Inside the RUNIC Dev Team — How a Shipper's Request Becomes a Program
It's rare to find a development team on a logistics company's org chart. Most 3PLs rent an outside solution, and the shipper bends its operations to whatever that system allows. RUNIC chose the opposite direction — fitting the system to the operation. That's why we keep an in-house development team right next to our storage and outbound operations team. This is the story of how that team works and what it has built so far.
It started with our own frustration
The dev team's first job wasn't a shipper's request — it was a problem on the RUNIC floor. Returns are the classic example. Return labels piled up, and matching each one to the right shipper and the right order, one by one, ate up hours. We looked at off-the-shelf solutions, but too much of it didn't fit how we operate, so in the end we decided to build our own.
The program we built that way still runs on the floor every day. Frustration becomes a task, and a task becomes a program — that's how the RUNIC dev team's way of working took shape.
The five steps from request to program
The same approach applies to shippers' requests. The process is simple.
- ① Request — One line over KakaoTalk open chat: "this task keeps repeating, could it be automated?" That's all it takes to start. No formal requirements document needed.
- ② On-site review — A developer looks at where that task actually happens. The RUNIC dev team sits inside the same company as the warehouse, so they see the problem firsthand rather than hearing about it secondhand. This is the point where we diverge from outsourced development.
- ③ Screen design — Before writing any code, we share "here's what the screens will look like." That keeps us from spending days headed in the wrong direction.
- ④ Go live — The finished program goes straight into the real outbound floor. Not a demo — live operations.
- ⑤ Improve as you use it — The feedback that comes up as the floor and the shipper use it becomes the next round of step ①. The returns platform reached its current form through exactly this loop.
What, exactly, is free for shippers
If you saw the line "we develop programs free of charge" in our brochure, it's worth spelling out the scope. It covers programs that help the shipper clients we work with, and they don't have to be logistics-related. Logistics programs such as inventory and outbound management screens or automated reporting, of course — but you can also request tools that take other repetitive tasks off your business's plate. Once we receive a request, we first map out what's feasible and the timeline, and larger system builds proceed by agreement.
Frequently asked questions
QWhat kinds of requests can you build?
If a program would help one of our shipper clients, we'll look at it even when it has nothing to do with logistics. From inventory and outbound management screens or automated reporting to any tool that takes a repetitive task off your plate — tell us what you need and we'll first map out what's feasible and how we'd approach it.
QIs the development really free of charge?
Yes. For programs that help the shipper clients we work with, we develop them free of charge. For larger system builds, we agree on the scope up front and proceed from there.
QHow long does development take?
It depends on the scope of the request. Adding one screen and building a new program are different jobs on different timelines, so we give you an estimated schedule at the request stage.
QCan you integrate with existing systems like our online store or ERP?Scope to confirm
What's possible depends on the integration methods (such as an API) that the target system exposes. Tell us which system you're using and we'll first confirm whether it's possible and how it would work.
QCan I commission only the development without handing you the logistics?
Yes. RUNIC runs software development as a separate service line. It's grounded in logistics systems we've built and proven while running operations ourselves, but what we develop isn't limited to logistics — if you need a program, we'll consult on custom development and integration automation regardless of the field.