Technology-enabled ecommerce: sharpening how we build and scale
One month ago today, I joined Autonative as Head of Technology.
Whenever I step into a role like this, one of the first things I do is spend time understanding how technology is being used today. That means talking to people, looking at how systems fit together, and getting a feel for what is already working well.
This kind of review is something I love to do. Technology moves quickly, teams evolve, and the only way to stay effective is to regularly step back and make sure the way you are building still supports where the business is heading. Assessing what you have, what’s working well, and what could do with tweaking is exciting. I like to think of it as a Pit Stop - a quick pause, fix what needs fixing to move even faster, but ultimately you can’t slow down for long!
This post is the first in a series where I (and others in the department) will share how we approach technology at Autonative, how that approach is evolving, and how we are shaping the next phase of our technical capability.
A strong base, grounded in real ecommerce delivery
One thing that stood out very quickly is that Autonative already has a strong technical foundation.
The work being done today supports complex, end-to-end ecommerce operations. From customer experience and data flows, through to order processing, fulfilment and post-sale activity, the systems we build and operate sit at the heart of how our clients generate revenue and serve their customers.
This is not technology built in isolation. It is tightly connected to commercial outcomes: large scale data enhancement, speed to market, control over customer experience, insight into performance, and the ability to adapt as markets and customer behaviour change.
The opportunity ahead is not about changing direction, but about sharpening focus. Taking what already exists and making it more deliberate, more consistent, and easier to scale across the full ecommerce lifecycle.
From delivery to leverage
As organisations grow, there is a natural shift that needs to happen in how technology is applied.
Early success often comes from solving problems quickly, often in isolation. Over time, the real gains come from recognising patterns, reusing approaches, and turning experience into something that compounds.
That is where Autonative is now.
Over the past month, my focus has been on understanding where those patterns already exist across our work: how data flows between systems, how operational complexity is handled, and where we can create more leverage by standardising the right things without losing flexibility.
The aim is simple. Help teams move faster with more confidence, reduce unnecessary reinvention, and make sure the technology we build consistently supports the commercial goals of our clients.
Building a technology team that scales with the business
A strong technology function is not defined by the tools it uses, but by how clearly it thinks.
That clarity shows up in how architectural decisions are made, how quality is maintained, how trade-offs are discussed, and how teams balance speed with sustainability. It also shows up in where people are encouraged to experiment, challenge assumptions, and learn from each other.
Over the coming months, I will be sharing how we are approaching this at Autonative. Not as a finished blueprint, but as an ongoing process.
That will include how we think about:
Technical standards and shared principles
Reviewing work in a way that improves outcomes and builds trust
Supporting large, interconnected ecommerce operations without unnecessary complexity
Using new tools and approaches, including AI, in ways that are practical and commercially grounded
Creating space for innovation alongside day-to-day delivery
How to build for internal customers, and it’s own unique challenges
Hopefully each one will contain some nuggets of information you find useful, or maybe just entertaining.
Why this series exists
Over my twenty years in technology, I have learned a huge amount from people who have been open about how they work. Engineers, founders and technology leaders who took the time to write honestly about their approaches, their trade-offs, and the things that did not go quite to plan. That openness has shaped how I think about building software and teams far more than any single tool or framework.
I have always believed that openness creates value. When ideas, patterns and decisions are shared, everyone benefits. Teams learn faster, mistakes are repeated less often, and better outcomes become easier to achieve.
This series is my way of contributing back to that tradition. Sharing how we approach technology at Autonative, how we think about building and operating systems that sit at the core of ecommerce businesses, and how those technical decisions connect directly to commercial reality.
Because in ecommerce, technology is not a support function. It underpins speed to market, customer experience, operational efficiency and growth. Making that work visible, and talking openly about how it is done, is how we continue to improve.