Custom Inventory Management System for Scalable RFID and Barcode Operations in Retail

Retail

Manufacturing

Inventory Challenges Faced by Retailers with Legacy and SaaS Systems

The client experiences high costs and limited functionality with existing SaaS inventory software, which hampers their ability to utilize RFID technologies fully. Legacy hardware, such as tabletop RFID readers, lack proper documentation and integration with current systems, leading to inefficiencies. The existing setup has slow tag validation speeds, limited visibility into inventory flows, and underutilizes RFID reader capacity, affecting operational speed and accuracy across multiple retail locations.

About the Client

A mid-sized retail chain specializing in eyewear products, seeking to optimize inventory accuracy, speed, and hardware integration across multiple stores.

Goals for Developing a Next-Generation Inventory Management Solution

Replace expensive, limited-functionality SaaS inventory software with a cost-effective, customizable system.
Develop a device-agnostic, cross-platform application supporting both RFID and barcode scanners.
Enhance RFID scanning speed to leverage full reader capacity (targeting at least 600 tags/sec).
Integrate legacy tabletop RFID readers by reverse-engineering communication protocols for seamless operation.
Implement real-time dashboards for inventory tracking, validation status, and historical data analysis.
Enable in-house RFID printing capabilities to reduce costs and increase control over labels and tags.
Improve inventory transparency and traceability across multiple stores with detailed and high-level dashboards.

Core System Functionalities for Advanced Inventory Management

Support for integration with various RFID and barcode scanners, including native native libraries for device communication.
Custom libraries for handling legacy tabletop RFID readers by decompiling and reconfiguring byte message protocols.
High-speed asynchronous caching and scheduled refresh to optimize tag reading and validation performance.
Seamless integration with RFID printer hardware from multiple manufacturers for in-house label printing.
Real-time dashboard displaying current inventory status, device health, and validation metrics.
Historical views and analytics for long-term inventory trends and exception reporting.
User management and role-based access to critical inventory functions.

Technologies and Architectural Approaches for Robust Inventory Systems

Cross-platform mobile app development using React Native

Native Java modules for custom RFID hardware communication

Open-source libraries for barcode scanner integration (e.g., Capture JS, React Native BLE)

Java-based caching mechanisms for performance optimization

Native SDKs or reverse-engineered protocols for legacy RFID hardware

Key System Integrations for a Cohesive Inventory Ecosystem

RFID and barcode scanners for product tracking
Legacy tabletop RFID readers via custom communication modules
RFID printers from multiple manufacturers for on-demand label printing
Existing back-end inventory databases and ERP systems

Critical Non-Functional Requirements for Scalability and Performance

System scalability to support over 15,000 items scanned per store per day
Achieve RFID scan speeds of at least 600 tags/sec
Real-time data refresh with minimal latency
High system stability and robustness, especially when integrating legacy hardware
Secure data handling and user access controls

Projected Business Benefits from the New Inventory Management System

Implementing a custom, scalable inventory management solution is expected to significantly enhance operational efficiency by doubling RFID scanning speed and tripling data validation processes. The system will provide enhanced inventory visibility and traceability, reduce hardware and software costs, and enable fully in-house RFID labeling, leading to cost savings and improved supply chain agility across multiple retail locations.