Investing in talent and technology , ao . com is poised to lead its industry through expansion and innovation

In a market full of online and bricksand-mortar competitors , ao . com is defying the odds to reach its goal of becoming Europe ’ s best online electrical retailer . Starting in 2000 , the company came about when a friend bet founder and current CEO John Roberts £ 1 that he couldn ’ t use the internet to sell electricals . Fast forward 17 years , and ao . com now spans the UK , Germany , and the Netherlands , with many more markets on the horizon . With its lofty goal in mind , the company has implemented a number of technological solutions that have put it on a trajectory towards success . We speak to Adam Warne , Group IT Director , to discover how his department is working with the whole of the organisation to drive meaningful change . He explains that technology is used in a wide variety of situations to deliver positive results , and the best implementations are where the innovation isn ’ t obvious . “ Customers always say how amazing the experience is with AO and how intuitive the website feels ,” he says . “ For example - we recognised the computing category was a complex one to shop , and so built our own product finder to help the customer choose the right computer for their needs using a few simple questions . It is these little things that people probably don ’ t think about but we put a lot of effort into .”