Custom software for defence suppliers, defence construction firms and logistics partners of the armed forces. We build non-classified platforms for construction projects on MoD sites, personnel screening workflows, supply chain and facility management, ISO 27001-compliant and in line with the Dutch Baseline Information Security for Government (BIO).
Let us be honest about this: Appfront does not hold clearance to work with state secret data or classified information. We are not part of the defence industrial base in the strict sense. What we do, and where we have built experience since 2015, is build software for the companies operating around the defence sector: construction firms with MoD contracts, maritime suppliers, aerospace subcontractors, logistics service providers, screening agencies and cyber security partners.
For these organisations we build platforms that are mission-critical to their business but sit outside the classified perimeter. Tender tracking for defence procurement. Material traceability for military requirements. Personnel screening flows around Wvo procedures and VOG applications. Supply chain and CMMS platforms for barracks, hangars and training grounds. We are clear about where our scope ends, which makes us faster and cheaper than a specialised defence systems house for the work we can take on.
The Dutch defence supply chain is broad. At the top sits a handful of large tier-1 suppliers contracting directly with the Defence Materiel Organisation or NATO, such as Damen, Royal IHC, Fokker Technologies, KLM Engineering, TNO and Marin. Beneath them is a much larger layer of construction firms, logistics providers, facility partners, screening agencies, cyber security suppliers and R&D organisations that take part on a project or framework contract basis. It is this middle layer that has software challenges which are too small for a Big Four or Capgemini engagement, yet too specialised to solve with a standard SaaS package. That is our sweet spot.
One important distinction we make upfront: we do not trade in ITAR- or EAR-controlled US defence technology, and we do not offer NATO STANAG expertise as a core speciality. Where requirements of that kind play a prominent role, we seek collaboration with a party that specialises in them.
This depends on where you sit in the defence supply chain and which compliance requirements apply to you. In the first conversation we advise which route fits and which work we would be better off referring to a specialised defence agency.
Tender tracking for defence procurement, project management for MoD construction, material traceability for military requirements, and ATEX/explosion safety compliance at sites where it applies. For construction firms delivering infrastructure at barracks, hangars and training grounds. We connect to your existing construction software stack or replace it selectively where it no longer fits.
In practice this means platforms that carry several processes at once: the procurement process with version history and deadlines, planning and subcontractor coordination on the construction site itself, logistics supply under defence-specific documentation requirements, and handover documentation, which for MoD projects is far heavier than for a commercial client. Audit trails are in place from day one, not as an afterthought but as an architectural choice.
Workflow platforms around VOG applications, screening for defence clearance procedures, and Wet veiligheidsonderzoeken (Wvo) procedures. We do not process the classified screening outcomes ourselves, since that is where the AIVD/MIVD boundary lies, but we do build the workflow platform around them: application flow, status tracking, document management, audit trail and intake forms for your HR or screening team.
For screening agencies that deliver this as a service to end clients, we also build multi-tenant variants, in which each client can view its ongoing procedures in its own environment. For defence suppliers that screen in-house, such as a construction firm guiding dozens of engineers a year through a Wvo procedure, we often integrate the platform with your existing HRIS, so that an employee's status is visible alongside the rest of their personnel data.
Just-in-time logistics for deliveries to military barracks, multi-site distribution, and CMMS maintenance systems for military facilities and non-classified equipment. For parties such as Vebego and Sodexo that provide military base services, for maritime maintenance partners, and for facility management on defence property. BIO-compliant, ISO 27001-compatible, with the appropriate audit layer.
Specifically on the logistics side, the difference from a commercial package is that deliveries to military sites come with different documentation, different access rules and different delivery windows than a regular distribution centre flow. We build those rules into the data model, not as a workaround layered on top of a standard system. On the facility and maintenance side, our experience lies mainly with equipment, building installations and periodic inspections within the non-classified scope.
A production-ready platform that fits your defence supplier workflow, with everything around it so you can manage it yourself and demonstrably keep it compliant.
For mission-critical setups we work with a high-availability architecture and build in redundancy at the database and application layers.
Four patterns in which we guide suppliers and defence builders. If you recognise one of them, an introductory conversation is worth your time.
You work with a standardised cloud ERP, but your MoD tender requires material traceability, lot tracking and audit flows that simply are not included. We build specialist modules alongside your ERP: not a replacement, but the missing piece.
You manage dozens of screening processes each month for personnel who will work at defence sites. Status, documents and deadlines are scattered across inboxes. A workflow platform with an audit trail makes this manageable and demonstrably compliant.
Your client requires demonstrable compliance with the Baseline Informatiebeveiliging Overheid (BIO, the Dutch government information security baseline) or NEN 7510 as a condition of the contract. Standard SaaS packages do not provide that documentation, whereas custom software does, because we deliberately build in and document the controls.
You deliver just-in-time to several military facilities with different access rules, delivery windows and documentation requirements. Generic logistics software does not scale without friction; a platform tailored to your flow does.
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →A conversation in which we establish exactly which data flows through the platform, which classification levels apply, and where the line falls between what we build and what a specialised defence firm needs to handle. Being honest about this upfront prevents problems later.
A workshop with your team, plus interviews with users from the core process. We produce an architecture sketch, map requirements against BIO and ISO 27001 controls, and deliver a concrete scope along with an initial screen flow.
A working build at the end of every sprint. We build with secure defaults: encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access, and audit logging from day one. Your team tests along the way, and in later sprints an external penetration tester reviews the deliverable.
A phased rollout to the user organisation, training sessions for key users, and handover of the full documentation package your security officer needs to demonstrate the solution in a tender.
What defence suppliers and construction firms usually want to know before we start.
A thirty-minute introductory call, no obligation. We listen to your tender or work process, ask questions about classification boundaries and BIO requirements, and give direction on what we can and cannot take on for you. For a deeper view of our approach, you can also look at our pages on maritime software, CMMS maintenance management and enterprise software development.
Appfront uses cookies and similar technologies to keep the website working properly, for analytics and for marketing. You choose what you allow. Read more in our privacy policy.
