Warehouse software for a small 3PL: what to check before you choose
If you store and ship other people's goods, your warehouse system has to do more than tell you where things are: it has to keep each client apart, measure what you bill them and let them see their own stock. Many warehouse systems are built for a company selling its own products and fall short as soon as the second client arrives.
These are the ten questions worth asking any system before choosing it as a small or mid-sized third-party logistics provider. They apply to any vendor, not just us.
1. Does it really separate each client's stock?
A "client" column on the item record is not enough. Each client needs their own stock, movements and history, so that a count, a return or an adjustment for one never touches another, even if they share an aisle or the same barcode.
2. How does it measure and bill storage?
This is where most money leaks. Ask which units it can bill in (pallet, cubic metre, unit, occupied location), whether it calculates daily and whether each client can have their own rates. Ask about receipts, picked lines, cartons, labels, returns and extra jobs too: whatever is not measured is not billed.
3. Can your clients see their stock and orders without calling you?
A portal per client saves emails and calls: the client checks their stock, orders and shipments, and tells you what they are about to send. Check that each client only sees their own data and whether the portal costs extra per client.
4. Does it connect to your clients' stores?
Each client sells somewhere different: Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Amazon, marketplaces. The system should pull each store's orders automatically and push stock back, without asking every client for a spreadsheet each morning.
5. Does it print labels for the carriers you use?
Check the carrier list and whether you can use each client's contracts or your own. Ask about the manifest or collection sheet for the driver too.
6. Does it handle lots, expiry dates and serial numbers?
If you store food, cosmetics or electronics you will need it sooner or later: first-expired-first-out (FEFO), blocking a lot and knowing which order every unit went to.
7. What do your operators need to work?
Ask what hardware it requires: some systems only run on a specific terminal model, others run in the browser of any Android device or on a phone. And ask how long a new hire takes to pick their first order: 3PLs have turnover and seasonal peaks.
8. How are returns handled?
E-commerce returns arrive every day. The system has to identify which order and which client each parcel belongs to, record the condition of each item, decide whether it goes back to stock, is set aside or is scrapped, and bill it if agreed.
9. How is the software itself priced?
A pricing model that charges per client or per user penalises you exactly when you grow. Ask about per-client, per-user, per-connector and per-warehouse fees, lock-in periods and setup costs.
10. Can you try it with your own data before signing?
A demo with sample data does not tell you whether it fits your building. Ask to try it with your locations, your items and a real client, running alongside your current tools for a few days.
Summary for comparing vendors
| Question | Answer to look for |
|---|---|
| Stock per client | Truly separate, with its own history |
| Storage | Per pallet, m³, unit or location, calculated daily, with per-client rates |
| Client portal | Each client sees only their own; no per-client fee |
| Stores and marketplaces | Orders flow in and stock flows back automatically |
| Carriers | Labels and manifest for the ones you already use |
| Lots and expiry | FEFO, lot blocking and traceability per order |
| Hardware | Any Android device or phone, no mandatory terminal |
| Price | Public, no per-client fee, no lock-in |
| Trial | With your own data, before signing |
How Ubika answers these questions
Ubika is a warehouse management system (WMS) for non-automated warehouses, online stores and third-party logistics providers in Spain. For a 3PL:
- →Stock, orders, rates and invoices kept apart per client, plus a portal for each client (no per-client fee) where they see their stock and shipments and announce inbound deliveries.
- →Per-client rates: storage per pallet, m³, unit or occupied location per day; receiving per line, unit, carton or pallet; picking per line, unit, SKU or full carton; surcharges (mixed cartons, unannounced deliveries, items without a barcode), consumables, extra jobs and a monthly minimum if you agree one.
- →Orders flow in from Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Amazon, Temu and Mirakl marketplaces, with labels for GLS, SEUR, Correos Express, UPS, DHL, CTT Express, MRW and Nacex.
- →Lots, expiry dates and serial numbers with FEFO, FIFO or LIFO picking.
- →The handheld app is a web page: it runs on a phone or any Android device with a scanner, operators log in with a PIN and the screen tells them what to do next.
- →Public pricing (from €199/month), no lock-in, and a demo set up with your own data.
To see it with your own warehouse, ask us for a demo with your own data or read more about software for 3PLs.