Business Diagnostic
Understanding where a business makes and loses value, and what is holding it back.
Related experienceHealthcare Business Transformation, Alvarez e Serra Arquitectos
Explore — Business DiagnosticStrategy · Operations · Applied technology
We turn business opportunities into working solutions.
dePraetere combines business strategy, operational expertise and applied technology to help companies solve complex problems, improve performance and build better ways of working.
15+years of experience, counted from our first project
5industry sectors: media, healthcare, real estate, technology and architecture
14selected projects across those sectors
3,750 m²of coworking space currently operated, at Lisbon WorkHub
Experience counted from our first project. Details in the case studies.
8active businesses and clients
4proprietary software solutions
6real estate assets under management
The problem we solve
Good opportunities don’t automatically become good businesses.
Most businesses that stall are not short of ideas. They are held back by an operating model that no longer fits what they are trying to do.
- An operating model built for a smaller or different business
- Processes that live in people’s heads
- Too many decisions waiting for the founder
- Space and assets earning less than they cost
- Numbers that arrive too late to act on
dePraetere connects strategy to execution: we find what is holding the business back, then help change it.
Strategy is only valuable when it translates into something that works in the real world.
What we do
Four service areas, one way of working.
Strategy, operations and applied technology, combined according to what each business needs. Not every project uses every area.
Launch & Growth
From business model to opening day to scale: offer, pricing, team, processes and the metrics that matter.
Related experienceHealthcare Business Transformation, Medclick, Alvarez e Serra Arquitectos
Explore — Launch & GrowthSpace & Hospitality
Making physical space earn more: concepts, operating models, utilisation and the customer experience.
Related experienceQuantum Logic, Interior Design Projects, Coworking Consultancy, Lisbon WorkHub
Explore — Space & HospitalitySystems & Software
Applying technology, data and AI to real business problems: configured tools, automation and custom software.
Related experienceMedclick, From Printed News to Video, Quantum Logic, Lisbon WorkHub, CondGest, Animais Sem Fronteiras
Explore — Systems & SoftwareIndustry Sectors
Where we have worked.
The sectors describe where we have worked; the service areas describe what we do.
Media
See the projects — MediaHealthcare
Healthcare Business Transformation, Medclick
See the projects — HealthcareReal Estate
Coworking Consultancy, Lisbon WorkHub, CondGest
See the projects — Real EstateTechnology
Medclick, From Printed News to Video, Quantum Logic, CondGest, Animais Sem Fronteiras
See the projects — TechnologyArchitecture
Alvarez e Serra Arquitectos, Interior Design Projects
See the projects — ArchitectureThree ways we create value
Which of these sounds like your situation?
01
Improve an existing business
Your situation
You run an established business. Revenue is there, but growth has flattened, margins are thin or too much still depends on you.
The outcome
Improve your business
Clear priorities, repeatable processes and accountable roles, so the business improves without complexity growing at the same rate.
02
Build or scale a business
Your situation
You are turning an idea into a business, or an operation needs redesigning before it can grow.
The outcome
Build or scale your business
A validated model, a clear offer and revenue model, and the processes and systems to run it from day one.
03
Unlock the potential of property
Your situation
You own or are investing in commercial property that is empty, underused or earning less than it could.
The outcome
Unlock your property’s potential
A viable concept for the space, with a revenue model, an operating structure and, where it makes sense, the team to run it.
Our approach
A practical method, from diagnosis to results.
- Step 1DiagnoseUnderstand the business, its constraints, financial performance, operations and opportunities.
- Step 2DesignDefine the priorities, business model, processes, responsibilities and implementation plan.
- Step 3ImplementTurn recommendations into operational changes, working systems and measurable actions.
- Step 4OptimiseMonitor performance, refine the model and identify opportunities for further improvement.
Not every engagement covers every stage. Scope is agreed at the start, based on what the business needs.
Our work
Different industries. Real problems. Practical solutions.
Our work spans business transformation, predictive AI, digital experiences and intelligent automation. Each project starts with a real-world challenge and explores how strategy, operations and technology can produce a better outcome.
Businesses we run
Lisbon WorkHub and CondGest are businesses we own and operate. That is where our methods are tested every day, and where their results can be checked.
Why dePraetere
Built from operating experience, not just recommendations.
Real-world operating experience
Decisions are informed by the realities of running businesses. Lisbon WorkHub has operated since 2015; CondGest manages 1,520 condominium units.
Strategy connected to execution
Recommendations are designed to be implemented, with owners and deadlines. At CondGest, every request has a number, an owner and a deadline, measured weekly.
Commercial and operational thinking
Revenue, costs, people, processes, space and technology are considered together. At WorkHub, two industrial buildings support three lines of business: coworking, offices and storage.
Systems that can scale
We build repeatable processes and the right tools instead of relying on constant manual effort. Our own management software runs CondGest, Lisbon WorkHub and dePraetere.
Founder-led
A practical understanding of how businesses are built and run.
dePraetere is led by Sara de Praetere, whose experience spans workspace operations, service businesses, property management and technology: four years of general management of a healthcare business, predictive AI at Medclick, a print-to-video experience for Jornal Económico, automation strategy for Quantum Logic, and running Lisbon WorkHub and CondGest. Training in architecture and hospitality shapes how space and customer experience are designed.
About dePraetereWhat could your business perform like if its operating model worked better?
Whether you are improving an established business, launching a new operation or unlocking the potential of a property asset, start by identifying the opportunity and what is holding it back.
Discuss your business