How to create a logistics application: the complete guide

An online order does not end with the customer’s click. It has to be received, the product found in the warehouse, picked, packed, assigned to a driver, handed over, sometimes paid in cash, and returned if the customer refuses it. At each step, information can get lost.

A logistics app links these steps in a single system. The merchant sees where their orders stand, the warehouse knows what to pick, the driver knows where to go, and the manager reads activity without chasing files. This guide details what to plan, from the shelf to the customer’s door.

01Who a logistics app is for

At least five profiles are involved, with very different screens and rights.

• Warehouse staff: they receive goods, pick and pack orders, on a phone or a scanning terminal.
• Drivers: they follow their route, confirm each handover and declare the cash they collect.
• The dispatcher: they split parcels between drivers, adjust routes and handle incidents.
• The client or merchant: they send their orders, follow their status and check their payouts.
• The manager: they run the whole operation through indicators and settle disputes.

02The essential features

1. 01
   Order intake. Manual entry, file import or a connection to online shops: every order lands in a single list, each with its status.
2. 02
   Stock by location. Each product is linked to a zone, an aisle and a shelf. Goods in and out update the stock, and an alert flags upcoming shortages.
3. 03
   Picking and packing. Picking lists group orders in warehouse order; a final check verifies the contents before the parcel is sealed.
4. 04
   Barcode scanning. At receiving, picking and dispatch, a scan with the phone camera or a dedicated reader prevents product errors.
5. 05
   Assignment and routes. The dispatcher assigns parcels by zone, and the app suggests a delivery order that the driver can adjust.
6. 06
   Proof of delivery. A photo, a signature or a code given to the customer, with the time and position: the handover becomes verifiable.
7. 07
   Cash on delivery and reconciliation. The driver records each collection; at the end of the day, the declared total is compared with the cash handed in, then paid out to the merchant.
8. 08
   Returns. Refusal, absence or a faulty product: the reason is recorded, the parcel goes back to stock or to inspection, and the merchant is informed.

03The merchant portal and customer tracking

If you handle logistics for other businesses, each merchant needs their own space: order upload, parcel status, available stock, amounts collected and paid out. That transparency turns a provider into a trusted partner.

The end customer receives a tracking link and messages at key moments: order packed, out for delivery, delivered. “Where is my parcel?” calls go down, and refusals at the door often do too.

04Dashboards and reporting

Every scan produces data; it still has to be readable. A good dashboard answers everyday questions:

• orders received, packed, delivered and returned today;
• the successful delivery rate by zone and by driver;
• the amounts collected, handed in and paid out;
• products that are out of stock or sitting idle.

Codex built AZ fulfillment, an e-commerce management platform that brings together orders, stock and statistics in one dashboard. On the management side, the BZ Telecom ERP combines a sales dashboard, financial tracking and real-time indicators. Deeper analysis falls under the Codex data and analytics service.

05The realities of the field

Logistics happens in the field, and the field sets its own rules.

• in Algeria, cash on delivery remains common in e-commerce: cash reconciliation is a central module; online payment by CIB or Edahabia goes through an approved provider;
• elsewhere, online payment goes through an approved local payment provider, and the role of cash on delivery varies by market;
• addresses are sometimes vague: a landmark and the location shared by the customer help the driver;
• the network can drop in the warehouse or on the road: the app records offline and syncs as soon as the network returns;
• screens come in French and Arabic, with a right-to-left layout, for teams that do not all read the same language.

06Which architecture: web, mobile or both?

The back office, the merchant portal and the dashboards are web applications. Drivers and warehouse staff work on a mobile app, usually Android, or on scanning terminals. All these pieces share the same server and database, for example with Laravel or Node.js and PostgreSQL.

If you already have an ERP or accounting software, the app connects to it rather than rebuilding everything; the article custom ERP in Algeria helps draw the line. Codex builds these systems as part of its custom software service.

07A useful first version, then improvements

The temptation is to cover everything at once. A solid first version focuses on the main flow:

• order intake and stock by location;
• picking with barcode scanning;
• assignment to drivers, proof of delivery and cash collection;
• daily reconciliation and a simple dashboard.

Then come route optimisation, the full merchant portal, more online shop connections, several warehouses or automatic invoicing of services.

08Mistakes to avoid

• developing before defining a parcel’s statuses and how they follow each other;
• leaving cash reconciliation in a spreadsheet next to the app;
• designing the driver app without testing it on a real route, one hand busy and the network weak;
• forgetting returns: untracked, they are costly;
• keeping the code, the server or the data on accounts that are not yours.

09What changes the budget

The cost depends on the flows to cover, not on a package price. The deciding factors:

• the number of profiles and whether there is a merchant portal;
• connections to online shops, an ERP or accounting software;
• scanning, offline mode and the hardware used;
• route optimisation;
• the level of reporting expected.

The detailed quote follows the scoping workshop. To prepare it, describe your flows and rough volumes using the article writing a project brief.

10The steps with Codex

1. 01
   Discovery. A workshop to map your flows, your profiles and your cash rules. You leave with a scope, a schedule and a detailed quote.
2. 02
   Design. Parcel statuses, each profile’s journey and the back-office screens. Every screen is approved before any code.
3. 03
   Development. Short sprints with a demo at each step, and tests on the sensitive cases: stock, offline mode, cash collection.
4. 04
   Launch and support. Going live on accounts in your name, training for your teams, then maintenance and new features.

Read next: how to create a food delivery app in Algeria and investing in e-commerce.

11Building it with Codex

Codex is a software studio founded in Algiers in 2014. More than 15 engineers and designers build products in French, Arabic and English, and the team has built more than 20 products in-house. The source code, the accounts and the data stay in your name. See the published projects and the certificates of completion.

No office is added locally. The work starts from Algiers (Cité 440 Logements, Ain Malha, Djasr Kasentina), Doha (Building No. 157, Street No. 301, Zone 69, PO Box 8388) and Marseille (Rue de la République, 13002).