From first click to final delivery. One connected digital commerce ecosystem.
AO designs and builds connected digital platforms that bring together customer acquisition, websites, e-commerce, business systems, payments and last-mile fulfilment. Build the entire ecosystem with AO, or start with the component your business needs today.
What we're solving
- Marketing generates demand that the website, commerce platform and operational systems are not connected well enough to convert and fulfil.
- Orders, customers, stock and pricing are re-keyed between systems because the digital experience was built separately from the business systems.
- Payments reconcile manually, and finance only sees the transaction days after the customer completed it.
- Fulfilment and delivery sit outside the digital journey, so the customer has to be told what is happening instead of being able to see it.
- Every component was bought from a different supplier, and nobody owns the architecture between them.
How we deliver
AO designs the end-to-end architecture first: what the customer journey needs to do, which systems already exist, where data must move, and what has to be secured, monitored and reconciled. We then build and connect the components — enterprise websites and digital experiences, commerce platforms, ERP and CRM integration, payment gateway integration and last-mile delivery integration — using APIs, event-driven integration and automation. The customer can engage AO for the full ecosystem or for a single component that plugs into the technology they already own.
What you receive
End-to-end digital commerce architecture and roadmap
Enterprise website and digital experience delivery
B2C and B2B commerce platform delivery
ERP, CRM and business-system integration
Payment gateway integration
Last-mile delivery integration
API, data and automation layer with monitoring and reconciliation
Ongoing enhancement, support and optimisation
Business outcomes
- 01One connected journey from acquisition through to delivery, instead of six disconnected systems.
- 02Fewer manual handoffs between marketing, sales, operations, finance and fulfilment.
- 03Faster commercial change, because the architecture is designed for integration rather than retrofitted for it.
- 04A single accountable partner across the digital journey, with clear ownership of the integration layer.
- 05The freedom to start with one component and extend the ecosystem when the business is ready.
Stack & partners
One journey, six connected stages.
Every stage can be delivered on its own. Together they form a single connected customer journey, held together by the AO integration layer.
The connective tissue beneath every stage — the reason the journey behaves as one system rather than six separate products.
- APIs
- Data
- Integration
- Automation
- Security
- Observability
Engage
The website, portal and content architecture where a visitor understands what you sell, who you are and what to do next — engineered as part of your enterprise architecture, not as a standalone brochure.
Enterprise Websites & Digital ExperienceThe AO connected commerce journey runs in six stages: Attract (social, search, email, WhatsApp and digital campaigns), then Engage (website, digital experience, customer portal and CMS), then Commerce (product catalogue, e-commerce, cart, checkout and customer account), then Operate (ERP, CRM, inventory, orders and business systems), then Pay (payment gateway, payment confirmation and transaction processing), then Deliver (last-mile fulfilment, courier request, collection and delivery). Underneath all six stages sits the AO integration layer, providing APIs, data, integration, automation, security and observability.
Most providers build one part of the journey. AO can connect the journey.
AO Digital creates and captures demand. AO Software builds the digital experience that converts it, connects commerce into ERP, CRM and operational systems, integrates payment so the transaction completes and reconciles, and integrates last-mile delivery so the order reaches the customer. Data, APIs and automation hold it together. From the customer perspective there is one AO and one accountable architecture.
- Acquisition and demand capture through AO Digital channels
- Website and digital experience engineered as part of the enterprise architecture
- Commerce connected to ERP, CRM, inventory and order management
- Customer data connected across marketing, sales and service platforms
- Workflow automation moving data and actions between systems
- Robotic process automation where legacy systems expose no suitable interface
- Payment integration so transactions complete, reconcile and report
- Last-mile delivery integration through supported APIs
- One integration layer with monitoring, error handling and reconciliation
Start where your business needs us.
You do not need to replace everything to create a connected customer journey. AO can build the entire ecosystem or integrate the component your business needs into the technology you already have. Build the ecosystem. Replace a bottleneck. Connect what you already have.
API first. RPA where it adds value.
AO prefers robust API and event-driven integration where systems support it, because it is faster, more reliable and easier to monitor. Workflow automation platforms move data and actions between those systems. Robotic process automation is used where legacy or closed systems require user-interface automation, or where automation delivers value faster than replacing a system.
- API and event-driven integration as the default architecture
- Workflow automation and orchestration between websites, commerce, CRM and ERP
- Robotic process automation for legacy, desktop and closed applications
- RPA as code using code-based frameworks and browser or process automation where customers require versioning, testability and CI/CD integration
- Human-in-the-loop steps, exception handling, monitoring and audit logging
Technology selected around your business.
AO selects technology around the requirement, the existing estate and the integration complexity. The categories below describe technologies AO has experience with and can integrate or implement. They do not represent vendor certification or formal partnership.
Experience & CMS
AO works across established content platforms as well as custom and headless architectures. Platform choice is driven by scale, integration complexity, governance, content operations and customer experience requirements.
- Drupal
- Joomla
- Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
- Umbraco
- WordPress
- Elementor (WordPress page building)
- Custom-developed CMS
- Headless CMS
- Composable content architecture
Commerce
B2C, B2B and hybrid commerce, from packaged platforms to headless and composable commerce architectures.
- Shopify
- BigCommerce
- Magento / Adobe Commerce
- WooCommerce
- Custom commerce
- Headless commerce
- Composable commerce
Application Frameworks
For highly integrated or bespoke digital platforms, AO can build custom applications using modern engineering frameworks rather than forcing requirements into an off-the-shelf CMS.
- Laravel
- .NET
- Node.js
- React
- TypeScript
- Python
CRM & Customer Platforms
Connect marketing, sales and customer-service data into the wider digital commerce journey so customer interactions do not stop at the website.
- HubSpot
- Zoho / Zoho CRM
- Salesforce
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM
- Odoo CRM
ERP & Business Platforms
Odoo is a preferred AO platform for connected ERP, CRM and operational workflows where it is appropriate to the customer's requirements. We don't replace systems simply because they aren't ours. We connect them.
- Odoo (ERP, CRM, sales, inventory, operations)
- SAP integrations
- Oracle integrations
- Microsoft Dynamics integrations
Workflow Automation & Orchestration
AO uses workflow and integration platforms to automate the movement of data and actions between websites, commerce platforms, CRM, ERP and third-party services. These are tools within a broader automation architecture, not a replacement for it.
- n8n
- Zapier
- API orchestration
- Webhooks
- Event-driven workflows
- Scheduled workflows
- Data synchronisation
RPA & Intelligent Automation
Where systems cannot be integrated cleanly through APIs, AO can use robotic process automation to automate repeatable tasks across legacy and desktop applications.
- UiPath
- Blue Prism
- RPA-as-code
- Browser automation
- Desktop automation
- Legacy application automation
- API-first automation
Payments
Payment integrated into checkout, order management and finance reconciliation.
- Adumo Online
- Other supported payment providers
- Tokenised and hosted checkout flows
Fulfilment
Turning a confirmed order into a tracked delivery request.
- Supported last-mile delivery APIs
- Courier platform APIs
Integration
The AO integration layer beneath the journey, with monitoring, error handling and reconciliation.
- REST APIs
- Webhooks
- Event-driven integration
- Middleware
- API gateways
Frequently asked
Can AO build the entire digital commerce ecosystem?
Yes. AO can design and deliver the full journey — acquisition channels through AO Digital, the website and digital experience, the commerce platform, ERP and CRM integration, payment integration and last-mile delivery integration — as a single connected programme.
Can we start with only one part of it?
Yes. Each capability is delivered as an individual service. Customers commonly start with a website, a commerce platform, one integration or a payment or delivery connection, and extend later.
Do we have to replace our existing systems?
No. AO integrates existing systems wherever that is the better commercial decision. If you already run SAP, Salesforce, Shopify or your own platform, the objective is to connect it, not replace it.
Who owns the integration between the components?
AO does, when AO builds the integration layer. That layer covers APIs, data movement, automation, security, error handling, reconciliation and monitoring across the journey.
Is this only for retail?
No. The same architecture applies to B2B distribution, manufacturing, services, financial services and any organisation where customers discover, buy, pay for and receive something.
Can AO build Drupal websites?
Yes. AO has experience with Drupal and can implement, extend, integrate and support Drupal-based websites and digital experience platforms, including integration into commerce, CRM and ERP systems.
Does AO support Adobe Experience Manager?
AO has implementation and integration capability with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) for enterprise digital experience programmes. AO is not positioned as an Adobe partner; engagements are scoped against your existing licensing and delivery model.
Can AO migrate from Joomla or Drupal to a headless CMS?
Yes. AO can migrate content, URLs, media and structured data from Joomla, Drupal or other content platforms into a headless or composable architecture, with redirect mapping and SEO continuity planned as part of the migration.
Can AO build Magento / Adobe Commerce platforms?
Yes. AO has experience with Magento, now part of the Adobe Commerce family, and can implement, extend and integrate it alongside Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, headless and custom commerce options.
Can AO build custom applications using Laravel?
Yes. Laravel is one of the application frameworks AO uses for bespoke and highly integrated digital platforms, alongside .NET, Node.js and React. Laravel is an application framework, not a CMS, and is selected where requirements do not fit an off-the-shelf platform.
Can AO integrate HubSpot with ERP systems?
Yes. AO can integrate HubSpot with ERP and operational platforms so leads, quotes, orders, invoices and service history stay aligned. HubSpot is treated as a CRM, marketing and customer platform, not as an ERP.
Can AO integrate Zoho CRM with a website or ERP?
Yes. AO can integrate Zoho CRM with websites, commerce platforms and ERP systems, and can integrate broader Zoho business applications depending on your estate and licensed modules.
Can AO integrate Odoo with e-commerce?
Yes. Odoo is a preferred AO platform where it suits the requirement. AO can connect Odoo ERP, CRM, inventory and sales workflows to Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento / Adobe Commerce or a custom storefront.
Can AO automate workflows using n8n or Zapier?
Yes. AO uses workflow automation platforms such as n8n and Zapier to move data and trigger actions between websites, commerce platforms, CRM, ERP and third-party services. They are used as tools inside a wider integration architecture, not as a replacement for it.
What is the difference between workflow automation and RPA?
Workflow automation connects systems through APIs, webhooks and events. Robotic process automation drives the user interface of an application the way a person would. AO uses APIs where systems support them and RPA where they do not.
Does AO work with UiPath or Blue Prism?
AO has experience with UiPath and Blue Prism and can design, build and support automations on these platforms, subject to your licensing. AO does not claim vendor certification or formal partnership.
What is RPA-as-code?
RPA-as-code implements automation using code-based frameworks and browser or process automation rather than a visual RPA tool. AO can use this approach where customers require greater control, versioning, testability or CI/CD integration.