Shared services can reduce duplication across a group, but centralisation only works when responsibilities remain clear. Finance, procurement, HR, legal support, IT and data can often be shared, while sales execution, customer service and operating decisions stay close to each business.
The design question is simple: which activities benefit from standardisation, and which activities need unit-level speed? Central procurement can improve supplier leverage, for example, but emergency operational buying may still need delegated limits. Group finance can standardise reporting while individual businesses remain accountable for collection and working capital.
Use service levels, not informal dependence
Each shared function should have defined services, response times, approval limits and escalation routes. Otherwise the group office becomes a bottleneck and operating companies begin building duplicate unofficial systems.
Shared data is especially powerful. A common management dashboard can compare stock, cash, receivables, sales, gross margin, people and risk across the portfolio. That gives leadership a group-wide view without erasing the identity and accountability of each business.