A Scalable Equipment Platform for Libraries with Complex Product Configurations

^{About Our Client}

^{ekz Bibliotheksservice GmbH is one of the leading full-service providers for libraries in the German-speaking region. The company supplies libraries with books, media, furniture, and accessories, offering a wide range of products and digital services. With its platform Bibliothekswelten, ekz combines both content and infrastructure solutions tailored to the needs of public and academic libraries.}

^Challenge

^{The Client aimed to relaunch its Bibliothekswelten shop with a future-proof solution. The existing Shopware-based infrastructure no longer met the requirements for performance, scalability, and usability. A key objective was the integration of library furniture and accessories – around 1,500 items with over 6,000 variations – directly into the webshop, enabling libraries to configure products (colors, sizes, materials) individually and place online orders seamlessly.}

^{Beyond the product expansion, the Client required a technically robust system architecture. The solution needed to unify multiple ERP systems, support a shared shopping cart, and ensure high-performance search and personalization features while remaining secure and scalable for future digital extensions.}

^Solution

^{We developed a completely new, high-performance webshop with an advanced system architecture. The core features include:}

• Full integration of 1,500+ furniture and accessory products with 6,000+ variations.
• Replacement of the legacy Shopware platform with a modern React- and Node.js-based system.
• Integration of two ERP systems with a shared cart, supported by a robust middleware connection.
• MongoDB cluster and ElasticSearch for fast and scalable data management and search.
• Personalized search results powered by a recommendation engine.
• Single-Sign-On (Keycloak) for secure authentication.
• Rights and roles management for different user groups.

^Results

^{The new webshop provides a high-performance and user-friendly platform tailored to the needs of the library sector and ekz’s internal operations. It significantly simplifies the ordering process for libraries while laying the foundation for future digital extensions in the field of library equipment and service offerings. The modernized solution strengthens ekz’s position as a digital innovator in library services.}

^{Technologies and Tools}

^{Technologies: React, Node.js, MongoDB Cluster, ElasticSearch, Keycloak
Processes: Agile (Scrum methodology)}