The ultimate guide to no-code for warehouse management

The tools designed for warehouse operations don’t always work the way you need them to. 

Most teams rely on a messy combination of spreadsheets for inventory counts, whiteboards for shift planning, calls and emails to communicate, and a legacy WMS that wasn’t built for mobile use. Critical information gets trapped in data silos, and teams spend too much time chasing updates, manually entering data, and juggling phone calls and paper logs to keep things moving.

The right software can solve a lot of the pain involved in the warehouse management process. 

Previously, businesses needed either a well-resourced IT team, or a team of software engineers, months of development time, and a sizeable budget to make even a single specialized tool. Now, with no-code technology like Glide, businesses can quickly build highly effective software for all the processes that keep operations running.

Here’s how you can create custom warehouse management solutions that enable you to connect fragmented data and processes, help your teams work more efficiently, and give leadership real-time visibility into your entire operation. 

Why create no-code apps for warehouse management

You can use no-code to digitize formerly manual processes and create connections between the software, data, and processes that your team uses in your warehouse every day. 

Custom warehouse management solutions fill in the gaps in your operations with tools tailored to your exact workflows. You can replace inefficient clipboards and spreadsheets with sleek web applications and create modern mobile interfaces to better use the information stored in an online database or rigid WMS.

Connected data that’s accessible and up-to-date

Glide apps start with your existing data. You connect your spreadsheets, databases, and current software systems to Glide to create an application that gives your team real-time visibility and a single, connected view of their workflows. 

Connect your apps to legacy systems like WMS (warehouse management systems) or ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. Your teams be able to use that data in a more streamlined interface that’s easier to use on mobile, and leadership will get real-time synced data without having to wait for data from spreadsheets to get uploaded manually.

All of your Glide apps pull from the same connected data sources, which means that when an update happens in one system, it instantly reflects everywhere else. This prevents duplicate entries, conflicting records, or time wasted reconciling data. Glide integrates with your existing systems, whether that’s off-the-shelf warehouse management software, inventory management systems, ERPs, order management software, sales channels, or anything else. 

Lightweight point solutions for any process

Unlike off-the-shelf tools that are forced to overload their interface with features to suit every possible customer, no-code allows you to create lightweight, targeted solutions that are tailored to your precise workflows and contain just the features your team needs, nothing more.

Glide allows you to build a flexible warehouse management system with separate, purpose-built apps for each process. 

Logistics teams can coordinate deliveries from a dashboard, drivers get detailed instructions directly on their phone, warehouse teams use a mobile check-in app to receive them, and your inventory management app gets automatically updated in real time as they do so. 

Admin can see the whole process from a dashboard to ensure operations run smoothly, and management can have a reporting app that gives them the visibility they need to make strategic decisions.

Mobile accessible tools for the warehouse floor

Most work in warehouses doesn’t happen in front of a computer. Your custom apps will be automatically mobile adaptive, so your software can be used from smartphones, tablets, and other devices wherever work is actually happening. Drivers can use them to receive route or bay assignments. 

Teams can record information from anywhere in the warehouse and access the information they need to do their work from anywhere. They can attach a zebra scanner to record barcode information, use their device camera to take and upload photos, and record audio notes with their device microphone that will be transcribed and organized using AI. 

One of the biggest drawbacks of both traditional software and spreadsheets is their poor mobile performance. When data is entered later at a computer, it’s easy for errors to occur, and processes get slowed down significantly. Custom apps help you avoid these problems. 

Advanced automation and AI workflows for added efficiency

You have the ability to create sophisticated automations directly within your applications. These workflows can save a significant amount of manual work and will keep all your data automatically synchronized across platforms. 

Glide’s managed AI also makes it easy to build intelligent automation into your processes. You can use AI for inventory management or add AI actions that will write reports, analyze images and extract information, or even analyze data and make recommendations or predictions. Tasks like routing work, generating reports, or surfacing exceptions can run in the background, giving your team the benefits of AI without adding technical overhead.

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Custom warehouse management solutions you can create for your operations

There are common warehouse processes that tend to benefit from custom software. Workflows that involve a lot of data and processes that happen while teams are on warehouse floors and interacting with equipment or inventory are especially good prospects. Here are some of the most effective no-code apps for warehouse management teams.

1. Receiving and quality control app

A custom receiving and quality control app with integrated barcode scanning and photography features helps your team more effectively catch damaged goods or incorrect items before they enter your inventory. In addition to verifying item counts, this app can be used to record when shipments arrive damaged, with the wrong items, or in the wrong quantities.

When a shipment arrives, the app can upload the Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) automatically before your team scans in received items. If the items and quantity match, the app records the receipt, updates your inventory system, and shows where to shelve the items. If there’s an issue, like damaged packaging or the wrong SKU, the app automatically routes the shipment into a quality control workflow with an inspections agent.

Your warehouse team can use their devices' built-in camera and microphone to upload pictures and voice notes to the agent, which analyzes the scanned item and generates a report according to your standard operating procedures. A supervisor can then review the issue and approve the next steps, such as refusing the damaged goods.

You can also set rules that automatically trigger an inspection for certain deliveries. For example, shipments from specific suppliers or high-value items can be set to always go through inspection before they’re received. 

Your team has a consistent, accountable process for keeping inventory accurate.

2. Cycle counting and inventory audit app

A cycle counting and inventory audit app keeps inventory accurate year-round and removes the need for warehouse-wide shutdowns during annual audits. 

Once-a-year inventory audits disrupt operations, pull staff away from daily work, and necessitate rushing through counts that are outdated as soon as operations restart. Cycle counting avoids these stoppages, but it’s often done using paper logs. That data is slow to gather and upload, making it hard to track what has been counted and by whom.

A custom app solves both these problems. It automatically assigns cycle counts by zone, SKU type, or count frequency so every area gets covered. 

The assigned employee sees a task list on their device, counts the items, and enters the results. To prevent bias, the employee doesn’t see expected quantities and performs a blind count, which the app compares to the system’s record. If there’s a mismatch, the app flags the discrepancy and routes it to a supervisor for review or a recount. 

Every action is logged with a time stamp, creating a complete audit trail. You can pull up the information at any time to see who counted what, when, and where, giving you an accountable record of your inventory accuracy.

The ultimate guide to AI for inventory management

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3. Daily warehouse sheet

A daily warehouse sheet app keeps managers and floor staff in sync with a mobile-accessible schedule that lets them adapt as priorities shift.

Whiteboards and paper logs can’t keep pace as things on the ground change. Plans written at the start of a shift become obsolete as delays happen or priorities change. Sharing timely updates with the right people becomes complicated on the large warehouse floor. When the shift is over, there’s no reliable record of events beyond scattered notes and a verbal confirmation.

A custom app solves this by providing a single, real-time source for the daily schedule.

Supervisors can set the day's plan in the app, and as the shift unfolds, they can reassign tasks, adjust priorities, or add new instructions if issues come up. Staff see those updates on their devices right away, so no one is left working from an outdated plan. As tasks are completed, staff update progress from their devices, flag delays as they happen, and log incidents on the spot.

At the end of the shift, a complete, time-stamped log shows exactly how the day played out, ready for review or export.

4. Returnable asset tracker app

A returnable asset tracker app prevents pallets, crates, and containers from going unaccounted for by giving you real-time visibility into where they are and who is responsible for them. 

ERP systems aren’t designed to track the movement of these items. Spreadsheets require manual updates, which teams often forget to do, and even a single missed entry can result in false shortages, costly disputes with carriers, or purchasing replacements. Over time, those errors lead to lost equipment and unnecessary replacement costs, even when the assets are still sitting in one of your warehouses.

A custom app lets your team track and manage warehouse assets as part of the workflow. Every asset is given a unique barcode. When it leaves with a shipment, an employee scans the code, instantly linking it to that specific order and carrier. When it comes back, another scan closes the loop.

The app maintains a live balance for each carrier, so you can see exactly who has your assets at any moment. At the end of the month (or on demand), it generates reports highlighting outstanding returns, overdue items, or charges that need to be applied.

The app can also track assets moving between your own warehouses with a mapping function, so you don’t waste money replacing assets that are just in a different location.

5. Order prioritization and optimization app

An order prioritization and optimization app ensures your most critical orders are shipped on time by replacing a “first-in, first-out” system with an intelligent, optimized workflow.

When your team picks orders in the sequence they arrive, you create unnecessary risk. A high-priority, next-day air shipment can get stuck behind a dozen standard ground orders that came in earlier. This leads to missed shipping cutoffs and delayed deliveries, which can result in costly service refunds or lost future business. 

A custom app prioritizes all open orders, adding new ones to the list as they come in, based on a set of rules that you define. This logic can weigh multiple factors simultaneously, such as: 

• Selected shipping method for ecommerce shipments: next-day delivery, ground shipping
• Service-level agreements: contract order requiring same-day shipment, guaranteed 2-day delivery
• Carrier pickup schedules: 10 a.m. parcel pickup, end-of-day freight pickup
• Geography or delivery zone: local deliveries, cross-country freight loads
• Customer tiering: priority contract customer, standard account
• Special handling requirements: fragile goods, oversized freight

The app then pushes the highest-priority job to the next available picker’s device.

The app also optimizes the picking route itself. Instead of having pickers zigzag between aisles, it calculates the most time-efficient path to collect all the items for an order. 

The result is faster order processing and increased operational efficiency across the warehouse.

6. Packing optimization app

A packing optimization app speeds up order fulfillment by taking the decision-making out of packaging. Instead of stopping to figure out which box or filler to use, packers get instant instructions that keep orders moving.

Each SKU can be mapped to its correct packaging requirements like carton size, protective materials, or custom containers, so that the process is fast and consistent across the warehouse. When an order includes multiple items, the app calculates how to group them in the most efficient way. It considers dimensions, weight limits, and compatibility to recommend the best packaging option.

Without the app, a packer might spend valuable minutes comparing box sizes, rearranging items to see what fits best, or double-checking whether the chosen packaging is strong enough. With the app, the decision has already been made. The packer sees the right box size, how the items should be arranged, and any special instructions, then gets straight to work.

The packing process runs faster across the warehouse, produces consistent results across every shift, and reduces shipping costs by minimizing wasted space. Customers receive goods in secure condition and are less likely to return items due to poor packaging.

“Since implementing the logistics app, our dispatchers and support staff have saved easily over 20 hours per week on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on load planning and customer service as well as retention. I know it’s a cliche, but we're in a digital era. If you’re looking to keep up, I certainly hope that you would consider a no code platform.”

Adam Wingfield

Founder/Managing Director, Innovative Logistics Group, LLC.

7. Dock scheduling and yard management app

Carrier arrivals can be hard to balance. Multiple trucks can arrive at the same time and create long queues. At other times, docks sit idle and waste capacity. A custom dock scheduling app smooths out these peaks and gaps and keeps dock use evenly distributed.

Manual scheduling through calls and emails leads to delays in confirming time slots, creates the risk of double-booked docks, and takes up staff hours. Once trucks arrive, clipboards and radio calls make bay assignments confusing, and paperwork often lags behind yard activity.

With a custom app, carriers can reserve dock times in advance so arrival schedules are coordinated before trucks reach your site. When a truck arrives at the yard, the driver checks in by scanning a QR code, which alerts your team to be ready and records the actual arrival and departure times for performance tracking. Drivers receive automatic instructions by text message, so they know exactly where to go and when to load or unload. The addition of AI for logistics can help optimize your trucking operations intelligently.

Your team gets a real-time view of who’s in the yard, which docks are occupied, and which are available. Freight keeps moving without bottlenecks, and loading and unloading times are logged without extra admin work.

How to gain real-time operational visibility using custom logistics software

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8. 3PL warehouse app

A third-party logistics app gives you one central hub to manage warehouse operations while providing your clients with a self-service view of their own stock, orders, and reports. 

Instead of juggling spreadsheets, phone calls, and emails, your team manages its entire operations in one warehouse management system. With a custom app, you can set up client-specific rules. 

• One client may require every inbound pallet to be photographed and logged before put-away, while another only needs a simple ASN check.
• One client can set a rule that returns must be inspected and restocked within 24 hours, while another only requires a weekly reconciliation.
• Some clients might want branded packing slips and custom carton labels, while others ship with generic packaging.

Your warehouse team works from the same interface to manage all these clients’ workflows without impacting any other clients’ requirements. 

Clients log in to their own customer portal to see stock levels, submit fulfillment requests, and access reports — all restricted so they only see their own data. At the same time, you can view a master dashboard that rolls everything up into metrics like total units stored, orders shipped per client, and space utilization.

This keeps your team’s work consolidated in one place, while clients get a transparent, professional experience.

9. Business intelligence app

A business intelligence app pulls data from multiple warehouse management systems into a unified space, giving every team visibility into accurate, up-to-date information for making decisions.

Managers often spend hours manually exporting data from different systems. They need to take data for inventory management, shipping, financials, and more, and stitctch it together in spreadsheets. By the time the report is ready, the information masy already be outdated, which leads to decisions based on old news and missed opportunities to fix small problems before they become big ones.

A custom business intelligence app connects directly to your other business systems, including other Glide WMS apps, creating a single source of truth for all your operational data. 

You can create custom dashboards to display live KPIs tailored to each role or team. Finance can monitor storage costs and billing, operations can track dock-to-stock time and order accuracy, and sales can see fulfillment turnaround. Secure views ensure each department only sees the data relevant to them, keeping sensitive information protected while giving everyone the insights they need.

The system can also use AI to automatically generate and deliver weekly or monthly performance summaries to key stakeholders. 

This eliminates the manual reporting cycle entirely, giving every leader a consistent and up-to-date view of warehouse performance without the administrative drag. This gives every team a single source of truth across your entire warehouse operations so they have clarity and can act quickly.

10. Warehouse equipment checkout and safety app

A warehouse equipment checkout app helps your team keep track of forklifts, scanners, and other shared tools by tying every use to a digital log with built-in safety checks.

When this shared equipment is tracked with paper logs, it’s easy to lose track of where an item of critical equipment is or who had it last. A custom app removes the reliance on spreadsheets and verbal updates to manage equipment use and health.

Employees scan a QR code to check out equipment at the start of a shift. The app records who’s using it, requires a quick digital safety checklist, and creates a time-stamped log of compliance. If an employee discovers an issue, they can use the app to report it, attach a photo of the damage, and automatically notify the maintenance team. 

The app also tracks usage hours and time since last service so that recurring maintenance is scheduled automatically, and equipment is flagged as unavailable until it’s cleared.

Supervisors get a live record of where every tool is, who’s using it, and whether it’s safe to operate. This can prevent downtime, avoid accidents, and protect valuable assets.

11. Returns processing app

A returns processing app standardizes how every return is handled so items don’t get mislogged, misplaced, or written off incorrectly.

Inconsistent returns processing creates costly blind spots. Without a standard procedure, it’s difficult to identify recurring product defects or confirm if returns were correctly handled. Good items can be discarded by mistake while damaged products are accidentally restocked, and issuing customer credits becomes slow and unreliable.

When the vendor generates a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA), your app can automatically pull it from your inbox so your team knows to expect a return. When the item arrives at the warehouse, a team member scans its barcode and selects a reason for the return from a predefined list. They can also take photos of the item and its packaging, attaching them directly to the return record to document its condition.

Based on the reason code and condition, the app automatically assigns the item to its next step:

• restock
• discard
• send to rework
• hold for inspection

If “hold” is selected, the inspections workflow is automatically triggered. Refurbished goods can be relabeled with new SKUs, updated in the WMS, and made available for resale. The same system can also handle returns to vendors and generate credit memos.

Managers can filter returns data by SKU, client, reason, or timeframe, making it easier to spot recurring defects, operational errors, or customer issues before they grow into bigger costs.

Who can benefit from custom warehouse management solutions

A custom warehouse management system can be designed to handle the distinct challenges of different logistics models, whether a business is managing its own goods or handling fulfillment for others.

In-house warehouse operations

For businesses managing their own inventory, like retailers or ecommerce companies, custom warehouse management solutions provide operational agility that off-the-shelf software cannot. Instead of being forced to adapt their processes to a rigid, generic system, they can build mobile tools that match their exact workflows. This creates a more efficient operation that can easily scale or shift as the business grows, turning their warehouse into a competitive advantage rather than a cost center held back by makeshift spreadsheets or inflexible software.

Third-party logistics providers

For third-party logistics providers, custom warehouse management software drives operational efficiency across multiple clients. The system allows them to handle diverse client workflows from a single, unified interface, which significantly reduces client management overhead. Instead of relying on constant emails and phone calls, clients get access to a secure, self-service portal for their own inventory checks and fulfillment requests. This transparent reporting builds client trust and helps the third-party logistics provider create valuable, long-term relationships with clients.

Benefits of custom software for warehouse management

Custom warehouse management solutions allow you to replace one-size-fits-all systems with tools tailored to your operation. Here are the benefits it brings.

• Single source of truth and real-time visibility: A custom WMS keeps every team on the same page with one live record of inventory. Every scan, move, or shipment updates the system instantly so your team always knows where your goods are, when a new consignment is arriving, and when something needs to ship out.
• Faster workflows through automation: Manual tasks like assigning picks, generating labels, or flagging discrepancies are now automated by simple rules or intelligent automation workflows. The system applies your rules to route work to the right person, generate paperwork, and surface exceptions early, which keeps delays and rework to a minimum.
• Integrated systems and data flows: Custom apps integrate with all the tools you already use and removes data silos. A record updated in your Glide warehouse management app can sync with data for the same shipment in your ecommerce platform and carrier portal, which will update the record in your connected inventory management app. Data only needs to be entered once, reducing the effort of manual entry and the risk of errors.
• Better decision-making with the right data: You can choose the KPIs that matter—like dock-to-stock time, picking accuracy by team, or carrier claims per month—and display them in live dashboards or generate automated reports. Instead of digging for numbers, you get accurate, up-to-date information to make informed business decisions.
• Built for your team’s exact workflows: Off-the-shelf warehouse management systems force you to adapt to their processes, which can create inefficiencies. A custom WMS is built around your actual warehouse processes. That means fewer workarounds for staff, less retraining, and a system that supports operations from the start.

Get your custom warehouse management solution

The best way to get started with a custom warehouse management system is to focus on one area first. Identify the part of your warehouse that causes the most delays or costs and build a focused app to solve it.

You have several options for building. Your IT or operations staff can create these apps themselves. No code means they don’t need specialized development skills, and they can move faster than traditional software projects that take months and require costly engineering teams.

If you want outside expertise, you can bring in Glide Experts or no code agencies. These experts can help you build solutions in days or weeks while also acting as partners to identify where a custom app will create the most impact. For larger and more complex operations, Glide Solutions offers a hands-on approach from the Glide team.

Once the first app is live, you can expand at your own pace and add new apps for other workflows. This incremental approach keeps operations running smoothly while steadily building a connected WMS that matches how your warehouse actually works.