Hi Devs, Users,
Finally, it's ready to demo and try for yourself!
I'd like to share a React-based Mobile Picking Progressive Web App (PWA)
that I built with the help of an AI assistant to modernize and simplify
warehouse picking operations in Apache OFBiz. The application is designed
as a mobile-first client, providing warehouse operators with a fast,
intuitive, and efficient interface for order picking.
Key Features
-
*Progressive Web App (PWA)* built with React and Vite, supporting
installation on mobile devices.
-
*Barcode scanning* using both:
-
Device camera (via html5-qrcode)
-
Bluetooth/HID barcode scanners (keyboard wedge mode)
-
*Optimized picking sequence* by automatically sorting pick tasks based
on warehouse location (Aisle → Section → Level).
-
*Continuous picking workflow* with completion animations and quick
access to start the next picking batch.
-
*REST API integration* with Apache OFBiz using standard JAX-RS APIs
secured with JWT authentication.
Objectives
This project was primarily created as a demonstration. My main goals with
this implementation are to:
-
Demonstrate how AI can be used to develop and expand features on Apache
OFBiz.
-
Showcase the improved user experience of a dedicated mobile PWA compared
to the traditional OFBiz web interface.
-
Demonstrate that standard OFBiz architectural patterns, such as
services, data models, and configurations, work well with AI-assisted code
generation.
Source Code
*Frontend (React PWA)*
-
Repository: https://github.com/arunpati/picking-app
-
Branch: *main*
*Backend (Apache OFBiz Fork)*
-
Repository: https://github.com/arunpati/arun-ofbiz-framework
-
Branch:
*picking-pwa *
Getting Started
The project includes detailed setup instructions in the README files.
Refer screenshots (
https://github.com/arunpati/picking-app/tree/main/public/screenshots) for
demonstrating the picking workflow and completion dashboard. I hope this
effort is useful to the community. I'd greatly appreciate your feedback,
suggestions, and any ideas for further improvements.
Thank you!
Best regards,
---
Arun Patidar
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunpatidar/
On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 7:04 PM Arun Patidar <[email protected]> wrote:
> Thanks, Divesh, for raising this question. We definitely need to establish
> a common set of technologies for building and supporting these applications.
>
> The picking application is developed as a PWA (Progressive Web App).
>
> Here are the details about the technology stack and architecture used in
> the picking app.
>
> It is a Progressive Web App (PWA). It is built with standard web
> technologies (React/JS/CSS) but includes a service worker (sw.js) for
> offline caching and a configuration manifest (manifest.json). This allows
> users to "install" it on any smartphone or tablet directly from the browser
> (behaves like a standalone native app without browser URL bars).
>
> Frontend Tech Stack:
>
> - Framework: React (with Vite as the fast build tool and bundler).
> - Styling: Vanilla CSS (fully custom, high-performance "Industrial Dark"
> glassmorphic UI design optimized for mobile/tablet screens).
> - Icons: Lucide React.
>
> Backend Tech Stack:
>
> - Engine: Apache OFBiz (Groovy / Java).
> - Communication: REST APIs (JAX-RS) secured with JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for
> authentication.
>
>
> Regards,
> Arun Patidar
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 5:18 PM Divesh Dutta <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hi Arun,
>>
>> Thanks for sharing the update and video. It's great to see progress on
>> building a standalone Picking application on top of OFBiz APIs.
>>
>> I particularly like that the project demonstrates how focused applications
>> can be built independently while leveraging Apache OFBiz as the backend
>> platform. This aligns closely with the direction I've been exploring for
>> manufacturing applications as well.
>>
>> One thought I wanted to share is around the front-end framework and design
>> system. As more standalone applications emerge in the OFBiz ecosystem, it
>> may be beneficial for the community to consider whether we want some level
>> of standardization around UI frameworks, component libraries, and design
>> patterns. A common approach could make it easier for contributors to move
>> between projects, reuse components, and maintain a more consistent user
>> experience across applications.
>>
>> For manufacturing PWA work, I've been experimenting with Ionic and Vue.
>> One
>> of the reasons I chose Ionic is that it provides a large set of
>> enterprise-ready components, responsive layouts, mobile support, and a
>> mature UI Kit that works well across phones, tablets, and desktops.
>>
>> I have found the Ionic UI Kit particularly useful because it provides a
>> shared foundation for both design and implementation:
>>
>>
>> https://www.figma.com/community/file/885791511781717756/ionic-8-material-ui-kit-community
>>
>> Using a common UI Kit means screens can be designed in Figma using
>> established Ionic patterns and then implemented using the corresponding
>> Ionic components, creating a more predictable path from design to code. To
>> support this workflow, I've also been creating AI agent skills that help:
>>
>> - Design screens using Ionic UI patterns
>> - Generate Ionic/Vue implementations from Figma designs
>> - Encourage consistent use of native Ionic components and coding
>> patterns
>>
>>
>> Repository:
>> https://github.com/diveshdut/enterprise-ui-ionic-vue-skills
>>
>> If you are interested in exploring Ionic for future applications, I'd be
>> happy to share what I've learned so far and collaborate on establishing
>> reusable patterns that could benefit the broader Apache OFBiz community.
>>
>> In any case, it's great to see more examples of API-first applications
>> being built on top of Apache OFBiz. Looking forward to seeing the next
>> phase of the project.
>>
>> Thanks
>> --
>> Divesh Dutta
>> www.hotwaxsystems.com
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 4:41 PM Arun Patidar <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hello all,
>> >
>> > I have recorded the next phase of the implementation process for this
>> > feature and uploaded a video to YouTube with further details.
>> >
>> > YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/eiXnI8XGCJY
>> >
>> > Key updates covered in Part 2:
>> >
>> > - Backend: Exposed REST APIs (getOrdersToPick, createPickingPicklist,
>> > getPicklistDetails, and recordPick).
>> > - Design: Built a standalone React+Vite shell featuring an "Industrial
>> > Dark" glassmorphic style.
>> > - Screens: Completed the Login (with developer bypass), Facility
>> Select,
>> > Order Queue (multi-select creation), and Active Picklist (sorted path
>> > picking, progress bars, and persistence on refresh) screens.
>> >
>> > This project aims to demonstrate how standalone applications can be
>> built
>> > on top of OFBiz using AI. The scope of the application and its features
>> can
>> > be further developed accordingly.
>> >
>> > LinkedIn Post:
>> >
>>
>> https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arunpatidar_live-part-2-implementation-of-picking-pwa-activity-7474780692523085826-0ioD?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAKjEhUBKOXTlbrm-PPpTW1ZPGTzvoL2MPI
>> >
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Arun Patidar
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, May 27, 2026 at 12:05 PM Arun Patidar <[email protected]>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > > Hello Devs,
>> > >
>> > > I have recorded the implementation process for this feature. I've
>> uploaded
>> > > a video to YouTube and shared a post on LinkedIn with further details.
>> > >
>> > > YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/9ByUvnGx5ws
>> > >
>> > > LinkedIn Post:
>> > >
>>
>> https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arunpatidar_apacheofbiz-vibecoding-erp-activity-7465288707193917440-tvMF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAKjEhUBKOXTlbrm-PPpTW1ZPGTzvoL2MPI
>> > >
>> > > Regards,
>> > > ---
>> > >
>> > > Arun Patidar
>> > > LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunpatidar
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Wed, May 27, 2026 at 10:43 AM Arun Patidar <[email protected]
>> >
>> > > wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> Hello Devs,
>> > >>
>> > >> I added the detailed implementation plan to ticket:
>> > >> https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OFBIZ-13398
>> > >>
>> > >> I also created a PR of the implemented part for review.
>> > >>
>> > >> https://github.com/apache/ofbiz-plugins/pull/261
>> > >>
>> > >> Please review it and let me know your thoughts.
>> > >>
>> > >> Regards,
>> > >> ---
>> > >>
>> > >> Arun Patidar
>> > >> LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunpatidar
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> On Fri, May 1, 2026 at 5:51 PM Arun Patidar <[email protected]>
>> > >> wrote:
>> > >>
>> > >>> Here is the Jira issue created for this feature implementation. I
>> will
>> > >>> add implementation plan details to the issue soon.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OFBIZ-13398
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>> Regards, ---
>> > >>>
>> > >>> Arun Patidar
>> > >>> LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunpatidar
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>> On Wed, Apr 22, 2026 at 2:27 PM Ratnesh Upadhyay <
>> > >>> [email protected]> wrote:
>> > >>>
>> > >>>> Hi Arun,
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> +1 to your proposal.
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> A mobile-first PWA for warehouse picking would definitely benefit
>> OFBiz,
>> > >>>> especially for teams working on handheld devices where scanning and
>> > >>>> speed
>> > >>>> are critical.
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> On the API side, it’ll be important to keep things clean and
>> > >>>> well-documented.
>> > >>>> Reusable REST endpoints won’t just help this app, they’ll also make
>> it
>> > >>>> easier to build other integrations or modern UIs later on.
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> Overall, this feels like a good step toward aligning OFBiz with
>> modern
>> > >>>> tools.
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> --
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> Best Regards,
>> > >>>> Ratnesh Upadhyay
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> *HotWax Systems*
>> > >>>> *Enterprise open source experts*
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> http://www.hotwaxsystems.com
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> On Wed, Apr 22, 2026 at 11:18 AM Arun Patidar <
>> [email protected]
>> >
>> > >>>> wrote:
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>> > Hi everyone,
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > I would like to share a proposal for a new feature: a modern,
>> > >>>> > mobile-first *Progressive
>> > >>>> > Web App (PWA) for warehouse picking* in OFBiz.The Objective
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > The goal is to modernize the picking process with a standalone
>> PWA
>> > >>>> that
>> > >>>> > interacts with OFBiz via REST APIs. This will provide warehouse
>> > >>>> operators
>> > >>>> > with a high-performance, mobile-friendly tool for daily
>> operations.
>> > >>>> The
>> > >>>> > initial scope includes creating, picking, and completing
>> picklists.
>> > >>>> > Key Features
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > -
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > Mobile-First Design: A premium "Industrial" theme with a dark
>> mode,
>> > >>>> > optimized for mobile and tablets.
>> > >>>> > -
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > Advanced Scanning: Built-in support for both mobile camera
>> > >>>> scanning and
>> > >>>> > hardware (Bluetooth/USB) scanners.
>> > >>>> > -
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > Streamlined Picking: Ability to view orders, group them into
>> > >>>> picklists,
>> > >>>> > and record picking actions in real-time.
>> > >>>> > -
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > Robust Backend: A new picking component that leverages the
>> OFBiz
>> > >>>> > rest-api plugin.
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > AI-Driven Implementation
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > We are implementing this feature using AI agents. We believe this
>> > >>>> > demonstrates a modern way to build on top of OFBiz, rapidly
>> > >>>> translating
>> > >>>> > complex business requirements into standard-compliant code.
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > We would love to hear your thoughts on this proposal and the use
>> of
>> > >>>> AI in
>> > >>>> > modernizing OFBiz tools. If the community approves this idea, I
>> will
>> > >>>> create
>> > >>>> > Jira tickets and upload the implementation plan and further
>> details.
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > Best regards, ---
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>> > Arun Patidar
>> > >>>> > LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunpatidar
>> > >>>> >
>> > >>>>
>> > >>>
>>
>
