Most UK businesses outgrow their stock control setup the same way: a spreadsheet that was fine for 50 products stops working at 500. Or the SaaS tool that handled one warehouse falls apart when you add a second location, a new sales channel, or a tenth user whose licence costs more than the software is worth.
At ByteGears, we build stock control software that fits how your business actually operates. Not a subscription to someone else’s idea of how inventory should work. You own the code, you pay no per-user fees, and the system does exactly what your team needs it to do.
Why off-the-shelf stock control falls short
SaaS inventory tools work well enough for simple setups. The problems start when your business isn’t simple.
Per-user pricing that punishes growth. Platforms like Unleashed charge £80 per additional user per month. Fishbowl charges £880 per user. A 10-person warehouse team on Fishbowl costs nearly £9,000 a year in user fees alone, before you’ve paid for the software itself. So businesses either limit who gets access or push people back to spreadsheets.
Channel sync that isn’t really real-time. Most SaaS platforms claim real-time stock sync across Shopify, Amazon, and eBay. In practice, sync delays of 5-15 minutes are common. That’s long enough to oversell during a busy period, then spend the afternoon apologising to customers and processing refunds.
Custom reports cost extra. Some platforms charge £600-£800 per custom report. If the standard reports don’t show the numbers you actually check, you’re either paying those fees repeatedly or exporting to Excel and building it yourself.
Integration gaps with UK accounting. Many stock tools integrate well with QuickBooks Online but struggle with Sage 50, QuickBooks Desktop, or legacy accounting systems. Cost-of-goods-sold calculations can differ between platforms (FIFO vs weighted average), creating reconciliation headaches every month.
Compliance is bolted on, not built in. Batch tracking, expiry date management, and full audit trails are often locked behind premium tiers. If you’re in food manufacturing, pharma, or healthcare, the compliance features you need might cost more than the base subscription.
Add-on costs that compound. Warehouse management modules, production planning, CRM integration, B2B portals - each one adds £50-£300/month. A mid-size business can easily spend £500-£1,000/month when the original plan was £200.
What we build instead
Software shaped around your workflows. We watch how your team actually handles receiving, picking, stock counts, and reorders, then build software that speeds those processes up. Nobody relearns their job to suit the software.
No per-user licensing. Your system costs the same whether three people use it or thirty. Add warehouse staff, give your finance team read access, let your suppliers check delivery schedules. No extra charge.
Tight integration with your existing stack. We build direct connections to Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, and shipping carriers like DHL and UPS. For legacy systems or proprietary hardware, we write custom integrations rather than relying on generic connectors that half-work.
UK compliance from day one. VAT and Making Tax Digital compliance through your accounting integration. GDPR-compliant data handling with UK data residency. Sector-specific requirements like MHRA batch tracking, HACCP traceability, or CQC audit trails built into the core, not bolted on as premium add-ons.
Architecture that grows with you. Adding a warehouse, a sales channel, or a product line doesn’t mean rebuilding. The system is designed so new locations, new integrations, and new features slot in without breaking what already works.
You own everything. The code, the data, the hosting. No vendor lock-in. No surprise price increases. If you want changes in year three, you pay for the development work, not for permission to keep using what you already paid for.
Features we typically build
Core inventory
- Real-time stock levels by warehouse, zone, and bin location
- Stock movements with full audit trail: receives, issues, transfers, adjustments
- Purchase order creation, approval workflows, and supplier tracking
- Sales order management and fulfillment
- Barcode scanning via mobile devices for receiving, picking, and stock counts
- Multi-location support with inter-warehouse transfers
Ordering and supply chain
- Automated reorder points based on actual sales velocity, not just static minimums
- Supplier performance tracking: on-time delivery rates, quality metrics, lead times
- Purchase order automation with approval chains
- Landed cost calculation including freight, duty, and handling
- Supplier collaboration: PO sharing, delivery date confirmation
Reporting and analytics
- Stock valuation reports using FIFO, weighted average, or your preferred method
- Inventory ageing and obsolescence analysis
- Turnover rates and dead stock identification
- Margin analysis by product, category, channel, or customer
- Custom dashboards showing exactly the KPIs your team checks daily
- Scheduled reports delivered by email, formatted how you want them
Channel and system integration
- Two-way sync with Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and WooCommerce
- Accounting sync with Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage for COGS and stock valuation
- Shipping carrier integration for label printing and tracking
- Webhook-driven real-time updates rather than periodic polling
- CSV and EDI support for B2B supply chain partners
Compliance and traceability
- Batch and lot tracking with full forward and backward traceability
- Expiry date management with configurable alerts
- Serial number tracking for warranty and recall management
- Role-based access control with granular permissions
- Complete audit trail: every action logged with user, timestamp, and before/after values
- UK GDPR compliance including data encryption and right-to-erasure support
Warehouse operations
- Zone and bin management for warehouse layout
- Pick, pack, and ship workflows with barcode verification
- Cycle counting schedules and stock reconciliation
- Mobile-first interface for warehouse floor staff
- Returns processing and reverse logistics
How the project works
Discovery and planning (2-3 weeks) We map your current processes, identify integration points, and define the MVP scope. This includes understanding your data: how many SKUs, how many locations, what state your existing data is in. Poor data quality is the biggest cause of failed implementations, so we address it early.
Phase 1 build (6-10 weeks) We build the core system: stock tracking, purchase orders, barcode scanning, your primary eCommerce channel integration, accounting sync, and essential reporting. You get a working system you can test and give feedback on throughout development.
Data migration and parallel run (2-4 weeks) We clean and import your existing data, then run old and new systems side by side. Stock counts are validated against physical counts before cutover. We only go live when the numbers match.
Training and go-live (1-2 weeks) Warehouse staff typically need 4-8 hours of training. Inventory managers need 8-16 hours. We provide documentation, hands-on sessions, and follow-up support during the first weeks.
Phase 2 (weeks 12-20, after stabilisation) Advanced forecasting, secondary channel integrations, cycle counting workflows, supplier portals, and any manufacturing modules. Adding features after the core is stable is less risky and less disruptive than trying to build everything at once.
What it costs
Custom stock control software costs more upfront than signing up for a SaaS subscription. Over three to five years, it often works out cheaper, sometimes significantly so.
A mid-size eCommerce business running 10 users on a platform like Cin7 or Unleashed will typically spend £30,000-£60,000 over three years on subscriptions, add-ons, and support. A manufacturer on Fishbowl with 15 users can reach £60,000-£90,000 over the same period, including per-user fees, support contracts, and custom report charges.
With a custom build, you pay for development once. There are no monthly fees, no per-user charges, and no premium add-ons. Ongoing costs are limited to hosting and any changes you choose to make.
We scope every project individually and give you a realistic figure before you commit. Most builds include:
- A fixed-price Phase 1 covering core features and go-live
- A clear Phase 2 scope for advanced features, priced separately
- Optional ongoing support at agreed rates
Industries we build for
Retail. Real-time stock sync across high street shops and online channels. POS integration. Automated restocking triggered by actual sales data, not manual reorder points.
eCommerce. Multi-channel inventory sync across Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and WooCommerce with near-instant updates. Channel profitability reporting. Returns and refund workflows.
Manufacturing. Bills of Materials with multi-level sub-assemblies. Work order management. Raw material forecasting based on production schedules. Batch and serial tracking for compliance. Scrap and yield reporting.
Food and beverage. HACCP-compliant batch traceability. Expiry date management with automated alerts. Recipe costing with variable ingredient prices. Waste tracking and reporting.
Pharmaceutical. MHRA and GDP compliance. Full lot traceability: forward to customer, backward to supplier. Cold-chain monitoring integration. Controlled substance tracking where needed.
Healthcare. CQC-compliant audit trails. Expiry and lot tracking for medical supplies. Integration with NHS systems where applicable. Multi-site stock visibility across hospital networks.
Fashion and apparel. Size, colour, and style variant management, where one style can mean 50+ SKUs. Seasonal collection planning. Markdown and clearance tracking. B2B wholesale order management.
Wholesale and distribution. Bulk inventory management. Picking and packing workflows optimised for high-volume order fulfilment. EDI integration with retail partners. Landed cost tracking across suppliers.
Logistics and 3PL. Multi-client warehousing with segregated stock. Advanced warehouse management with zones and wave picking. SLA tracking and performance reporting by client.
Not every sector needs a custom build. But if your business has workflows, compliance requirements, or integration needs that SaaS tools can’t handle without expensive workarounds, that’s exactly where bespoke software earns its cost back.
Common Questions About Custom Stock Control Software
How does custom development cost compare to SaaS stock control?
SaaS stock control typically costs £250-£800/month for a mid-size business, plus per-user fees (£50-£880 per user on some platforms), add-on modules, and custom report charges. Over three years, a 10-user setup on a platform like Unleashed or Fishbowl can reach £30,000-£60,000. A custom build has a higher upfront cost, but you pay nothing per user, per location, or per month after that. Most businesses break even within two to three years and save significantly from year four onwards.
What's the typical development timeline?
A core stock tracking system with accounting integration and one eCommerce channel typically takes 8-12 weeks to go live. That covers receiving, issuing, transfers, purchase orders, barcode scanning, and essential reporting. More complex builds with manufacturing BOMs, multi-channel sync, or advanced warehouse management take 12-20 weeks. We use a phased approach so you get working software early, then add advanced features after stabilisation.
How do you handle data migration from our current system?
We handle the full migration, whether you're coming from spreadsheets, another stock system, or a mix of both. For a single-location business with under 1,000 SKUs, migration typically takes 2-3 weeks. Multi-location setups with 5,000+ SKUs and historical data take 4-8 weeks. We clean and validate your data before import, run old and new systems in parallel for 2-4 weeks, and only cut over once the numbers match.
Can you integrate with our existing systems?
Yes. Common integrations include Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage for accounting; Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and WooCommerce for eCommerce; and ShipStation, DHL, or UPS for shipping. We also connect to legacy systems, proprietary hardware like barcode scanners, and ERPs. During discovery, we map every integration point and build real-time sync where it matters, not the 5-15 minute delays you sometimes get with SaaS channel sync.
What about compliance and audit trails?
Every stock movement, adjustment, and approval is logged with a timestamp and user ID as standard. For regulated sectors, we build in batch and lot traceability, expiry date management, and sector-specific reporting. That includes MHRA and GDP compliance for pharma, HACCP traceability for food and beverage, CQC requirements for healthcare, and HMRC excise tracking for alcohol. All systems are UK GDPR compliant with role-based access controls and data encrypted at rest and in transit.
When does SaaS stock control make more sense than custom?
If you run a single location with under 500 SKUs, sell on one channel, have no compliance requirements, and your team is under five people, a SaaS tool like Zoho Inventory or inFlow will probably do the job well enough for £20-£100/month. Custom makes sense when you have multiple locations or channels, need tight integration with existing systems, have compliance requirements the SaaS doesn't cover, or when per-user pricing starts hurting as your team grows.