As we invest in the evolution of Xplan, we’re changing not just what we build, but how we build it.
Our customers have told us they want a stronger voice in the direction of Xplan and, importantly, to see a clearer connection between the feedback they share and the decisions we make. We recognise that we haven’t always been close enough to customers, or created enough opportunities to work alongside the people who use Xplan every day.
We’re changing that by bringing customers into the process earlier and more often, listening to how they work, testing ideas with them and using what we learn to help shape what we build next.
What customer-centred design means in practice
Customer-centred design isn’t about building everything customers ask for. It’s about understanding our customers' needs, and bringing this understanding into decision-making earlier and more often, combining what we hear from our users with our expertise in advice, technology and product design.
Practically, this includes continuous discovery, user research, testing and beta programs throughout the development lifecycle. Rather than waiting until a product is finished to ask whether we got it right, we’re testing assumptions early, learning quickly and adapting what we build.
Our partnership with Thoughtworks is helping us strengthen this approach, bringing specialist expertise in human-centred design, AI and modern software delivery alongside Iress’ deep understanding of the advice journey.
Real customers, conversations, and impact
So far, we’ve spoken to more than 80 customers across 64 interviews, spending more than 3,700 minutes talking directly with people who use Xplan everyday. That includes advisers, practice managers, administrators and paraplanners across a range of advice practices in Australia, the UK and South Africa.
Thoughtworks Principal Consultant - Experience Design, Emma Lundgren, said: “The early feedback has been encouraging. Customers have welcomed the opportunity to be involved, with advisers telling us they value being heard and seeing their input reflected in the products we’re developing.
“That feedback is already influencing decisions - from the scope and priorities of our new adviser workspace, Xplan HQ, to the way we’re shaping new workflows and experiences. Customers want to see that when they give us their time and insight, it influences what we prioritise, build and ultimately deliver.”
From insight to action
At the heart of Xplan Evolution is a simple ambition: retain the depth and flexibility that make Xplan so powerful, while making it easier to drive. Our customer research is helping us understand where the experience can be improved without compromising the capability practices rely on.
Our approach is deliberately iterative. We identify the assumptions that matter most, put early concepts in front of real users, listen to their reactions and use what we learn to refine what we build. A typical feedback loop can happen in just two to three weeks: Plan → Test → Learn → Refine → Test again.
Often, we can resolve questions even faster. Our designers have been able to recruit customers and validate specific design decisions within a day, replacing internal assumptions with direct customer insight at critical decision points.
For our new adviser workspace, Xplan HQ, repeated testing has helped shape the scope for the first release, including how advisers want to see tasks, risks and opportunities brought together in one workspace. This is the value of bringing customers into the process early - helping us make informed decisions about where to simplify, where to preserve flexibility and where to unlock more of what Xplan can do.
A different approach to AI
This approach is particularly important as we introduce AI into Xplan. We know customers want the benefits of AI, but they also expect it to be reliable, secure, compliant and integrated into the workflows they already use. That’s why we’re taking a measured approach: using AI where it can genuinely reduce friction and improve adviser productivity, while keeping advisers firmly in control.
Our Xplan Meeting Assistance beta is one example of this approach, with customers testing early capabilities and providing regular feedback throughout the testing period before broader release. The ambition is to deliver AI that works in the real world of advice.
The conversation doesn’t stop
Customer involvement is becoming an ongoing part of how we develop Xplan. We’ll continue to invite customers into:
- User research and discovery
- Closed user testing and beta programs
- Feature validation
- Feedback on early concepts
- Ongoing product and roadmap conversations
We’ll also share more of what we’re learning through the Iress Community Roadmap Hub. As Xplan Evolution progresses, we want customer participation to become a more visible and regular part of the journey.
Evolving Xplan together
Xplan Evolution is a significant investment in the future of the platform advisers trust. Our customers have told us they want Xplan’s power to be easier to access, simpler to use and more valuable every day. We’re listening, and changing the way we work to bring customers closer to the decisions that shape what comes next.
Thoughtworks APAC Product Leader, Ian Kelsall, said: “This is not about rescuing something broken; it’s about taking something genuinely strong and making it feel as good as it actually is.”
Our customer testing is helping us understand what “feeling as good as it actually is” means in practice - and giving advisers a direct role in shaping that experience.
Want to be involved?
If you’d like to participate in future research, testing or beta opportunities, fill out this short form to join our research panel.
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