AstuteWheel overhauls flagship platform, insources dev team

Australian adviser technology developer AstuteWheel has announced a wholesale rebuild of its client engagement platform, leveraging a low-code app development.

AstuteWheel managing director Hans Egger said the rebuild takes advantage of “the latest technology” to enhance the platform’s user experience, embracing a low-code development environment.

Leveraging ‘low code’, a (typically) visual software development process requiring minimal hand coding, iterative upgrades to the platform can be delivered more efficiently and flexibly, Egger said.

As part of the platform upgrade, AstuteWheel also opted to in-source its development team. Numbering seven members, Egger confirmed, the new in-house development team promises to improve platform responsiveness to user demands, quicken innovation, and enhance quality control.

Previously, such builds were outsourced to third-party software developers.

“This approach allows us to quickly adapt to industry changes, meet adviser needs, and continuously innovate while reducing development costs,” Egger said.

“It also means we can focus on adding new features and improving user experience without being bogged down by complex coding requirements.”

The platform rebuild commenced in early 2022, Egger said, with ongoing iterative enhancements expected post-launch.

Egger added that the platform is well-positioned to take advantage of changes relating to the Quality of Advice Review and other regulatory changes.

“Our platform’s flexibility and focus on compliance make it easy for financial advisers to adapt to new requirements, ensuring they can continue to provide high-quality advice efficiently,” he said.

Founded in 2012 by planning industry veteran Hans Egger, AstuteWheel touts itself as a complete financial planning software ecosystem, supporting client engagement, advice delivery, and practice management.

Among the features of the platform include:

• A client portal, providing “a secure and user-friendly platform for clients to access their financial information”. Clients can update personal details and upload important documents into their vault, have an overview of all their financial and personal information, and access and electronically sign documents uploaded by advisers.
• Visual and interactive tools and dashboards.
• Cashflow and strategy modelling can be conducted live with clients and side-by-side comparisons can show the benefits of various strategies.