咨询公司面试案例分析指南咨询面试系列a完整版
咨询公司面试案例分析指南_咨询面试系列如何应付案例分析面试
Cracking the Case: A Consulting Interview PrimerPage 1 of 3[Web Exclusive] You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to ace the cases in aconsulting-firm interview. In fact, a little preparation can make solvingthem seem, well, elementary.Firms Are There to Help YouConsulting Industry GuideRemember your seventh-grade algebra teacher’s three favorite words? "Showyour work." At the time, it seemed silly: Why not just show the right answer?Now that you’re older and wiser, however, you know that in many cases howyou get to the right answer is more important than simply knowing the answeritself.The same goes for the case questions that consulting recruiters lob at you.Consulting is a demanding job with few "correct" answers; this method ofinterviewing gauges how well you manage the process of getting to an answerand how you perform under simulated client-engagement conditions.We talked to consultant-hunters at several firms to glean their advice oncracking the case interview. Here's what the recruiters revealed—and howyou can best prepare.Why the Case Interview?Case interviews have long been used by recruiters to see a candidate's thoughtprocesses in motion. Can you deconstruct and analyze complex, open-endedbusiness problems? Do you stay calm, or will you sweat bullets under pressureat a client site?At the most basic level, a case interview is about asking the right questions,developing a logical way of working through the relevant issues, and arriving光华人向上的精神at a recommendation. Your structure may be a packaged framework or it may be various frameworks strung together; you may even choose not to use frameworks at all. What's important is that you demonstrate some defined structure.“Case studies are an imperfect science,” concedes Michael Gibney, project manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, “but are easily implem entable in the 30 to 45 minutes we have for each interview.” Since they measure your analytical skills, they're an improvement over simple "fit" or "resumé" interviews.In most case interviews, the recruiter gives you an example of a real-life client problem. Some typical categories include:•Company Strategy:“My client is thinking of making an acquisition, and …”•Brain Games:“How many tennis balls are in the United States?”•Operations Improvement:“Why is my client’s factory runningbehind?”•Market Size:“How big is the global air conditioner market?”Although each requires a slightly different approach, all are meant mainly to evaluate the process you use, not the answer you come up with.Practice Makes PerfectYou absolutely, positively must prepare in advance for case interviews. “It becomes pretty clear pretty fast who has—and who has not—practiced,” says Gibney. “I know there is a basic sort of business acumen that ma y not be able to be practiced, but candidates must have an understandable approach to solving problems. That’s what our clients demand of us. If we can’t relate solutions to the client, it’s a problem.”Don’t assume that attending a case-oriented business school will give you an upper hand. John Flato, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young’s national director of university recruiting, says these candidates don’t seem to do any better or worse than candidates from non-case schools.Study different kinds of case questions. Just because your buddy interviewed before you and gave you a heads-up on the questions doesn’t mean you have a leg up. Recruiters have tons of case questions in their repertoire, and the chances of their using the same question multiple times on one campus visit are slim to none.Get a classmate or friend to role-play the interview with you, and use any resources (such as a casebook) that your school's consulting club provides. The more mock cases you sink your teeth into, the more likely you are to be relaxed and poised for the real thing. Sometimes you learn more by presenting光华人向上的精神a case question to someone than you do when solving the case yourself.Deliberately pick industries you're not familiar with so as to test your analytical skills, not memorized facts; for instance, if your pre-B-school experience is mostly in media and entertainment, ask your case buddy to ask you about steel production or medical device marketing. That said, do consider brushing up on the basics in several industries—for instance, know the product development cycle in pharmaceutical research, and understand current trends in technology. (For more information on various fields, check out our industry guides.) Although each case is different, with practice you will improve your analytical reasoning skills and solution method.Think Through the ProcessWhen it comes to strategy or product marketing questions, the interviewer will often give you only the bare bones of a case and will wait for you to request further details: How many competitors does the company have? What are the major cost and revenue drivers? Who are the major clients? And don't forget to ask for the firm's mission—if you don't know what a company's goals are, you might come up with a valid—but misguided—solution. Use some basic frameworks to drive your questions—the four P's and the three C's, for instance.A sample question Gibney used recently involved a manufacturer/distributor/retailer of computer products. This client has traditionally gone directly to the consumer and has developed a solid brand image. The client now wants an assessment as to the issues relating to the core business, as well as the opportunities for the company to get into the services side, which it views as a high-margin/high-growth-rate business. The candidate now needs to provide an approach or evaluative framework for analyzing each of the two different problems.As long as it's permitted, work your answers out on paper. Pencils and pens, plus a notebook or legal pad should be standard equipment in any interview. “It’s amazing how many people show up without a pen and paper,” marvels Kamenna Rindova, a senior associate at Mercer Management Consulting. Thinking through all the facts is a must, and you’re not going to do it all in your head.Page 2 of 3[Web Exclusive] You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to ace the cases in a consulting-firm interview. In fact, a little preparation can make solving光华人向上的精神them seem, well, elementary.Firms Are There to Help YouConsulting Industry GuideMay the Five Forces (Not) Be with YouSome recruiters are turned off when potential hires draw on a packaged analytical framework (such as the five forces) to solve a problem. Others, however, are impressed. To be on the safe side, if you use a framework, don’t stray too far from the issue.Eileen Coveney, vice president at L.E.K. Consulting, warns candidates about the perils of frameworks: “When people depend too much on a pre-established framework, they may not be thinking deeply enough about the problem at hand. This may indicate that when presented with an actual client issue, they are not going to focus on the details and specifics of the client’s problem. Rather, they may be inclined to jump into easy and obvious solutions.”If you do use one, choose wisely. If the case is about a business that's considering entry into an industry, Porter's five forces may indeed be your best bet. If you're talking about how products get from suppliers to end consumers, consider the value chain. Companies that are falling short on sales could use a profitability or cost vs. revenue analysis. If you're marketing a new pharmaceutical product, think about the 4 P's and the 3 C's."Is That Your Final Answer?"Don’t be afraid of pausing. Take the time to draw up notes and sketch out the problem. Don’t blurt anything out unnecessarily to end a period of silence. You’re not on a game show; you’re interviewing to be a con sultant, which is a business as much about thinking as it is about communicating. Above all, be calm.If you do respond to a question too quickly, before understanding all the facts, you may end up contradicting yourself halfway through your response—whi ch could be disastrous. “In our environment and our industry,” says Sean Huurman, national recruiting director of KPMG Consulting, “we need to make sure we’re saying the right thing the first time.”光华人向上的精神光华人向上的精神After all the analysis, however, don't forget to come to some kind of conclusion as to what the company should do. Consider presenting a decision rule that the imaginary organization could use to figure out what the best option is—e.g., if revenues outstrip costs, then do x.Follow the LeaderMany firms use a group exercise in their second or subsequent rounds to see how well you work with others. If you’re assigned a role other than team leader, don’t fret. It doesn’t matter what your role is in the exercise—just do it well. If you and the team members are told to settle between yourselves who gets to do what, don’t fight over who gets to make the presentation or lead the group. Likewise, don’t play the shrinking violet. Remember, the recruiter is watching.Whatever you do, show confidence, not arrogance. A display of ego before John Flato at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young is a certain red flag. “Obviously, those who go to business schools are bright and talented—they wouldn’t be there otherwise,” Flato remarks. “W e hire bright and talented people, but only those who can work well with team members and not display arrogance.”Page 3 of 3[Web Exclusive] You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to ace the cases in a consulting-firm interview. In fact, a little preparation can make solving them seem, well, elementary.Firms Are There to Help YouConsulting Industry GuideReady for some company-specific advice? Here's what five recruiters told us about interviewing at their firms.Recruiter No. 1: Eileen Coveney, vice president, L.E.K. ConsultingThe Questions:Testing a candidate's skill across a range of areas is the primary reason L.E.K. uses case interviews. Coveney indicates that the case interviews are meant to (1) assess a candidate’s analytical ability, (2) evaluate a candidate's communication skills and logic flow, (3) understand how a candidate responds to redirection, and (4) test his/her overall fit with the firm. Most questions L.E.K. recruiters ask center around strategic growth opportunities for potential clients.Words of Wisdom:Coveney points o ut that she doesn’t have a preference regarding how a candidate initially reacts to the case interview question. “Some people take some time to formulate their thoughts, other people ask a few questions, and other people jump right in,” Coveney says. “Rela x and take your time, focus on the specific issues of the case, remember there is no one right answer to the case, and don’t use too many frameworks. Don’t throw in the kitchen sink, like Porter’s five forces, etc. Just be confident, and relax—it will real ly help with the interview.”Recruiter No. 2: Kamenna Rindova, senior associate, Mercer Management ConsultingThe Questions:MMC asks most candidates one-on-one questions and doesn’t often do group exercises. Reflecting the firm’s focus, most questions deal with strategy issues, with occasional market sizing questions thrown in. The purpose of the interview for MMC is to see the candidate's ability to structure and think through a problem as they would on the job.Words of Wisdom:Rindova says practice and familiarity with cases is essential, and stresses that an interview can go south if the candidate loses sight of the structure he or she is building. Lastly, beating a clear path to any response is more important than getting it right. “You can give (a recruiter) a wrong answer, but if you thought out loud through the process, you could still have a stellar interview,” Rindova concludes.Recruiter No. 3: Scott Berney, head of U.S. recruiting operations, Monitor GroupThe Questions:Determining a person’s analytical skills, comfort with manipulating numbers, and ability to integrate different pieces of data is the purpose of the case interview for Monitor Group. For the first round of interviews, case questions are usually written and are two to three pages in length. Inthe final round, a group event is used.Words of Wisdom:“My take on most other firms is that they put a premium on [the candidate’s] ability to ask questions in the interview. Monitor cases put a premium on your ability to analyze data, manipulate numbers, integrate, and come up with an answer based on the data you’ve been given,” says Berney. Like L.E.K.’s Coveney, he doesn’t like to see candidates use too many frameworks to solve a problem.Recruiter No. 4: Sean Huurman, national recruiting director, KPMG ConsultingThe Questions:“The case question helps get to a thinking process and various charact eristics of a candidate you don’t necessarily get in an ordinary interview,” says Huurman. “When we use cases, we are really focusing on things that tie into the client.” The typical KPMG consultant hunter wants to know how a candidate can communicate with the team, their leadership, and the client.Huurman favors group interviews, and knows a lot of candidates can be prepped in advance, but he notes that there’s "no amount of coaching" that can prepare you for a group project.Words of Wisdom:“Too many people jump right into the case study and don’t put any thought into it,” says Huurman. “I want the interviewees to think things through.” KPMG recruiters are always told to let the candidate have some time to think through the case, but Huurman indicates that very few candidates take advantage of it.Huurman admits that few recruiters would ask interviewees what KPMG stands for (curious? It's Klynveld, Peat, Marwick, and Goerdeler), but it’s important to do your homework on the firm’s services, strengths, and culture.Recruiter No. 5: Michael Gibney, project manager, PricewaterhouseCoopersThe Questions:Some of PwC’s competencies don’t require that a case question be asked, but it’s probably best to plan for one. Interviews are typically one-on-one and are meant to test the business acumen of a candidate. Seeing candidates' insight into business problems and their approach to solving them (most questions are based on true-life client engagements) is the overall goal.光华人向上的精神Words of Wisdom:Gibney understands that many problems are too big to solve during the course of a half-hour interview, but wants to see a firm grasp of key issues. “The candidate must have an understanding of the overall situation and the overall problem, and then create an approach to solve it,” Gibney says. “For instance, if we’re talking about a client getting into the services business, I would expect to see some kind of framework around identifying what relevant services would be, and the different market and company factors involved.I want the candidate to relate directly what the core issues are.”Michael K. Norris is an expert in consulting and consultant recruitment issues. He can be reached at michael@.。
咨询面试系列(2)：A[1].T. Kearney案例分析
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Firm: A.T. KearneyCase Number:Case setup (facts offered by interviewer):❑Your client is a manufacturer of bicycles❑They have been in business for 25 years❑They manufacturer and sell three categories of bicycles:Racing bikes: High end, high performance bikes for sophisticated cyclistsMainstream bikes: Durable, but not overly complicated bikes for everyday ridersChildren’s bikes: Smaller, simpler versions of their mainstream bikes for children❑Profits at your client have decreased over the past five yearsQuestion:❑What is driving the decline in overall profits?❑What recommendations might correct the situation?Suggested solutions:The first question is to determine what has caused overall profits to decrease. To accomplish this the candidate must first understand what has transpired in each of the three product categories over the past five years during which profitability has slipped. The following are questions and answers that would be provided in an interview scenario.❑What are the client’s margi ns for a bicycle in each of the three segments?Racing: Cost = $600/unit, Profit=$300/unitMainstream: Cost = $250/unit, Profit = $75/unitChildren’s: Cost = $ 200/unit, Profit = $50/unit❑What has happened to the market size of each of the three segments over the past five years?Racing: Has remained constant at its present size of $300MMMainstream: Has increased at 2% growth rate per year to its present size of $1.0BChildren’s: Has increased at 3% growth rate per year to its present size of $400MM❑W hat has happened to our client’s market share in each of these segments?Racing: Market share has decreased from 60% to 30%Mainstream: Market share has increased from 0% to 5%Children’s: Market share has increased from 0% to 3%❑Who are the client’s major competitor’s in each market segment? What has happened to their market share in each segment over the past five years?Racing: There is one main competitor and a host of small firms. Your main competitor hasincreased market share from 30% to 50%Mainstream: There exist many, large competitors, none of which holds more than 10% of the marketChildren’s: As in the mainstream segment, there are many competitors, none with more than 10% of the marketThe above information provides enough information to put together a picture of why profits have decreased over the past five years : Your client, with a commanding position in a flat market segment (racing), expanded into new segments (mainstream and children’s). As this occurred, market share decreased dramatically in the most lucrative segment (racing), creating an unfavorable mix.The extent to which profits have decreased can be deduced from some quick math : profits have slipped from $60MM five years ago (=60% x $300MM x 33% racing margin) to $44MM today ( = (30% x $300MM x 33% racing margin) + (5% x $1B x 23% mainstream margin) + (3% x $400MM x 20% children’s margin)).The dramatic decrease in market share in the racing segment is at this point still unexplained. Questions that would help formulate an explanation include:❑Have there been any major changes in product quality in your client’s racing product? Or in its main competitor’s racing product?No❑Have there been any major price changes in your client’s racing product? Or in its main competitor’s ra cing product?No❑Have there been any major changes in distribution outlets for your client’s racing product? Or for its main competitor’s racing product?Yes. Previously your client and its main competitor in the racing segment sold exclusively through small, specialty dealers. This remains unchanged for the competition. Your client, however, began to sell its racing bikes through mass distributors and discount stores (the distribution outlets for mainstream and children’s bikes) as it entered the mainstream and children’s segment.❑How do the mass distributors and discount stores price the racing bikes relative to the specialty stores?Prices at these stores tend to be 15 to 20% less.❑What percent of your client’s racing sales occur in mass distributors a nd discount stores?Effectively none. This attempt to sell through these distributors has failed❑How has the decision to sell through mass distributor’s and discount stores affected the image of the client’s racing product?No studies have been done.❑Ho w has the decision to sell through mass distributor’s and discount stores affected your client’s relationship with the specialty outlets?Again, no formal analysis has been performed.Although some analysis and/or survey should be performed to answer more conclusively the last two questions, a possible story can be put together. There has been no appreciable change in either quality or price (or any other tangible factor) of your client’s racing product relative to its competition. It is not the product that is the problem, but rather its image. As your client came out with lower end, mainstream and children’s products and began to push their racing segment through mass distributors and discount outlets, their reputation was compromised. Additionally, the presence of the racing products in the discount outlets has put your historic racing distributor (the specialty shops) in a precarious position. The specialty shops must now lower price to compete, thereby cutting their own profits. Instead, they are likely to push the competition’s product. Remember, your client has no direct salesforce at the retail outlets. The specialty shops essentially serve as your client’s sales force.The above analysis offers an explanation of what has affected the top side of the profitability problem. Still to be examined is the cost, or bottom side, of the profitability issue. Questions to uncover cost issues would include:❑How does the client account for its costs?The client has a single manufacturing and assembly plant. They have separate lines in this facility to produce racing, mainstream and children’s products. They divide their costs into the following categories: labor, material and overhead. Overall costs have been increasing at a fairly hefty rate of 10% per year.❑What is the current breakdown of costs along these categories for each product segment?Racing: Labor = 30%, Material = 40%, Overhead = 30%Mainstream: Labor = 25%, Material = 40%, Overhead = 35%Children’s: Labor = 25%, Material = 40%, Overhead = 35%❑How has this mix of expenses changed over the past five years?In all segments, labor is an increasing percentage of the costs.❑Does the basic approach to manufacturing (i.e. the mix of labor and technology) reflect that of its competition?Your client tells you that there is a continuing movement to automate and utilize technology to improve efficiency throughout the industry, but it is his/her opinion that their approach,maintaining the “human touch”, is what differentiates them from the competition. (Unfor tunately, he’s right!!)❑Is the workforce unionized?Yes❑What is the average age of the workforce?52 and climbing. There is very little turnover in the workforce.❑What is the present throughput rating? How has it changed over the past five years?Presently the plant is producing at about 80% of capacity. This has been decreasing steadily over the last several years.❑What is the typical reason for equipment shutdown?Emergency repair❑Describe the preventive maintenance program in effect at the client’s facility?Preventive maintenance is performed informally based on the knowledge of senior technicians.❑How often has equipment been replaced? Is this consistent with the original equipment manufacturer’s recommendations?The client feels that most OEM recommendations are very conservative. They have followed a philosophy of maximizing the life of their equipment and have generally doubled OEMrecommendations.The above information is sufficient to add some understanding to the cost side of the equation. Your client has an aging workforce and plant that is behind the times in terms of technology and innovation. This has contributed to excessive breakdowns, decreased throughput, increased labor rates (wages increase with seniority) and greater labor hours (overtime to fix broken machines).In proposing recommendations to improve the client’s situation, there is no single correct approach. There are a number of approaches that might be explored and recommended. The following are some possibilities:❑Abandon t he mainstream and children’s segment to recover leadership in the racing segment Issues to consider in this approach:How much of the racing segment is “recoverable”?What are the expected growth rates of each segment?How badly damaged is the relationship with the specialty outlets?Are there alternative outlets to the specialty shops such as internet sales?How will this move affect overall utilization of the operating facilities?❑Maintain the mainstream and children’s segment, but sell under a different name Issues to consider in this approach:Is there demand among the mass and discount distributors for bicycles under their name?What additional advertising and promotions costs might be incurred?What are the expected growth rates of each segment?What is driving the buying habits of the mainstream and children’s market?❑Reduce costs through automation and innovationIssues to be considered:What technological improvements are to be made?What are the required investments?What are the expected returns on those investments?How will these investments affect throughput?To which lines are these investments appropriate?Are the mainstream and children’s segments potentially “over-engineered”?What impact will this have on the required workforce levels?If layoffs are required to achieve the benefits, what impact will this have on labor relations?❑Reduce costs through establishing a formal preventive maintenance programIssues to be considered:What organizational changes will be required?What analysis will be performed to determine the appropriate amount of PM?What training is required of the workforce?What technical or system changes are required?How will the unionized workforce respond?Key takeaways:This case can prove to be lengthy and very involved. It is not expected that a candidate would cover all of the above topics, but rather work through selected topics in a logical fashion. It is important that the candidate pursue a solution that considers both revenue and cost issues to impact profit. Additionally, a conadidate’s ability to work comfortably with the quantitative side of this case is important. The above recommendations for improving profitability are just a few among many. The candidate may come with their own ideas.。
(企业管理咨询)咨询公司面试案例分析指南咨询面试系列
Firm: A.T. KearneyCase Number:Case setup (facts offered by interviewer):❑Your client is a U.S. based manufacturer of branded cookies (cookies that carry the name of the manufacturer)❑Recently private label cookies (those carrying the name of the retailer) have emerged and threatened branded cookies➢Private label cookies emerged five years ago➢Two and one-half years ago they made up 10% of the overall cookie market (brand being the other 90%)➢Today they make up approximately 20% of the overall cookie market (i.e., there has been a steady, linear increase of private label portion of the overall cookie market during the past five years)➢The overall cookie market has been relatively flat over the past five years❑Private label cookies are made by the same manufacturers who make branded cookies, they are just sold under the name of the retailer❑There are essentially three major competitors to consider:➢Your client, who makes only branded cookies➢ A second major player, that makes both branded cookies and supplies cookies for private labelers➢ A collection of small outfits, that make both branded cookies and supply private labelers❑Distribution occurs primarily through one of two types of outlets:➢Grocery outlets: all grocers sell branded cookies, most also carry their own private label cookies. This represents approximately 90% of total cookie sales➢Mass merchandisers (ex. Walmart, Sam’s, etc.): sell only branded cookiesQuestion:❑How large would you estimate the overall U.S. cookie market to be in terms of $?❑How large of a threat do you believe the trend in private label cookie sales to be to your client?❑Based on your assessment, what is an appropriate strategy for your client to follow?Suggested solutions:The first question, estimating the size of the U.S. cookie market, has no right or wrong answer. It is a test of a candidate’s ability to make reasonable assumptions and work quickly with numbers on an “order of magnitude” level. One acceptable response would be to estimate the number of U.S. households, estimate household consumption over some period of time, estimate the average cost of a bag of cookies, and project out for one year. In this case, after an estimate has been made, the candidate would be told to assume the market size is $1Billion to simplify any future calculations. As stated in the upfront information, the market is assumed to have been flat for the past five years.The second question is more involved. It involves determining to what extent your client is threatened by the increasing percent of the overall cookie market represented by private label sales. To better answer this question information should be gathered pertaining to what is driving the demand for private label cookies, to what extent this has already affected your client’s sal es, and what the likelihood is for the trend to continue. The following are questions and answers that would be provided in an interview scenario.❑What are the sales trends for the client over the past five years?Your client’s sales have been flat at $600M for the time frame of five to two and one-half years ago. Over the past two and one-half years, sales have decreased steadily down to a present level of $560MM.❑How has market share of the private label segment been split over the past five years between your client’s main competitor and the other smaller players?The smaller players combined had 100% of the private label subsegment five years ago.Two and one-half years ago your client’s main competitor began supplying private labelers.Today, this main competitor owns 40% of the private label subsegment, the smaller players own the remaining 60%❑How has market share of the branded segment been split over the past five years?Your client held 60% of this segment five years ago, 67% two and one-half years ago and 70% today. Its main competitor held 30% five years ago, 25% two and one-half years ago and 23% today. The combined smaller players owned 10% five years ago, 8% two and one-half years ago and 7% today.Analsis of the above information tells a very important story. The private label segment was launched five years ago by the smaller players. As private label first cut into the branded segment, it came at the expense of your client’s main competitor and the smaller players, not your client. In re sponse to this, your client’s main competitor entered into the private label segment two and one-half years ago. This further hurt their own sales and those of the smaller players, but also began to hurt your client’s sales. Additional information is requi red to understand what is driving the demand for private label cookies❑How does the quality of a private label cookie compare to that of a branded cookie?Consumer studies have shown that there is a noticeable difference in taste, texture and quality in favor of the branded cookies❑At the manufacturing level, what is the difference in cost of production and price between branded and private label products?It costs approximately $1.50 to manufacture a bag of private label cookies which will sell for$2.00 to retailers. It costs approximately $2.00 to manufacture a bag of branded cookies which will sell for $2.75.❑How do the same numbers translate at the retail level?A retailer, paying $2.00 for private label cookies can sell that product for $2.50. The $2.75 bag ofbranded cookies can be sold for $3.50.The key finding is that from a cost-price-margin perspective it is advantageous for both the manufacturers and the retailers, with all else equal, to sell a bag of branded cookies. Other factors must be contributing to the demand for private label cookies. Think about the incentives at each level in the chain (manufacturer, retailer, consumer). The following questions can help fill in details❑Have any of the manufacturers been able to gain additional shelf space for branded products by supplying grocers with private label products?No❑Has their been excess capacity at your client, its main competitor or the smaller competitors that has been used up through the manufacturing of private label products?Th ere was some excess capacity at the smaller competitors and your client’s main competitor (your client is unsure as to how much).. There is little excess capacity anywhere in the industry today..❑Has your client’s relationship with its retailers suffered as a result of it not supplying private label products?Not noticeably❑Are grocery stores using private labels in other food categories?Yes, there has been a major push by grocery stores to populate shelves with private labels❑Is competition increasing or decreasing among grocers?Generally increasing. Grocer chains are expanding and the number of grocers to be found servinga given area has generally increased over the past five years❑What general macroeconomic trends have occurred over the past five years?The economy has been slowing over the past five years. There is concern about recessionThe above information begins to expose a clearer story. A number of factors have contributed to the emergence of the private label segment: manufacturer’s interest in utilizing excess capacity, grocer’s desire to sell products with their name on it (they may believe this creates return customers in an increasing competitive environment), consumers concerns about a troubled economy (price vs. quality tradeoffs).At this point the candidate would be encouraged to state what they believe the magniturde of the private label threat to be to the client. There is no right answer. One can argue either way.If the threat is seen as high, the likely recommendation is for your client to begin supplying private label products. The candidate should recognize that in competing in the private label segment, the basisof competition is primarily cost. At the same time, the client’s branded product should be protected. The following tactics might prove appropriate:❑Seek to wring costs out of all phases of the operation➢Utilize all existing excess capacity➢Gain maximum product knowledge as quickly as possible➢Understand low cost positions on product ingredients and mix➢Review process improvement/ manufacturing efficiency opportunities➢Undertake overhead reduction efforts(Any of these points could be discussed in great detail)❑Ensure there is no customer confusion between private label offering and branded product❑Seek partnering agreements with retailers➢Joint advertising and promotions❑Explore deals with mass merchandisers to enter private labels (remember, mass merchandisers presently sell no private label)If the threat is seen as low, the likely recommendation is for your client to stay with branded cookies only. The candidate should recognize that in competing in the branded segment the basis of competition is one of differentiation. Additionally, your client should do all it can to halt or reverse the momentum of the private label segment. The following tactics might prove useful:❑Pursue a maximum differentiation strategy➢Invest in brand image to support premium price➢Make it difficult to copy product: innovate wisely through product advances, smart product line extensions, frequent changes to the product➢Manage price gap: explore price increases where appropriate( Again, any of these points could be discussed in great detail)❑Explore exclusive partnering with mass merchandisers❑Consider alternative distribution channels❑Seek partnering agreements with grocers regarding branded products❑Educate grocers as available➢Customers who buy private labels are the most price sensitive. They also tend to be the least loyal customers and spend less per store visit.➢Grocers financial stake in private label products extends beyond the product margins. There is lost profit from branded products that could occupy the same shelf space, advertising costs of the private label products, etc.Key takeaways:This case has no right or wrong answ er. It forces the candidate to take a stand in a “grey” situation and defend it. It also provides a large amount of data upfront which the candidate must quickly sort through and determine what is important and what is not. The key is to understand the story behind the data. How did the private label segment emerge? What is driving it? How has it affected manufacturers, retailers and consumers?。
咨询面试题目(3篇)
第1篇一、案例分析题题目1：某知名电商企业近年来销售额持续增长，但客户满意度有所下降。
请结合以下信息，分析问题并提出解决方案。
背景信息：1. 企业近年来加大了市场投入，广告宣传力度加大。
2. 企业产品线丰富，涵盖服装、家居、食品等多个领域。
3. 企业在物流配送、售后服务等方面表现良好。
4. 客户满意度调查结果显示，客户对产品价格、品质、售后服务等方面满意度较高，但对购物体验、页面设计等方面满意度较低。
问题：1. 分析客户满意度下降的原因。
2. 针对问题，提出提升客户满意度的解决方案。
解析：1. 客户满意度下降的原因可能包括：a. 购物体验不佳，页面设计不够人性化，导致用户操作不便。
b. 市场竞争激烈，同类产品众多，用户选择余地较大。
c. 广告宣传过于集中，可能导致用户产生审美疲劳。
2. 提升客户满意度的解决方案：a. 优化页面设计，提高用户体验，如简化操作流程、优化产品展示等。
b. 加强与用户的互动，关注用户需求，提供个性化推荐。
c. 持续优化产品，提高产品质量，满足用户需求。
d. 调整广告宣传策略，避免过度宣传，注重品牌形象塑造。
题目2：某企业计划推出一款新产品，但市场调研结果显示，消费者对该产品的认知度较低。
请结合以下信息，分析问题并提出解决方案。
背景信息：1. 新产品属于高端市场，目标消费群体为年轻一代。
2. 企业在同类产品市场占有率较高，品牌知名度较高。
3. 新产品具有独特的设计和功能，但消费者对其认知度较低。
问题：1. 分析新产品认知度低的原因。
2. 针对问题，提出提升新产品认知度的解决方案。
解析：1. 新产品认知度低的原因可能包括：a. 产品宣传力度不足，未能有效触达目标消费群体。
b. 新产品与现有产品差异不大，未能引起消费者关注。
c. 消费者对新产品功能了解不足，难以产生购买欲望。
2. 提升新产品认知度的解决方案：a. 加强产品宣传，利用线上线下渠道，提高产品曝光度。
b. 突出产品特色，与现有产品形成差异化，吸引消费者关注。
咨询面试系列(3)：A[1].T. Kearney案例分析-2
![咨询面试系列(3)：A[1].T. Kearney案例分析-2](https://img.taocdn.com/s3/m/699a37c34028915f804dc2a7.png)
Firm: A.T. KearneyCase Number:Case setup (facts offered by interviewer):❑Y our client is a U.S. based manufacturer of branded cookies (cookies that carry the name of the manufacturer)❑Recently private label cookies (those carrying the name of the retailer) have emerged and threatened branded cookiesPrivate label cookies emerged five years agoTwo and one-half years ago they made up 10% of the overall cookie market (brand being the other 90%)Today they make up approximately 20% of the overall cookie market (i.e., there has been a steady, linear increase of private label portion of the overall cookie market during the past five years)The overall cookie market has been relatively flat over the past five years❑Private label cookies are made by the same manufacturers who make branded cookies, they are just sold under the name of the retailer❑There are essentially three major competitors to consider:Y our client, who makes only branded cookiesA second major player, that makes both branded cookies and supplies cookies for privatelabelersA collection of small outfits, that make both branded cookies and supply private labelers❑Distribution occurs primarily through one of two types of outlets:Grocery outlets: all grocers sell branded cookies, most also carry their own private label cookies. This represents approximately 90% of total cookie salesMass merchandisers (ex. Walmart, Sam’s, etc.): sell only branded cookiesQuestion:❑How large would you estimate the overall U.S. cookie market to be in terms of $?❑How large of a threat do you believe the trend in private label cookie sales to be to your client?❑Based on your assessment, what is an appropriate strategy for your client to follow?Suggested solutions:The first question, estimating the size of the U.S. cookie market, has no right or wrong answer. It is a test of a candidate’s ability to make reasonable assumptions and work quickly with numbers on an “order of magnitude” level. One acceptable response would be to estimate the number of U.S. households, estimate household consumption over some period of time, estimate the average cost of a bag of cookies, and project out for one year. In this case, after an estimate has been made, the candidate would be told to assume the market size is $1Billion to simplify any future calculations. As stated in the upfront information, the market is assumed to have been flat for the past five years.The second question is more involved. It involves determining to what extent your client is threatened by the increasing percent of the overall cookie market represented by private label sales. To better answer this question information should be gathered pertaining to what is driving the demand for private label cookies, to what extent this has already affected your client’s sal es, and what the likelihood is for the trend to continue. The following are questions and answers that would be provided in an interview scenario.❑What are the sales trends for the client over the past five years?Your client’s sales have been flat at $600M for the time frame of five to two and one-half years ago. Over the past two and one-half years, sales have decreased steadily down to a present level of $560MM.❑How has market share of the private label segment been split over the past five years betw een your client’s main competitor and the other smaller players?The smaller players combined had 100% of the private label subsegment five years ago.Two and one-half years ago your client’s main competitor began supplying private labelers.Today, this main competitor owns 40% of the private label subsegment, the smaller players own the remaining 60%❑How has market share of the branded segment been split over the past five years?Your client held 60% of this segment five years ago, 67% two and one-half years ago and 70% today. Its main competitor held 30% five years ago, 25% two and one-half years ago and 23% today. The combined smaller players owned 10% five years ago, 8% two and one-half years ago and 7% today.Analsis of the above information tells a very important story. The private label segment was launched five years ago by the smaller players. As private label first cut into the branded segment, it came at the expense of your client’s main competitor and the smaller players, not your client. In re sponse to this, your client’s main competitor entered into the private label segment two and one-half years ago. This further hurt their own sales and those of the smaller players, but also began to hurt your client’s sales. Additional information is requi red to understand what is driving the demand for private label cookies❑How does the quality of a private label cookie compare to that of a branded cookie?Consumer studies have shown that there is a noticeable difference in taste, texture and quality in favor of the branded cookies❑At the manufacturing level, what is the difference in cost of production and price between branded and private label products?It costs approximately $1.50 to manufacture a bag of private label cookies which will sell for$2.00 to retailers. It costs approximately $2.00 to manufacture a bag of branded cookies which will sell for $2.75.❑How do the same numbers translate at the retail level?A retailer, paying $2.00 for private label cookies can sell that product for $2.50. The $2.75 bag ofbranded cookies can be sold for $3.50.The key finding is that from a cost-price-margin perspective it is advantageous for both the manufacturers and the retailers, with all else equal, to sell a bag of branded cookies. Other factors must be contributing to the demand for private label cookies. Think about the incentives at each level in the chain (manufacturer, retailer, consumer). The following questions can help fill in details❑Have any of the manufacturers been able to gain additional shelf space for branded products by supplying grocers with private label products?No❑Has their been excess capacity at your client, its main competitor or the smaller competitors that has been used up through the manufacturing of private label products?Th ere was some excess capacity at the smaller competitors and your client’s main competitor (your client is unsure as to how much).. There is little excess capacity anywhere in the industry today..❑Has your client’s relationship with its retailers suffered as a result of it not supplying private label products?Not noticeably❑Are grocery stores using private labels in other food categories?Yes, there has been a major push by grocery stores to populate shelves with private labels❑Is competition increasing or decreasing among grocers?Generally increasing. Grocer chains are expanding and the number of grocers to be found servinga given area has generally increased over the past five years❑What general macroeconomic trends have occurred over the past five years?The economy has been slowing over the past five years. There is concern about recessionThe above information begins to expose a clearer story. A number of factors have contributed to the emergence of the private label segment: manufacturer’s interest in utilizing excess capacity, grocer’s desire to sell products with their name on it (they may believe this creates return customers in an increasing competitive environment), consumers concerns about a troubled economy (price vs. quality tradeoffs).At this point the candidate would be encouraged to state what they believe the magniturde of the private label threat to be to the client. There is no right answer. One can argue either way.If the threat is seen as high, the likely recommendation is for your client to begin supplying private label products. The candidate should recognize that in competing in the private label segment, the basisof competition is primarily cost. At the same time, the client’s branded product should be protected. The following tactics might prove appropriate:❑Seek to wring costs out of all phases of the operationUtilize all existing excess capacityGain maximum product knowledge as quickly as possibleUnderstand low cost positions on product ingredients and mixReview process improvement/ manufacturing efficiency opportunitiesUndertake overhead reduction efforts(Any of these points could be discussed in great detail)❑Ensure there is no customer confusion between private label offering and branded product❑Seek partnering agreements with retailersJoint advertising and promotions❑Explore deals with mass merchandisers to enter private labels (remember, mass merchandisers presently sell no private label)If the threat is seen as low, the likely recommendation is for your client to stay with branded cookies only. The candidate should recognize that in competing in the branded segment the basi s of competition is one of differentiation. Additionally, your client should do all it can to halt or reverse the momentum of the private label segment. The following tactics might prove useful:❑Pursue a maximum differentiation strategyInvest in brand image to support premium priceMake it difficult to copy product: innovate wisely through product advances, smart product line extensions, frequent changes to the productManage price gap: explore price increases where appropriate( Again, any of these points could be discussed in great detail)❑Explore exclusive partnering with mass merchandisers❑Consider alternative distribution channels❑Seek partnering agreements with grocers regarding branded products❑Educate grocers as availableCustomers who buy private labels are the most price sensitive. They also tend to be the least loyal customers and spend less per store visit.Grocers financial stake in private label products extends beyond the product margins. There is lost profit from branded products that could occupy the same shelf space, advertising costs of the private label products, etc.Key takeaways:This case has no right or wrong answ er. It forces the candidate to take a stand in a “grey” situation and defend it. It also provides a large amount of data upfront which the candidate must quickly sort through and determine what is important and what is not. The key is to understand the sto ry behind the data. How did the private label segment emerge? What is driving it? How has it affected manufacturers, retailers and consumers?。
CASE-IN-POINT-咨询行业面试案例分析
CASE IN POINT 咨询行业面试案例分析作者：Marc P. Cosentino目录1概述2面试2.1开场2.2关于你的问题2.3为什么选择咨询行业2.4可能出现的数学问题2.5案例题2.6由你提问2.7最给力的压轴题3案例题3.1案例题的目的3.2案例题的准备3.3案例题的步骤3.4案例题的种类3.5书面案例题和测试3.6激怒面试官3.7如果你思路卡住了3.8关于数学的困难4 Ivy案例系统4.1最给力的案例分析思路4.2最初的四个步骤4.3十二个案例情景4.4Ivy案例系统概观5分析工具和框架5.1 5C和4P5.2 BCG矩阵5.3 波特五力5.4价值链5.5 7S框架5.6现金流量表5.7应该记住的“如果”情境5.8商业案例贴士5.9亚里士多德框架6案例练习6.1 35个案例6.2案例类型6.3没有答案的案例题7给你室友的指南8最后的话9咨询术语1概述一个欧洲铁矿公司在澳洲买了一块富含铁矿的地。
他们应该开采吗？回答这个问题的时候，我要你告诉我每吨的成本、盈亏平衡点、利润率和对全球市场的影响。
咨询公司做的是出租脑袋的生意。
咨询顾问综合大量的陌生数据，剔除不相关的信息，构建一个针对特定客户的问题的对策，在位高权重的人面前做出兼具逻辑性和创造性的假定（比如矿业公司的大亨），通过这种方式来赚钱。
这就是为什么咨询公司那么注重案例分析——因为这让他们能够判断一个未来的咨询顾问（比如你）的案例展示有多少逻辑性和说服力。
在本质上，案例面试是一个角色扮演练习。
为了通过案例面试，你必须知道怎么去准备和表现。
这本书会帮助你做到这两点。
它会带你过一遍整个咨询面试流程，教你如何去做准备，告诉你咨询公司看重一个应聘者的什么，挖掘各种类型的案例题，向你介绍Ivy案例系统。
作为一个在哈佛十五年有余的职业导师，我已经帮助了超过八千名全国最优秀的学生准备咨询公司面试。
在此期间，学生们疯狂地记忆各种独立的框架并且焦头烂额地考虑运用哪个框架。
咨询公司面试案例 咨询入门系列 咨询案例分析a
F i r m:A.T.K e a r n e yCase Number:Case setup (facts offered by interviewer):❑Your client is a U.S. based oil refinery❑The refinery has a single location and is a small to medium-sized refinery❑Your client, although profitable, believes it is lagging behind the competition and could improve❑You are brought in as part of a joint consultant-client team that will review overall operations and make recommendations on ways to improve the bottom line❑You have been assigned to work with the maintenance division❑The maintenance department’s primary objective is to prevent equipment failure and to repair equipment when it does fail❑Understanding of its organization is important. It consists of three primary areas: nine assets areas, one central maintenance area and one group of contractors. The first two areas are employees of the client, the third an external source of labor.➢An asset is a physical area of the plant that contains various pieces of equipment (pumps, heat exchangers, etc.). There are nine assets. Each asset has a Maintenance Supervisor who is responsible for all maintenance to be performed in his/her asset. Working for the Maintenance Supervisor in each asset is, on average, eleven “craftsmen”. The craftsmen are the actual workers that perform the maintenance. The craftsmen are unionized and divide into twelve different craft designations (e.g. electricians, pipefitters, welders, etc.). Each craft designation has a defined set of skills they are qualified to perform. They are not allowed to perform skills outside of their defined craft, or help in the performance of activities involving skills beyond their craft.Collectively the twelve different crafts can perform any maintenance job that might arise at the refinery. The maintenance supervisor and his/her assigned craftsmen are “hardwired” to their asset. That is, they work only on equipment in their given asset.➢Central maintenance is a centralized pool of Maintenance Supervisors and Craftsmen, who are dispatched to support thedifferent assets during times of high workload. They are employees of your client and fit the description contained in the above Asset explanation. The only difference is that they may work in any of the different assets as determined by workload. There are a total of 11 Maintenance Supervisors and 100 Craftsmen that comprise Central Maintenance➢Contractors are a group of outside Supervisors and Craftsmen who support your client during times of high workload. They also are capable of performing any maintenance job that may arise, but differ from your client’s Craftsmen in that they divide the collective skills required into five designations rather than twelve. Thus, the craftsmen of the contractor are capable of performing a broader set of skills. They, like your client’s craftsmen, don’t perform skills outside of their defined craft but do allow different craft designations to help each other. There are an average of 7 contractor Maintenance Supervisors and 140 contractor Craftsmen at the refinery on any given day.Question:❑What opportunities exist to increase profits?❑What recommendations can you make to capture savings related to the identified opportunities?❑What are the cost savings associated with your recommendations? Suggested solutions:The first question involves identifying opportunities to improve profits. The candidate must start with either revenues or costs. Although one could make the argument that maintenance supports revenue by maximizing the operating time of the refinery equipment, maintenance should be seen to be a support function. Thus, it is more appropriate to focus on costs and cost reduction. The following questions will help the candidate gain insight into cost reduction opportunities.❑How does the maintenance department track its costs?If the candidate phrases the question about material or overhead costs, the interviewer would inform the candidate that detailed reviewed showed no major opportunities. The candidate would be steered toward labor costs and given the following tables regarding maintenance labor costs for the past year.To support understanding of the following tables, Turnaround work is long term preventive maintenance (e.g. complete rebuilding of a boiler) that may be performed once every few years.All other work (short term emergency repairs, small scale preventive maintenance, otherSinceSupervisor table, it is logical to pursue cost savings opportunities in this area first.❑What is the utilization of Craftsmen in the assets? In central maintenance? And for contractors?Assume each area is utilized 100% of the time, 50 weeks per year,40 hours per week.❑How does the labor cost of craftsmen ($24MM) on a refinery-sized basis (i.e., $cost / per barrel of crude oil processed) compare with industry averages?Consulting your industry data base shows that costs appear to be about 20% above the average of peer refineries.This is an important question to determine if there is a problem with costs (don’t assume there is, the client may be performing better than industry average!)❑Is there any particular reason why turnaround work is so heavily skewed toward contractors?Turnaround work tends to be more cyclical. An external workforce is used to absorb some of this additional work. Keep in mind that both client and contractor Craftsmen are capable of performing any maintenance job at the plant.After further analysis of the tables the key fact that should become appear odd is the large difference in the cost per unit of labor between your client’s Craftsmen and the outside contractor’s Craftsmen. Often candidates will ask for the hourly wage rates of these two groups. There is sufficient data to calculate these numbers. The calculation is:Annual cost of client craftsmen = $10MM/ ( 11 Craftsmen/asset x 9 assets + 100 Craftsmen inCentral maintenance)= $50,000 / yearAnnual cost of contractor craftsmen = $ 14 MM/ 140 contractor Craftsmen= $100,000 / yearAgain, this difference should provoke a series of questions to understand the difference.❑Is there any difference in the work performed by the client and contractor craftsmen?No, other than the different levels of Turnaround work vs. Daily work performed as noted in the previous table. Both groups are capable of doing any job with roughly equal levels of quality.❑Is there any difference in efficiency between the two groups of Craftsmen?The candidate would at this point be asked how they would measure this.After reaching an understanding of the difficulty involved in measuring the efficiency ofa workforce (especially a unionized workforce), the candidate would be told that through aseries of interviews with maintenance supervisors, there is a consensus that contractor Craftsmen are roughly twice as productive as client craftsmen.This is a critical point in the case. The candidate must recognize that in the present environment the client is largely indifferent about units of labor. You can have a client worker who is half as efficient or a contractor worker who is twice as expensive. The key now is to determine if there are ways to create an opportunity where the client would no longer be indifferent.❑What is causing the inefficiencies associated with the client’s labor?Again, the candidate would be encouraged to offer their own ideas.After some discussion the candidate would be told that many of the Maintenance Supervisors complain endlessly about restrictions placed on them by the existing union labor contract and the tightness of craft designations.The interviewer would probe to ensure the candidate understands why the present craft designation create the inefficiencies. Essentially work is too finely divided. It makes planning and supervision extremely cumbersome. As an example, if one of six crafts required to perform a job is absent or late, the entire job must shut down, as craft designations are not allowed to support other craft designations.❑Is it possible to change the existing union contract?The present labor contract is a three year contract that is due to be renegotiated/renewed in six months.❑Will the union resist changes to the existing contract?Indeed!!At this point, the candidate should recognize a major (albeight difficult) opportunity to reduce labor costs. The client would essentially like to have its own employees look and function like its contractors, but continue to get paid at present rates. In reality, management will need to make wage concessions in order to change present work practices. However, through planned negotiations a scenario can be created which presents a favorable opportunity for your client to begin to replace outside contractors with its own Craftsmen.There are several ways to address the third question of the case, the actual savings that might be achieved. One quick method is to assume that these changes would bring maintenance costs back in line with industry average. Utilizing the cost benchmark mentioned earlier, one could assume costs could be reduced to $24MM/1.20 = $20MM, a $4MM savings.A second, and more detailed, method would be to take the extreme scenario where the client’s Craftsmen is paid its present rate, but is made as efficient as the contractor’s Craftsmen. In this case, you begin with the present level of 200 client craftsmen who are functioning as 100 equivalent contractor Craftsmen (they’re one-half as efficient). By improving their efficiency, you are e ffectively “creating” 100 equivalent contractors. Thus, you are immediately able to replace 100 contractors and save $10MM. This could be taken one step further by assuming you would want to replace all contractors. This would save an additional $2.5MM ($4MM existing contractor expense - $2MM required to hire additional client craftsmen + $0.5MM in contractor supervisors). As noted earlier, in reality, this approach would require wage concessions to the union, so actual savings may be something significantly less.Key takeaways:This case requires the candidate to quickly digest a large amount of organizational issues and then quickly check some ratios to uncover the basic problem (the client workforce is inefficient). Creativity must then be used to structure a recommendation that would create a more favorable situation for the client. As in other cases, acceptable solutions need not follow the exact method above nor cover all of the above points.。
咨询公司的面试题目(3篇)
第1篇一、个人背景与职业规划1. 请简要介绍您的个人背景，包括教育背景、实习经历、项目经历等。
2. 您为什么选择咨询行业？在咨询行业，您最感兴趣的方向是什么？3. 您认为自己在哪些方面具备优势，可以胜任咨询工作？4. 您在职业规划方面有哪些目标？如何实现这些目标？二、案例分析1. 案例背景：某知名快消品公司近期销售额下滑，市场份额下降，请您分析原因并提出解决方案。
- 分析：市场环境、竞争对手、产品策略、渠道策略、营销策略等方面。
- 解决方案：针对问题提出具体措施，如产品创新、渠道拓展、营销活动等。
2. 案例背景：某互联网公司希望通过并购拓展业务，请您分析以下目标公司的优劣势，并给出并购建议。
- 分析：目标公司的业务模式、盈利能力、团队实力、技术优势、市场前景等。
- 建议：并购方案、整合策略、风险控制等。
3. 案例背景：某传统制造企业希望进行数字化转型，请您分析企业面临的挑战，并提出转型策略。
- 分析：企业现状、行业趋势、竞争对手、技术瓶颈、人才储备等。
- 策略：数字化转型路径、关键项目、实施步骤、风险控制等。
三、商业案例1. 案例背景：某电商平台希望通过增加用户粘性，提高用户活跃度，请您提出解决方案。
- 分析：用户需求、竞争对手、平台特点、运营策略等。
- 解决方案：产品创新、运营活动、营销策略等。
2. 案例背景：某房地产企业面临销售困境，请您分析原因并提出解决方案。
- 分析：市场环境、产品定位、销售策略、客户需求等。
- 解决方案：产品调整、价格策略、营销活动、渠道拓展等。
四、逻辑思维与解决问题1. 请用三个步骤解决以下问题：如何提高公司内部沟通效率？2. 请用三个步骤解决以下问题：如何提高员工满意度？3. 请用三个步骤解决以下问题：如何降低企业运营成本？五、团队协作与沟通1. 请描述一次您在团队项目中遇到的冲突，以及您是如何解决这个冲突的。
2. 请描述一次您在团队项目中遇到的困难，以及您是如何克服这个困难的。
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咨询公司面试案例分析指南咨询面试系列a 集团标准化办公室：[VV986T-J682P28-JP266L8-68PNN]Firm: A.T. KearneyCase Number:Case setup (facts offered by interviewer):Your client is a manufacturer of bicyclesThey have been in business for 25 yearsThey manufacturer and sell three categories of bicycles:Racing bikes: High end, high performance bikes for sophisticated cyclists Mainstream bikes: Durable, but not overly complicated bikes for everyday ridersChildren’s bikes: Small er, simpler versions of their mainstream bikes for childrenProfits at your client have decreased over the past five yearsQuestion:What is driving the decline in overall profits?What recommendations might correct the situation?Suggested solutions:The first question is to determine what has caused overall profits to decrease. To accomplish this the candidate must first understand what has transpired in each of the three product categories over the past five years during which profitability has slipped. The following are questions and answers that would be provided in an interview scenario.What are the client’s margins for a bicycle in each of the threesegments?Racing: Cost = $600/unit, Profit=$300/unitMainstream: Cost = $250/unit, Profit = $75/unitChildren’s: Cost = $ 200/unit, Profit = $50/unitWhat has happened to the market size of each of the three segments over the past five years?Racing: Has remained constant at its present size of $300MMMainstream: Has increased at 2% growth rate per year to its present size of $1.0BChildren’s: Has increased at 3% growth rate per year to its present size of $400MMWhat has happened to our client’s market share in each of these segments?Racing: Market share has decreased from 60% to 30%Mainstream: Market share has increased from 0% to 5%Children’s: Market share has increased from 0% to 3%Who are the client’s major competitor’s in each market segment What has happened to their market share in each segment over the past five yearsRacing: There is one main competitor and a host of small firms. Your main competitor has increased market share from 30% to 50%Mainstream: There exist many, large competitors, none of which holds more than 10% of the marketChildren’s: As in the mainstream segment, there are m any competitors, none with more than 10% of the marketThe above information provides enough information to put together a picture of why profits have decreased over the past five years : Your client, with a commanding position in a flat market segment (ra cing), expanded into new segments (mainstream and children’s). As this occurred, market share decreased dramatically in the most lucrative segment (racing), creating an unfavorable mix.The extent to which profits have decreased can be deduced from some quick math : profits have slipped from $60MM five years ago (=60% x $300MM x 33% racing margin) to $44MM today ( = (30% x $300MM x 33% racing margin) + (5% x $1B x 23% mainstream margin) + (3% x $400MMx 20% children’s margin)).The dramatic decrease in market share in the racing segment is at this point still unexplained. Questions that would help formulate an explanation include:Have there been any major changes in product quality in your client’s racing product Or in its main competitor’s racing productNoHave there been any major price changes in your client’s racing product Or in its main competitor’s racing productNoHave there been any major changes in distribution outlets for your client’s racingproduct Or for its main competitor’s racing productYes. Previously your client and its main competitor in the racing segment soldexclusively through small, specialty dealers. This remains unchanged for the competition.Your client, however, began to sell its racing bikes through mass distributors anddiscount stores (the distribution outlets for mainstream and children’s bikes) as it entered the mainstream and children’s segment.How do the mass distributors and discount stores price the racing bikes relative to the specialty stores?Prices at these stores tend to be 15 to 20% less.What percent of your client’s racing sales occur in mass distributors and discountstores?Effectively none. This attempt to sell through these distributors has failedHow has the decision to sell through mass distribut or’s and discount stores affected the image of the client’s racing product?No studies have been done.How has the decision to sell through mass distributor’s and discount stores affected your client’s relationship with the specialty outlets?Again, no formal analysis has been performed.Although some analysis and/or survey should be performed to answer more conclusively thelast two questions, a possible story can be put together. There has been no appreciablechange in either quality or price (or any oth er tangible factor) of your client’s racing product relative to its competition. It is not the product that is the problem, but rather its image. As your client came out with lower end, mainstream and children’s products and began to push their racing segment through mass distributors and discount outlets, their reputation was compromised. Additionally, the presence of the racing products in the discount outlets has put your historic racing distributor (the specialty shops) in a precarious position. The specialty shops must now lower price to compete, thereby cutting their own profits. Instead, they are likely to push the competition’s product. Remember, your client has no direct salesforce at the retail outlets. The specialty shops essentially serve as your client’s sales force.The above analysis offers an explanation of what has affected the top side of the profitability problem. Still to be examined is the cost, or bottom side, of theprofitability issue. Questions to uncover cost issues would include:How does the client account for its costs?The client has a single manufacturing and assembly plant. They have separate lines in this facility to produce racing, mainstream and children’s products. They divide their costs into the following categories: labor, material and overhead. Overall costs have been increasing at a fairly hefty rate of 10% per year.What is the current breakdown of costs along these categories for each product segment?Racing: Labor = 30%, Material = 40%, Overhead = 30%Mainstream: Labor = 25%, Material = 40%, Overhead = 35%Children’s: Labor = 25%, Material = 40%, Overhead = 35%How has this mix of expenses changed over the past five years?In all segments, labor is an increasing percentage of the costs.Does the basic approach to manufacturing (i.e. the mix of labor and technology) reflect that of its competition?Your client tells you that there is a continuing movement to automate and utilizetechnology to improve efficiency throughout the industry, but it is his/her opinion that the ir approach, maintaining the “human touch”, is what differentiates them from the competition. (Unfortunately, he’s right!!)Is the workforce unionized?YesWhat is the average age of the workforce?52 and climbing. There is very little turnover in the workforce.What is the present throughput rating How has it changed over the past five yearsPresently the plant is producing at about 80% of capacity. This has been decreasing steadily over the last several years.What is the typical reason for equipment shutdown?Emergency repairDescribe the preventive maintenance program in effect at the client’s facility?Preventive maintenance is performed informally based on the knowledge of seniortechnicians.How often has equipment been replaced Is this consistent with the original equipment manufacturer’s recommendationsThe client feels that most OEM recommendations are very conservative. They have followeda philosophy of maximizing the life of their equipment and have generally doubled OEMrecommendations.The above information is sufficient to add some understanding to the cost side of the equation. Your client has an aging workforce and plant that is behind the times in terms of technology and innovation. This has contributed to excessive breakdowns, decreased throughput, increased labor rates (wages increase with seniority) and greater labor hours (overtime to fix broken machines).In proposing recommendations to improve the client’s situation, there is no single correct approach. There are a number of approaches that might be explored and recommended. The following are some possibilities:Abandon the mainstream and children’s segment to recover leadership in the racingsegmentIssues to consider in this approach:How much of the racing segment is “recoverable”What are the expected growth rates of each segment?How badly damaged is the relationship with the specialty outlets?Are there alternative outlets to the specialty shops such as internet sales?How will this move affect overall utilization of the operating facilities?Maintain the mainstream and children’s segment, but sell under a different nameIssues to consider in this approach:Is there demand among the mass and discount distributors for bicycles under their name?What additional advertising and promotions costs might be incurred?What are the expected growth rates of each segment?What is driving the buying habits of the mainstream and children’smarket?Reduce costs through automation and innovationIssues to be considered:What technological improvements are to be made?What are the required investmentsWhat are the expected returns on those investments?How will these investments affect throughput?To which lines are these investments appropriateAre the mainstream and children’s segments potentially “over-engineered”What impact will this have on the required workforce levels?If layoffs are required to achieve the benefits, what impact will this have on labor relations?Reduce costs through establishing a formal preventive maintenance programIssues to be considered:What organizational changes will be required?What analysis will be performed to determine the appropriate amount of PM?What training is required of the workforce?What technical or system changes are required?How will the unionized workforce respond?Key takeaways:This case can prove to be lengthy and very involved. It is not expected that a candidate would cover all of the above topics, but rather work through selected topics in a logical fashion. It is important that the candidate pursue a solution that considers both revenue and cost issues to impact profit. Additionally, a conadidate’s ability to work comfortably with the quantitative side of this case is important. The above recommendations for improving profitability are just a few among many. The candidate may come with their own ideas.。