The UK's most trusted electricals retailer has run on Halo ITSM for 13 years. What started as basic ticket logging for IT now powers 30+ teams across the entire business, including Logistics, Facilities, and People.
AO is the UK's most trusted electricals retailer, delivering everything from domestic appliances to mobile phones and computing equipment. With a purpose-built logistics network, Europe's most advanced fridge recycling plant, and a business celebrating its 25th anniversary, AO is built for scale, service, and sustainability. It is also one of Halo's longest-standing customers, having implemented the platform in 2012, when it was known as NetHelpDesk.
Around 13 years ago, AO was managing service requests through an internally built system covering only the IT department. The platform lacked flexibility and maturity: even small changes required external input, with new service request types taking up to six weeks to implement. The system was costly to maintain, and teams had little day-to-day control over how it worked.
Core ITSM functions were fragmented across multiple tools. Change management, major incident logging, and root cause analysis each lived in separate systems, creating disjointed processes and disconnected data.
"They used to sit in different tooling, different applications… We didn't have joined-up processes and ultimately lacked joined up data."
— Patrick Shaw, AO Tech Service Operations ManagerAs AO expanded into new services and departments, it became clear they needed a single, scalable, ITIL-aligned platform that internal teams could manage without relying on development resources or vendor intervention.
AO implemented Halo in 2012 for basic ticket logging. As the business evolved, so did their use of the platform. Today, Halo is used by over 30 teams (including IT, Logistics, Facilities, and People) to manage and coordinate internal services across the organisation.
Key ITSM processes that were once fragmented are now fully integrated. Change management, major incident workflows, and root cause analysis are all handled within a single system. Internally built dashboards provide real-time performance insights that support operational reviews at senior leadership level.
"We've really been able to tailor our change management system to how we want it. Our RCA processes are now sat within Halo where they never used to be. And Halo does everything our old system used to do plus much more."
— Patrick Shaw, AO Tech Service Operations ManagerWith full autonomy over configuration, AO can build and adapt workflows without relying on vendor support or external developers. Automations handle third-party alert routing directly, reducing manual workload across the team. The relationship with the Halo team itself remains collaborative and responsive, something AO values highly as the platform continues to evolve.
Thirteen years after first deploying Halo, AO has redefined how internal services are delivered across the entire organisation. Teams that once relied on shared inboxes now operate with structured, visible workflows that drive faster resolution and better data.
"They have seen increased turnaround of tickets. They can now report on what's coming in, what's going out, what's outstanding — and they're using that data to resource the team better."
— Philip Williams, Service Desk Lead, AOWith AI and emerging technologies on the roadmap, AO remains confident that Halo is the right platform for the next chapter of the business, just as it has been for the last thirteen years.
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