Hallenkonfigurator – configure custom industrial buildings online, with Bremer Stahlbau

Case · Industry & steelwork

About the project

Bremer GmbH’s Hallenkonfigurator is the digital entry point into a classic steel-construction business. Bremer Stahlbau has been planning, fabricating and assembling custom industrial buildings for commerce and agriculture for more than 25 years. With the configurator, prospective customers get a tool that lets them shape their preferred building at their own pace – without immediately needing to talk to sales.

appfarms is the technical partner: we built the platform and continue to maintain it.

What we built

  • Vue 3 frontend with Vue Router and Bootstrap components – a lean single-page application that works on desktop and mobile.
  • NestJS backend with TypeORM and MySQL – the data layer that stores configurations, user accounts and requests.
  • JWT-based authentication – once registered, users can save their configurations, edit them later and submit them as requests. Guest usage stays available.
  • Automated Docker deployment via GitLab CI – new versions go into the same reproducible environment automatically.

Why this works

  • Lean, focused stack. Vue 3 and NestJS are deliberately chosen: they fit the size of the task without inflating the maintenance overhead.
  • Clear data model. MySQL via TypeORM is an understandable foundation – as new features are added over time.
  • Account authentication. JWT-based sign-in links saved configurations to the relevant account.
  • Reproducible deployment. Docker plus GitLab CI means every change follows the same path. No release surprises.

What does this mean for your project?

If you are looking for a focused web application – a configurator, a self-service portal, a request workflow – let’s talk. The Hallenkonfigurator shows how we use a deliberately chosen stack (Vue 3, NestJS, MySQL, Docker, GitLab CI) to build solutions that run reliably day to day, evolve cleanly and don’t depend on too many moving parts.

Challenge

Industrial hall construction is a classic B2B business in which the first quote is often handled by phone or email. Bremer Stahlbau wanted to digitise the entry point: prospective customers should be able to plan their hall on their own – repeatedly, over time, with the option to save versions and later submit them as a formal request. At the same time the solution had to stay lean, blend into the existing brand and run without ongoing operational overhead on the client's side.

Solution

We built a single-page application based on Vue 3 and Vue Router with Bootstrap components – fast, mobile-friendly and easy to maintain. The functional core is a NestJS backend that talks to a MySQL database via TypeORM. Authentication uses JWT so registered users can save their configurations, return later to adjust them and submit them as a request – guest usage remains available. The entire roll-out runs through automated deployment with Docker via GitLab CI: every change ends up in the same reproducible environment.

Outcome

Prospective customers can configure a building online and send an enquiry to the sales team. An account lets them save configurations and return to them later. Sales staff receive the selected specifications as a structured starting point for the next conversation. The project combines a Vue 3 frontend, a NestJS backend and automated deployment.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Hallenkonfigurator do?

It lets Bremer GmbH's customers configure a custom industrial building online – as a guest or as a registered user. Configurations can be saved, edited later and submitted as a request to Bremer's sales team.

What is appfarms' role?

appfarms is responsible for the technical implementation – architecture, Vue 3 frontend, NestJS backend, MySQL persistence, authentication and the dockerised deployment via GitLab CI.

Why Vue 3 and NestJS?

Both frameworks are deliberately lightweight and together produce a lean, easy-to-maintain stack – well suited to a focused industry application like this configurator. With TypeORM, MySQL and JWT the solution stays understandable and extensible.

How is the application operated?

Through a dockerised deployment, rolled out automatically via GitLab CI. Updates land in production reproducibly – no manual uploads, consistent deployment steps.