The professionalisation of management in companies
When we look at the main challenges faced by SMEs in Portugal, it is impossible not to mention technology and digital transition, or sustainability and energy transition. Widely discussed, these topics will remain on managers’ agendas for the coming years.
However, there is another downstream challenge that needs to take centre stage in companies’ priorities – the professionalisation of management. In other words, the ability of our managers to make strategic decisions, at the right time, and based on relevant information.
Having access to this information – indicators, consistent metrics, periodic dashboards and financial analyses – is essential not only to ensure the operational and commercial functioning of the business, but above all to make more strategic decisions related to investment, financing, internationalisation or tax optimisation. It allows companies to anticipate trends and adjust objectives, incorporate innovation into their strategy, and, for example, invest in the much-discussed digital and energy transitions.
The OECD has been highlighting that management capability is one of the determining factors for SME growth. According to the report Equipping SMEs with the skills to navigate the twin transition (2025), SMEs that manage to scale quickly tend to invest more in skills, technology and productivity – reinforcing the importance of professionalised management practices to promote sustainable growth.
However, none of this is possible without well-defined indicators and metrics, and without a dedicated team, often benefiting from a highly productive complementarity between internal know-how and the dynamism of outsourcing.
In this area, dynamism is even more evident with the recent rise of multidisciplinary firms, which make it possible to incorporate complementary skills, specialised teams, expanded responsiveness, and a single point of contact for the client.
Therefore, multidisciplinarity can bring many benefits in terms of transparency, collaboration and the professionalisation of the market, but it will be especially relevant in delivering a more complete and efficient service to clients. Why create barriers when we can build bridges?
