Service Supply Networks into SMART Operations
Reflecting back on an opportunity I had to facilitate a discussion at the IBR Future Fund Administration Forum with Meagan Brayne (Future Group), Wanda Britton (AIA) and Lachlan Allardice (SS&C), one of the key themes was the emergence of service supply networks and their role in shaping the future of superannuation service delivery.
Superannuation service delivery has moved beyond the era of the single, linear supply chain. Funds now operate in a more complex environment, where administration, insurance, technology, data, member engagement, compliance and operational resilience are increasingly interconnected. No single provider can be the best at every capability required to deliver consistently strong member outcomes.
The opportunity is to shift from managing a chain of vendors to orchestrating a service supply network: a connected ecosystem of specialist providers, each bringing deep expertise in the areas where they can create the greatest value. This is not outsourcing by fragmentation. It is deliberate specialisation, designed around a shared purpose, clear accountability and end-to-end visibility.
When specialist providers work together well, superannuation funds benefit from capability depth, faster innovation and more resilient delivery. Administrators can focus on scalable core processing, insurers can bring claims and underwriting expertise, technology partners can enable interoperability and automation, and advisory partners can provide the independent end-to-end view needed to connect the whole system. The value comes not from any single provider, but from how well the network is designed, governed and integrated.
For funds, this requires a different mindset. The question is no longer “who owns this service?” but “how do all parties contribute to the member outcome?” That means designing the service model around shared business rules, clean data handshakes, transparent performance measures and clear decision rights across service boundaries.
Best-of-breed providers can only deliver best-of-breed outcomes when someone has the experience to see the full picture. IQ Group’s role is to bring that end-to-end understanding: helping funds and their partners align purpose, integrate capability and turn a complex service network into a value-creating engine.
Jimmy Mullen – Executive Manager, Consulting Services
IQ Group | September 2026
