Personalisation at Scale

Personalisation at scale: can managed accounts balance client goals with efficiency?

Advice teams want two things that often pull in opposite directions: portfolios that reflect each client’s goals and values, and an operating model that doesn’t chew through the week. In 2025, managed accounts can deliver both—if you set clear rules for personalisation and keep the core of the portfolio running on rails. Adoption data backs this up: ~59% of Australian advisers now use managed accounts, with usage more than tripling over the decade. At the same time, most recommended models have moved to multi-asset, whole-of-portfolio designs—exactly where scale matters.

What “personalisation” really means in a managed-account world

Personalisation no longer means “hand-craft a portfolio for every client.” It’s rule-based flexibility layered on a standard model. On modern platforms you can set simple, explainable preferences — don’t buy a specific security, substitute within the same asset class, or lock a parcel for tax — while the rest of the model continues to rebalance normally. Several Australian platforms document these actions explicitly, and many also surface CGT-aware rebalancing to preview tax impacts before you trade.

A second pillar is transparency. In structures commonly used for managed accounts — including SMAs — clients beneficially own the underlying holdings, which makes “what do I own and why?” a simple conversation and makes preference rules easy to explain.

Where personalisation adds real value (and where it doesn’t)

Values and exclusions. Straightforward screens—tobacco, thermal coal, or a single issuer—are easy to administer and audit. They’re also client-friendly: one rule, clearly documented.

Tax and cashflow. Direct ownership plus CGT-aware tooling lets you stage changes more intelligently, minimise unnecessary realisations, and use in-specie where appropriate. This is particularly useful around retirement transitions and risk-profile changes.

Timing and glidepaths. Personalisation doesn’t have to be binary; you can phase in tilts or execute within windows, using platform estimates of cost-to-implement and CGT to decide when to move.

Where it doesn’t add value: creating a different portfolio for every client. That’s not personalisation; that’s fragmentation—and it destroys the very scale that makes managed accounts powerful.

The efficiency side isn’t a myth

Australian advisers using managed accounts report saving roughly 23.9 hours per week on average (up from 22.8 last year). Those hours don’t come from “working faster”—they come from one decision cascading across many accounts, with documentation and client comms travelling with the change. Meanwhile, usage has consolidated around multi-asset models (≈68%), where one-to-many implementation and reporting deliver the biggest operating gains.

A simple operating pattern that keeps both sides in balance

Think in three tiers. Make the default cheap and fast; reserve heavy custom work for the few who truly need it.

• Tier 1: Reference model (default). No exceptions. All rebalances flow automatically.
• Tier 2: Controlled preferences. Allow a small number of policy-approved settings (e.g., exclude 1–3 tickers; apply an ESG screen; lock legacy parcels for CGT). Every preference has an approver, rationale, and review date, and sits on an exception register so leadership can see divergence at a glance. Modern platforms support the mechanics (don’t buy / substitute / lock) out of the box.
• Tier 3: High-touch cases. Where deeper discretion is genuinely required, treat governance as a feature—document decision rights, change control, client reporting, and conflicts. (If your structure involves discretionary authority, align with ASIC RG 179 expectations.)

Guardrails that protect scale

Akambo’s managed accounts are designed to support scalable personalisation — but maintaining efficiency requires clear boundaries. Here’s how we help advice firms and dealer groups protect their operating model:

• Exception policy: Akambo enables controlled preferences (e.g., exclude tickers, lock parcels), but firms should define what’s allowed, who approves it, and when it expires. We support exception registers and review workflows to keep divergence visible and manageable.
• CGT and implementation budgets: Our platform-integrated models surface CGT impact estimates before trades, helping firms make timing decisions based on data — not gut feel.
• Rebalance windows: Akambo supports scheduled rebalancing and risk-band triggers, allowing firms to batch changes and maintain rhythm.
• Documentation that travels: Every model change is timestamped, reasoned, and mapped to client communications — reducing SOA/ROA workload and improving audit readiness.
• DDO fit: Akambo’s structures are designed to align with RG 274 obligations, but firms must ensure personalisation stays within their target market determinations.

What to measure, so you can prove it works

Akambo provides the infrastructure — but firms should measure the impact. Here’s what leading practices track:

• Capacity: Hours released across paraplanning, admin and adviser time; change in SOA/ROA cycle time (baseline vs first 90 days).
• Consistency: % of clients on reference models; exception rate; drift resolution time — all visible via Akambo’s reporting tools.
• Client outcomes: Realised CGT vs budget; tracking error vs model for Tier-2 clients; adherence to stated preferences.
• Governance: Completeness and timeliness of change logs; investment committee pack quality; audit findings and close-out time — supported by Akambo’s platform-level reporting.

The short answer

Yes—managed accounts can balance client goals with efficiency. The firms that make it work usually do three things:

1. Keep a standard core model and allow a small set of rule-based preferences for common requests.
2. Use platform CGT and cost-to-implement tools so timing and sequencing are evidence-based.
3. Run a clear exception framework (approvals, review dates, register) and prove the result with a simple 90-day scorecard.

Akambo’s managed accounts are built for that operating rhythm. We deliver the model, the change control and the reporting, so advisers can apply controlled preferences, manage CGT and cashflow, and maintain line-of-sight across portfolios—without giving up efficiency.

Clients see their values reflected in what they own; leadership keeps clear oversight.