Superannuation at a Crossroads: Why Member Experience Needs a Rethink

By Cindy Griffin, Financial Services Vertical Marketing Specialist at Smart Communications 

The superannuation industry is continuing to undergo profound change. At our recent Melbourne roundtable, one theme came through loud and clear: Member experience (MEX) must evolve if super funds are to thrive in the next decade. 

From regulatory reform and shifting demographics to rising member expectations, funds are facing a wave of change that will reshape how they communicate, engage, and deliver value. Paul Schroeder, CEO of AustralianSuper, recently underscored this urgency at his National Press Club address, calling for legislative changes that simplify retirement and place member outcomes at the centre. 

The Forces Reshaping Superannuation 

Schroder’s proposal to unify accumulation and retirement accounts, and integrate super with the aged pension, represents more than just a regulatory proposal. It requires funds to rethink how they guide members through retirement. Manual applications and fragmented processes will need to give way to seamless transitions that demand smarter, more intuitive communications. This is a fundamental shift in how members experience their retirement journey. 

At the same time, regulatory pressure is mounting. SPS 515, effective July 2025, requires Australian trustees to demonstrate that all aspects of their operations—including communications—support member outcomes. This means funds must go beyond generic notices and show alignment with the best financial interests duty.  

Meanwhile, Payday Super, expected to roll out in July 2026, will significantly increase communication volume and complexity. Members will expect real-time updates with every pay cycle, and employers will need clear guidance to navigate new contribution processes.

3. Inclusivity and Trust as Strategic Imperatives 

Australia’s super system must serve diverse and under-represented groups — women returning from career breaks, gig economy workers, Indigenous Australians, and non-English speakers. Inclusivity equals trust, and it’s rising to the top of the agenda. Communication must evolve to be inclusive, accessible, and transparent. Inclusivity is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative to build trust. 

AI and Trust in Superannuation 

At a recent superannuation roundtable, delegates raised concerns about members turning to popular AI tools for financial advice—despite these systems not being designed for accuracy in regulated domains. The risk of misinformation is real, especially as AI becomes more embedded in how members interact with their funds.  

According to KPMG’s “Trust, Attitudes and Use of Artificial Intelligence: A Global Study 2025,” only 36% of Australians broadly trust AI, with many more wary of its risks than excited by its potential. Yet, 65% still expect AI to deliver benefits like reduced manual tasks, improved efficiency, and more personalised experiences.  

Get More AI Insights From Our 2025 APAC Benchmark Report. 

For super funds, this presents a dual challenge: harnessing AI to enhance engagement while ensuring transparency, reliability, and ethical standards that resonate across generations.  

One of the attendees of the roundtable, Mario Garrido, co-authored this paper on trust, which emphasizes that for older generations, drivers of trust are more grounded in traditional cues: character, capability, and benevolence. Older members are less likely to be impressed by promises of innovation alone; they want proof of consistent performance, regulatory compliance, and clear ethical standards. 

For super funds, this generational divide means communications must be far more sophisticated and adaptive:  

Meeting both expectations requires modern platforms that can capture accurate member data, generate compliant communications across channels, and tailor messaging to different trust drivers at scale. 

How Smart Communications Helps Super Funds Lead Through Change 

At Smart Communications, we enable super funds to modernise their member engagement strategy with personalised, compliant, and scalable communications. Our solutions – SmartCOMM™, SmartIQ™, SmartHUB™  and SmartPATH ™– help funds meet regulatory obligations while improving the member experience. 

Compliance with Evidence:-With SmartCOMM, super funds can standardise communications through pre-approved templates and centralised content management, ensuring every notice and disclosure is compliant, consistent, and on-brand. A full audit trail is captured, making it straightforward to demonstrate SPS 515 compliance. Automated version control further reduces risk, ensuring any regulatory changes are reflected across member touchpoints. 

SmartIQ supports compliance by guiding members through adaptive digital interviews that align with regulatory requirements. By capturing structured, validated data at the source, SmartIQ reduces the likelihood of incomplete or incorrect submissions and seamlessly feeds data into SmartCOMM-generated documents. 

Member Engagement by Life Stage:-SmartCOMM orchestrates omnichannel, personalised communications tailored to member needs while SmartIQ powers guided digital interviews, enabling funds to capture member data once and reuse it across forms, advice documents, and onboarding workflows. Both solutions support multilingual and accessible formats to ensure that inclusivity is prioritised and every member is included.  

Employer Readiness for Payday Super:-When it comes to the rollout of Padyday Super, SmartPATH ensures members receive real-time transparency through event-triggered contribution confirmations each pay cycle. SmartPATH orchestrates these communications across email, SMS, and online portals. By delivering clear, proactive communications, SmartPATH enables funds to reduce confusion, alleviate pressure on call centres, and lower overall service costs. 

Reimagine Member Experience: SmartPATH replaces manual, fragmented processes with intelligent, omnichannel orchestration—ensuring members receive timely, compliant, and personalised updates across email, SMS, and print. SmartPATH supports inclusive formats and AI-powered decisioning to guide diverse member cohorts through complex journeys like retirement transitions or Payday Super updates, while maintaining transparency and control to meet SPS 515 obligations and build trust across generations. 

Meet Customer Expectations: SmartHUB helps superannuation funds meet rising expectations for transparency, compliance, and inclusivity by securely storing all member communications—from emails to case records—in a central, audit-ready archive. With fast retrieval and seamless integration across SmartCOMM and SmartIQ, SmartHUB supports SPS 515 obligations, enables secure digital delivery, and reduces operational costs. It ensures members and staff can access the right information, at the right time, building trust through clarity and control. 

Turning Compliance into a Competitive Edge 

Super funds are truly standing at a crossroads. As Schroder noted in his address, more people with more savings are approaching retirement than at any other time Australian history. With Smart Communications, super funds can go beyond compliance to deliver the personalised, timely, and trustworthy experiences members expect and turn regulatory changes into a strategic advantage. 

Be Prepared For Change with Modern Solutions

If your fund is preparing for SPS 515, Payday Super, or broader retirement reform, now is the time to modernise your communications. Let’s talk about how Smart Communications can help you stay compliant, build trust, and improve outcomes.