Cleveland's economy generates a large share of regional GDP, with manufacturing contributing a significantly higher percentage of regional output than the national average. This industrial concentration creates specific software requirements: manufacturers need real-time production monitoring, and logistics companies demand sophisticated fleet tracking solutions that handle Lake Erie shipping routes and rail connections.
FreedomDev has delivered custom software to Great Lakes region clients since 2017, including a fleet management work that processes GPS coordinate data daily across multi-modal transportation networks. Our Cleveland-focused practice understands the technical challenges of integrating legacy AS/400 systems still running in many Cleveland manufacturers with modern cloud infrastructure, building APIs for decades-old equipment controllers, and creating mobile interfaces for warehouse operations with spotty connectivity.
The Cleveland metropolitan area employs a substantial number of workers in computer and mathematical occupations, yet local businesses report persistent difficulty finding developers who understand both modern frameworks and industrial protocol integration. This gap is particularly acute in manufacturing software, where developers need knowledge of OPC UA, Modbus TCP, and MQTT alongside React and Python.
The region's logistics infrastructure—including the Port of Cleveland and proximity to a large share of North American manufacturing capacity—requires software that coordinates rail, truck, and shipping operations. Our fleet management work demonstrates how custom software reduces detention fees through predictive arrival calculations that account for Lake Erie weather patterns, bridge closures on I-90, and rail congestion at CSX terminals.
Cleveland manufacturers face unique ERP challenges because many operate facilities built decades ago. These older plants contain a mix of equipment from different decades: CNC machines from the 1990s, modern robotic welders, pneumatic systems with no digital interface, and sensor arrays generating real-time data. Our [ERP development](/services/erp-development) practice specializes in creating unified systems that collect data from disparate sources, normalize timestamps across equipment using different protocols, and present actionable dashboards to plant managers.
Cleveland's financial services sector—including KeyBank and Equity Trust—requires software that handles complex regulatory reporting, multi-state compliance, and integration with legacy core banking systems. We developed a QuickBooks integration work solution that processes transactions daily while maintaining audit trails to support compliance reporting, demonstrating our capability to build financial software that accountants trust and auditors approve.
The region's advanced manufacturing focus—including MAGNET (Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network), which serves manufacturers across the region—means companies need software for additive manufacturing, quality control automation, and supply chain visibility. We've built systems that parse G-code from CAD files to estimate production costs, computer vision applications that detect surface defects, and procurement platforms that automatically source components from suppliers based on lead time, quality ratings, and price.
Cleveland's food and beverage industry, anchored by companies like Nestlé's Solon facility and Great Lakes Brewing Company, requires software that tracks ingredients from suppliers through production to distribution while maintaining FDA compliance. We've developed traceability systems that generate complete production histories quickly—critical during recalls—and quality management platforms that automatically document temperature logs, sanitation schedules, and allergen controls for FSMA compliance.
The city's revitalized downtown, with significant investment since 2010, has attracted numerous tech startups requiring MVP development, mobile applications, and SaaS platforms. Unlike venture-funded coastal startups that can iterate indefinitely, Cleveland businesses need software that generates revenue quickly. Our [custom software development](/services/custom-software-development) approach focuses on core features that solve immediate customer pain points, with architecture designed for rapid feature addition as market feedback arrives.
Cleveland's position in the Rust Belt creates specific opportunities for industrial modernization: replacing paper-based quality control with digital workflows, adding IoT sensors to 30-year-old equipment, building dashboards that aggregate data from machines that predate ethernet. These projects require developers who can read electrical schematics, understand industrial control theory, and write code that runs reliably in manufacturing environments with electrical noise, temperature extremes, and operators who need simple interfaces.
FreedomDev is based in West Michigan and works with clients remotely across the United States.
Based in West Michigan, we serve businesses nationwide through remote collaboration and can discuss onsite needs when the situation calls for it.
We build production-ready applications from requirements through deployment, focusing on business process automation, data management, and user workflows that match how Cleveland companies actually operate. Our [custom software development](/services/custom-software-development) practice delivers web applications using React and .NET Core, database designs optimized for reporting queries, and API architectures supporting high request volumes. Recent projects include a distributor portal processing a high volume of orders monthly, a quality management system tracking inspections annually, and a field service application used by technicians across Ohio. We provide full documentation, source code access, and training for internal IT teams.
Cleveland manufacturers and financial institutions operate critical AS/400, VAX, and mainframe systems built over decades that still process core business functions. We modernize these systems through API development exposing legacy data to modern applications, screen scraping when source code isn't available, database replication for real-time reporting, and phased migrations that maintain business continuity. One project replaced a 30-year-old order entry system while maintaining integration with unchanged shipping and accounting modules, completing the migration with zero customer-facing outages. We understand COBOL, RPG, and CICS environments common in Cleveland businesses.
Our [systems integration](/services/systems-integration) services connect disparate applications that need to share data: ERP systems, accounting software, CRM platforms, e-commerce sites, and manufacturing equipment. We build integration middleware using REST APIs, SOAP web services, file-based ETL processes, and real-time message queues depending on system capabilities and latency requirements. Recent implementations include connecting NetSuite to legacy warehouse management systems, synchronizing Salesforce with QuickBooks for real-time credit checks, and integrating manufacturing execution systems with ERP for production scheduling. We handle authentication, error handling, data transformation, and monitoring for integrations processing millions of transactions monthly.
Cleveland companies struggle with databases that grew organically without proper design, causing slow reports, data integrity issues, and difficult maintenance. Our [database services](/services/database-services) include schema redesign for performance, index optimization reducing query times from minutes to seconds, stored procedure development for complex business logic, and replication setup for disaster recovery. We work with SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle databases. One manufacturing client's production tracking database was optimized through index restructuring, query rewriting, and partitioning—dramatically reducing query response times and enabling real-time dashboards that were previously impossible.
Many Cleveland manufacturers find that SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics cost $500K+ and still require extensive customization. Our [ERP development](/services/erp-development) services build custom ERP systems tailored to specific manufacturing processes, integrating production scheduling, inventory management, purchase orders, quality control, and financial reporting. We develop shop floor data collection modules that integrate with PLC networks, work order management systems with barcode scanning for labor tracking, and MRP calculations accounting for multi-level bills of material. One custom ERP implementation cost significantly less than a Dynamics 365 deployment while delivering exact functionality needed for automotive tier-2 manufacturing.
Our [mobile development](/services/mobile-development) creates iOS and Android applications for field service, warehouse operations, sales teams, and customer engagement. We build native apps when performance is critical and cross-platform solutions using React Native when faster deployment matters. Cleveland-specific considerations include offline functionality for warehouse areas with poor connectivity, barcode/RFID scanning integration, GPS tracking accounting for signal loss in industrial areas, and rugged device support for manufacturing environments. Recent apps include a delivery driver application for logging daily stops, a safety inspection app used across multiple construction sites, and a customer service portal handling a high volume of monthly support tickets.
We migrate on-premise applications to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, providing scalability, disaster recovery, and reduced infrastructure costs. Our approach includes assessment of current architecture, total cost of ownership analysis comparing cloud vs. on-premise over 5 years, migration planning that minimizes downtime, and implementation with monitoring and alerts. We've migrated SQL Server databases to Azure SQL, moved file servers to S3 with CloudFront CDN, and containerized applications using Docker and Kubernetes. One migration reduced a Cleveland distributor's infrastructure costs annually while improving application performance and eliminating tape backup procedures.
Cleveland executives need dashboards showing real-time business metrics, but data sits in multiple systems: ERP, CRM, accounting, spreadsheets. We build data warehouses consolidating information from disparate sources, ETL processes running nightly to update metrics, and interactive dashboards using Power BI, Tableau, or custom React visualizations. Our implementations include sales analytics tracking performance metrics across sales representatives, manufacturing dashboards showing OEE by shift and machine center, and financial reporting automating month-end closes. We design star schemas optimized for analytical queries and build semantic layers that let business users explore data without SQL knowledge.
Modern software architectures require APIs exposing data and functionality to mobile apps, partner systems, and third-party services. We design RESTful APIs following industry standards, implement OAuth 2.0 authentication, document endpoints using OpenAPI/Swagger specifications, and deploy API gateways with rate limiting and monitoring. Recent projects include building APIs for mobile apps consuming manufacturing data, creating webhook integrations for real-time order notifications, and developing GraphQL endpoints for flexible data querying. We implement API versioning strategies ensuring backward compatibility as requirements evolve and provide SDKs for common programming languages.
Cleveland manufacturers and distributors adding online sales channels need e-commerce platforms integrating with existing ERP and accounting systems. We develop custom storefronts with product catalogs supporting complex configurations, pricing engines applying customer-specific discounts and contract terms, inventory systems showing real-time availability across warehouses, and order management workflows routing to appropriate fulfillment locations. Our platforms handle B2B requirements like quote requests, purchase order uploads, and multi-level approval workflows. One implementation processes a significant volume of annual online orders with automated credit checking, real-time freight calculation for multiple LTL carriers, and integration updating NetSuite shortly after order placement.
We provide independent software testing services including test plan development, automated regression testing using Selenium and Cypress, performance testing simulating high concurrent user loads, security testing identifying vulnerabilities, and UAT coordination with business stakeholders. Our testing catches issues before production deployment, reducing costly emergency fixes and user frustration. Services include mobile app testing across device types and OS versions, API testing validating response formats and error handling, and database testing verifying data integrity after migrations.
We implement CI/CD pipelines automating code builds, testing, and deployment, reducing release cycles from weeks to hours. Our DevOps services include Git repository setup with branching strategies, automated testing running on every commit, infrastructure-as-code using Terraform, and deployment automation to staging and production environments. We configure monitoring with alerts for application errors, performance degradation, and infrastructure issues. One implementation dramatically reduced a Cleveland SaaS company's deployment time by replacing manual steps with automated pipeline execution, enabling daily releases instead of monthly deployment windows.
FreedomDev understood our automotive supplier requirements immediately—they've clearly worked with tier-2 manufacturers before. The production tracking system they built integrates with our Allen-Bradley PLCs and provides real-time OEE across all three shifts. Our plant manager finally has visibility into bottlenecks, and we've reduced unplanned downtime by 23% in six months.
FreedomDev connected ERP data directly to manufacturing equipment so mixer PLCs could validate batches and retrieve production information automatically.
Read the full case studyFreedomDev expanded a manufacturing label workflow into a traceability system connecting machine data, material lots, Business Central production orders, rework, and finished-good labeling.
Read the full case studyFreedomDev created an inventory workflow around existing ERP systems and later adapted it to support two warehouse platforms during a facility-by-facility migration.
Read the full case studyWe build custom software and system integrations for food and beverage businesses — connecting the tools you already use and automating the manual work between them.
FreedomDev connected 15 QuickBooks environments, ADP, and Google Sheets into one reporting application for fixed assets, costing, and invoice reconciliation.
Read the full case studyFreedomDev replaced a legacy job-tracking system with a custom application connecting employees, timecards, purchase orders, jobs, payroll, invoicing, QuickBooks, and reporting.
Read the full case studyFreedomDev extended an existing student platform into mobile with guardian authentication, access management, push notifications, App Store deployment, TestFlight, and automated releases.
Read the full case studyWe build custom software and system integrations for energy and utilities businesses — connecting the tools you already use and automating the manual work between them.
FreedomDev built a custom inventory and order-management platform around eBay, connecting purchasing, inventory, photography, listings, orders, refunds, and reporting.
Read the full case studyTell us what is not working, what systems are involved, and what you are trying to improve. We'll help determine a practical next step.
Software Development in Cleveland is part of our Software Development in Ohio coverage area.
Tell us what is not working, what systems are involved, and what you are trying to improve in Software Development in Cleveland. We'll help determine a practical next step.
