Published: Sep 22, 2025
Excellence + genuine care can solve challenges once thought impossible
Personalising retirement for 650,000+ Australians
In 2021, a leading Australian superannuation fund brought us a challenge at the heart of Australian retirement planning:
How do you help people truly connect with their financial future?
Over the next four years, this challenge evolved into a shared mission — one built on trust, creativity, and relentless pursuit of impact.
With 650,000+ members and $149 billion under management, our client wanted more than incremental change - they wanted transformation. Their values aligned perfectly with our human‑centred approach.
Four years later, that shared vision has produced world‑first innovations - including the first twin‑region disaster recovery solution for Databricks - and a step‑change in member engagement.
The human challenge
Switching between superannuation funds in Australia runs at approximately 7% each year, according to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)*. Yet for many, retirement planning still feels intangible and easy to postpone.
Unseen behind these numbers are the real human questions:
Can I afford to stop working?
Am I contributing enough for a secure retirement?
Our client recognised that for members to plan confidently, experiences had to be personal, engaging, and emotionally relevant - all while meeting strict regulatory requirements.
Breakthrough #1 - Mobile that moves people to act
We co‑designed their first native mobile app through deep member research and human‑centred design - and delivered it under constrained conditions:
- From concept artwork to App Store launch in just 6 months - unheard of for a corporate finance application.
- Navigated unplanned COVID lockdowns that added operational complexity and uncertainty.
- Partnered seamlessly as one team, with our people embedded alongside theirs every step of the way.
Our focus:
- Make retirement feel relevant and actionable today.
- Integrate with legacy systems without sacrificing modern usability.
- Iterate for behaviour change, not just “what tested well.”
The incredible outcome: together, we developed and launched what has now been Australia’s #1 rated Superannuation app for three consecutive years - consistently outperforming industry adoption benchmarks and delivering exceptional member satisfaction.
Most importantly, members can now visualise retirement scenarios, track progress, and take meaningful action - today, not “someday.”
Breakthrough #2 - Data that knows every member’s story
Personalisation required unifying decades of siloed systems. Together, we built a Databricks Lakehouse platform and new governance frameworks to provide holistic, accurate, and real‑time insights.
Human impact: Members receive targeted, relevant communications based on their career stage, contribution patterns, and personal goals - shifting from generic messages to genuinely helpful guidance.
Business result: Industry‑leading member satisfaction and NPS, because people feel understood and supported.
“Our goal is to become the Netflix of Retirement. This transformation brings us closer to giving every member a uniquely relevant experience they can rely on.”
Digital and Experience Executive
Breakthrough #3 - Innovation from necessity
Protecting $149 billion in member assets demanded bulletproof disaster recovery — but Databricks had no native multi‑region capability. Experts said it couldn’t be done. We proved them wrong.
The result: The world’s first twin‑region enterprise data platform with sub‑4‑hour failover, co‑engineered with our client and Databricks. This globally‑validated innovation safeguards Australia’s retirement futures.
Impact highlights
- From concept to App Store in 6 months during COVID lockdowns
- #1‑rated Superannuation app in Australia three years running
- 2x increase in member engagement — retirement planning now feels relevant
- Significant retention lift in an industry that sees 7% annual member switch (churn)
- Mobile adoption beating industry leaders
- World‑first Databricks DR capability for mission‑critical security
- Global app award winner
A partnership built in complexity
We operate as an embedded extension of our client’s team. Our relationship has grown through solving complex problems together — proving that trust is forged in challenge, not comfort.
At NCS, we believe the best technology disappears into the background, leaving better human experiences in its place. Our partnership with this client proves that technical excellence + genuine care can solve challenges once thought impossible.
APRA, "Quarterly Fund-Level Superannuation Statistics," June 2024.*
