well served by standard platforms. If your operation has unusual requirements (fragile stock, unusual pick logic, complex multi-location rules), bespoke earns its cost faster.
What does your back-office look like?
If you need a WMS connected to a bespoke ERP, a legacy finance system, or custom carrier accounts that don't appear on standard connector lists, off-the-shelf platforms will struggle. Custom integration is a core reason to go bespoke.
Are you comfortable with SaaS dependency?
Off-the-shelf platforms can change pricing, discontinue features, or get acquired. Brightpearl was acquired by Iris Commerce. Veeqo was acquired by Amazon. If platform stability matters to your operation, owning your own code removes that risk entirely.
What does growth look like?
SaaS WMS platforms typically scale their pricing with your order volume, meaning costs increase as you grow. A bespoke system has a fixed build cost and scales with your infrastructure rather than your success.
What Our Clients Say About Us
“We've worked with Dev Partners for many years for a reason, their services can't be beaten. We have a program for our business (electronic security sector) that they developed and keep up to date. They've never let us down, they're always there when needed 24/7. Thanks Rob and the team, all great guys... keep up the good work.”
Fancy a quick chat with the software geeks?
If clunky systems are slowing you down, let’s talk. No sales patter. No corporate waffle. Just a straightforward conversation about fixing the stuff that wastes your time.
Meet Rob & Jason
Two normal blokes who happen to be good at untangling messy systems. We’ll talk to you like humans, not consultants, and help you find the simplest way forward.
We’ll reply within one working day. No spam. No waffle.
Why Dev Partners
What makes us different
You own the code. Full stop.
No licence fees, no vendor lock-in, no risk if we ever part ways. Everything we build belongs to you outright from day one.
Fully UK-based. No exceptions.
Every developer on your project is UK-based and senior. Nobody gets handed off to a junior or an offshore team after the sales call.
Built for your sector, not adapted from someone else's.
We've built for fashion, steel, paper, catering hire, and distribution. We understand that a steel stockholder and a clothing retailer have nothing in common operationally.
You talk to the people building it.
No account managers relaying messages. When you have a question or need something changed, you speak directly to the developer who knows your system.
Ready to build a warehouse system that actually fits?
Book a free discovery call and let's look at what your operation actually needs.
We'll talk through your current setup, the limitations you're working around, and whether a bespoke WMS, ShopFlow, or something in between is the right answer. No pitch, no pressure.
What we'll cover:
- Your current warehouse setup and the channels you fulfil from
- The specific workflows your current system can't handle
- What integrations you need and what you're currently doing manually
- Realistic build cost and timeline for your requirements
- Whether bespoke is the right answer or whether an off-the-shelf platform would serve you better
Calls are typically 30 to 45 minutes. We reply to all enquiries within one working day.
Book a Discovery Call
Tell us about your warehouse operation and we'll be in touch within one working day.
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