Академический Документы
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Provides actual cases given during the 2nd year interview process in November/December of 1995.
Bain & Co., Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Booz Allen & Hamilton, Corporate Decisions Ins., Andersen Consulting, Mercer Management, Diamnod Technology Partners, Braxton, Deloitte & Touche, Gemini, Towers Perk, AT 1Keamey
INot duplicable without written consent from Chris Hadley - WHG 96]
develop this case book had one goal in mind: Provide Wharton students with the best tools and real life case experiences available, in order to ensure success in consulting case interviews. Consulting firms place considerable weight on a candidates success in the case portion of the interview. Unfortunately, most students have not had an opportunity to adequately prepare for the process before stepping into the first interview. Preparation with this case book will certainly enhance your performance.
Note: We didnt bother to fill this book with consulting articles,
resumes or reiteration of the 4 Cs or 5 Forces. Its a waste of vour money and you will learn more about these topics from class, the corporate presentations and in talking to fellow students. What we did place in this book are actual cases given to second year students (and their recommended answers) this fall. These are the most up-todate cases available and will provide you with a true sense of the type of cases you are most likely to encounter during your interview process.
0 ther:
The solutions provided are just one recommended option for solving the case. Remember there is no single correct answer. If you are given a case you have already practiced - be upfront and tell the interviewer. Its ethical, honest and demonstrates class. It is helpful to practice these cases with a partner in a mock interview setting - take them seriously. Often, the interviewer will feed you information as you tackle the case. Such information is written in bold italics in the solution section of the case. Good Luck, have fun and nail the case!!
Case interviews are nothing more than an opportunity for the interviewer to assess your ability to: . Solve complex problems . Structure solutions in a logical fashion . Make and qualify/quantify relevant assumptions . Dig deep down alternate paths toward the solution . Think in a creative manner . Provide a suitable recommendation based on your analysis One Basic Approach to a Case: 1. Listen carefully to the information and write down the question. 2 . IYs perfectly appropriate to ask the interviewer for a minute to collect your - Writing down your structure openly demonstrates your thought process. 3 . Ask relevant questions about the situation. This is especially important if
you dont know anything about the industry or type of problem youve been given. thoughts. Use this time to sketch out the structure you intend to follow to solve the problem.
4. State your immediate assumptions and structure of analysis. - Based on what I know, I believe this could be a key issue - therefore Id like to pursue this structure of analysis. 5. Pursue paths with a mix of statements and questions to identify issues. - The problem may be lost revenue, I believe the key drivers are x,y,z. Have we experienced changes in any of these drivers? If so, why? How to fix? 6. After drilling down alternate paths, summarize the key learning and 7 . Identify all the major issues and try to offer recommendations. - As we have found, costs are up due to a,b,c. Therefore we may consider x,y,z. If 8. Be sensitive to the ramifications of your recommendations. - Wholesale recommendations may not be implementable or appropriate. 9. Summarize, Summarize, Summarize. - Always refer back to the question.
10. Try to have fun and remain energized. relate back to the original hypothesis or assumptions.
- Be careful not to alienate your interviewer by asking & many questions, however.
- Dont allow yourself to becomefrustrated and give-up. Demonstrate you can handle adversity and ambiguity.
Fixed costs associated with layini cable Debt associated with fixed costs Maintenance of the cable system
movie channels
Information vrovided as soon as these cost/revenue drivers are uncovered: . Theeed costs are extremely high due to the distance between cities in the system. . Tke debt and maintenance costs are also higher than systems in major metropolitan areas. . Tke current systems is only at 43% capacity (# of subscribers) vs. a 63% industy average.
Assumptions: . High fixed costs are overwhelming the current revenues . The current subscriber rate is too low, why? and can it be fixed. Market AssumDtions: . Based on the low subscriber rate, Id assume the population is less likely to watch televisionperhaps because of income or lifestyle issues. A: Actually fhey watch more television than the
average. . Does the cable system offer what they enloy
watching. A: Yes.
Competition: . If consumers are watching television, but not our cable system, there must be a strong competitor in the market. What options do our consumer have? A: In addition to the three
network stations, there are eleven independent broadcast stations is the area. . Is the reception from these independent stations strong. A: Yes, vey. . Are the stations offered free of charge? A: Yes.
Overall AssumDtions: . The low subscriber rate (revenues) cannot overcome the high fixed costs. . The subscriber rate is low due to the high number of competitive stations available to our consumers (supply and demand problem). Recommendations: . Determine if there are consumer needs not being met by the independents that could be provided by our system and worth paying for.
_ i f n n t CPll
. Editorial, printing/paper, distribution . Internal and external sales force - (gaining ad revenues and newspaper acceptance) . Assumption: There are few publishing synergies with our current publications. A: True Comnetitive Assumptions: . The competitors are deeply entrenched - 90% penetration . Displacing a competitive supplement would require costly incentives to the newspapers . Current newspapers utilize the supplements in order to publish low quality editorial without disparaging their product offering. Kev Issues: . Based on these assumptions, turning a profit would be difficult due to the large upstart costs and the strong competition for advertising revenues and newspaper acceptance. Strateeic Fit fhx.unDtiOnS: . The poor editorial content associated with these supplements may disparage the publishers current product offering. Recommendations: . Based on this information and these assumptions, we would not recommend proceeding with the supplement until potential advertisers were committed and newspapers demonstrated an interest in accepting the supplement. (Even then, we would recommend publishing under an alternate brand name).
Revenues: . Assumptions: Revenue is driven by the type of steel, tonnage sold and the price. Changes? A: We produce three types of steel at Steelco. Details are provided below.
Assumotions: . Based on the production information, it appears as though Steelco has switched its production priorities to Clear Steel because it has higher margins than Galvanized. But as a result, the output of Seconds has increased. . Do the increased margins from Clear Steel off-set the loses acquired due to the increase in seconds. A: How would youfigure it out? Analvsis: . Determine the margins for galvanized and clear steel and the loses associated with Seconds. . Form the equation: [Galv tons x margin] + [Clear tons x margin] - [Seconds tons x loses] . This equation would have to be maximized based on the demand for Galvanized and Clear Additional Information: . Steelco has limited capacity and can only make one type of steel at a time
. It takes twice as long to produce Clear than it does to produce Galvanized What could you do to improve the process??
Assessment/Recommendations: . The facility was built to produce galvanized steel. In recent years we have switched priorities to clear steel because it is more profitable. The manufacturing process could be improved. . Increase the batch size and store the inventory at the factory (if possible) . Upgrade the equipment to produce clear steel more efficiently . Increase capacity in order to produce galvanized and clear simultaneously
Kev Issues: . If the annual fee is dropped, AMX loses ($50 x # of members) . To overcome this loss, they have to increase the revenues from consumer purchases (1% from the retailer) - Is it likely that current cardholders will spend more per year if the annual fee is dropped? A: Not likely. Theyd still have to pay off their balance every month. . Therefore, the only way to increase revenues from consumer purchases is to increase the # of AMX cardholders Assurnm-ions: . Number of current cardholders=4% of the U.S. population (just a guess): - 25OMM x 4% = 1OMM current cardholders . $50 x 1OMM = Annual loss of $5OOMM by dropping the fee. . Current percentage revenue: 1OMM members x $1000 annual purchase (avg.) . [lOMM x (1000 x l%)] = $lOOMM (Estimate of current percentage revenue) Kev Ouestion: . Can we attract enough new members (without a fee) to offset a !5OOMM loss? . Each new member contributes $10 (1% of $1000 annual purchase). . (5OOMM/$lO) = 50MM new members are needed . 5OMM new members is equivalent to 20% of the population (gut check) Assessment/Recommendation: . Based on these assumptions, increased membership equivalent to 20% of the population is probably not likely. Dont drop the fee. . May want to consider varying the fee (sensitivity vs. new members) diff types of cards
You can start to make-up estimates for each of the variables, blah, blah, blah. - or . You can say - we dont have enough true information.
options
The CEO in this case was actually interested in how the student handled the ambiguous problem. She asked for an exact answer which was not possible with the available information. She also said she could tell a lot about the student by how much buils..t they threw at her. Keep this in mind - sometimes its the honest approach, not the answer, that matters. Actual Situation: If youre curious, the company made offers with a very short response time. After a certain date, positions were available on a first come - first serve basis until they reached the maximum number of interns they wanted--ten.
You learn there is nothing drastically different (overall), so you turn to the individual store level. Ouestions: . Are certain stores more profitable than others?- A: Yes. . Do the higher performing stores have any common characteristics such as size, product mix, consumer demographics ? - A: Yes, suburban stores are more profitable than urban stores. No,
the product mix is the same at all stores. Yes, the demos are diflerent by store.
AssumDtions: . The product mix may be more suitable itl tci i&tore profitable for suburban stores . The competition may be lower in the suburban areas (turns out not to be true) . The income level may be higher in the suburban areas Product Mix: . What products are most profitable? A: Appliances, tools, 7V, Stereo, Jewelry - big ticket items. . What products are less profitable? A: Clothing, shoes, household items - low ticket items Store bv Store Sales/Demos: . Do suburban stores sell more big ticket items? A: Yes . What do the urban stores sell? A: Clothing, household items, minor appliances . Are the demographics better suited for the mix in the suburbs? A: Yes, higher income. Assessment: . Due to the identical product mix at each store and the varied profitability by item, suburban stores are outperforming urban stores. Hence, the urban stores are hindering earnings. Potential Recommendations: . Re-configure the product mix by store (no sense holding excess inventory) . Assess the impact of the urban stores and determine the ramifications of closing them.
Assumotion: . We are losing customers and based on the heavy decrease in dollar amount purchased, we are losing high spending customers. (There must be substantially different customer segments) Ouestion: What do we know about our customer segments? A: 3 segments (us follows): # ofvisits
$$ spentlvisit # of people/segment
Maintenance Peonle 1
$100 1 OOMM
Do It Yourself - ers 10
$2000 lOMA
Contractors zoo
$10,000 1OM
Based on this information, you determine which segments are most valuable to Hammejack. Total Segment Worth Maintenance Peonle 10 Billion Do It Yourself - ers 100 Billion 1 I Contractors 10 Billion
You determine that the Do It Yourself-e& are the most important category. AssumDtion: Haxnerjack is losing customers and dollar revenue, there is a strong possibility of increased competition. A: Yes, Home Depot and other huge warehouse hardware stores have
entered Hammerjack regional locations.
AssumDtions about Warehouse Stores: . Lower prices due to buying power (economies of scale). A: Yes . Provide additional services such as training courses, information, tips. A: Yes . Stealing contractors due to substantially lower costs and DNs due to price and help. A: Yes Issues: Maintenance segment is still loyal because they only shop once a year and for a lower dollar amount. We probably cant keep the contractor due to price. How do we keep the DIYs. Potential Solutions: . Offer the training courses with an emphasis on the local knowledge of the neighborhood. . Anticipate the products needed by DIYs and offer competitive prices on those items. . Acquire or align with other local chains to gain buying power.
Kev Issues: . Cant affect the cost structure, therefore have to increase revenues. . Only revenue variables available are changes to the annual fee and APR Comvetition: Interviewer tells you it is a very competitive environment - move on*.
.hSumDtiOn: .
Customers use the card differently, there may be different customer segments based on the balance held, how quickly balances are paid off and the need for the card.
Case Interviewer suggests there are three distinct categories: 1. Pay-ofiinfull every month 2. Hold small de&t for short periods of time 3. Hold heavy debt for long periods of time (basically pay-ofi the interest) - 80% of our revenue HelShe then asks how uou would tailor card services to each of these groups:
Recommendations: Pav-Off In Full Monthly Charge high monthly fee Provide numerous services (detailed reports, little kudos) Hold Small Debt Short Term Increase the APR slightly Decrease the annual fee Hold Heaw Debt Lone Term Waive the annual fee Increase their credit limits Cash back programs, points Access to cash advance, etc.
Kev Issues: . These heavy debt card holders are the key to our profitability, it is imperative to get them to sign up for the card (no annual fee), use the card (cash back, point systems) and run up debt (automatic credit limit increases).
Note to Case Interviewer: . As soon as the interviewee had identified the key drivers of revenue and cost, the focus of the case was shifted to customer segmentation and tailored services for each se.gment.
Cost of the new mov~ctually decreased) Overhead: (No chan,qe) SG&A: (No change) Ipases. other: (No chunqee)
Revenues: # of rentals: (decreased, traffic down) Price of rental: (No change) Sale of rentals: (decreased) Accessories: (No change)
Kev Learning: . Cost have actually decreased, but not enough to off-set the decreased store traffic. Competitive Assessment/Substitutes: (List potential causes of decreased traffic) . New movie stores: (No real change) . New In-home sources - cable on demand: (Potentiulforfiture but no real cument uflectj . Sales of movies for home use and collection: (Sales have increased dramatically)
[Once the key issues have been identified, the intmiewer describes the changing industry:] l.When division wus growing, it could buy excess numbers of the new releases to satisfy customer demand. Later, they would send the excess copies to the new stores us part of their Zibrun/ of existing tapes. With fewer new stores opening, this is no longer an option therefore fewer new releases have been ordered. 2,RecentZy, the studios have allowed new releases to be sold through warehouse stores (WuZZMart) at the sume time they are made available to the rental retailers. Thus, many of our customers are purchasing rather than renting. In addition, when customers rented u new release, they quite often rented un existing tapeporn the Zibruy (additional lost revenue) Bused on this industry outlook, what would you recommend for the division?
Provide a recap: . It appears as though the major issue facing the division is a reduction in store traffic for new releases. This is mainly due to the sale of these same releases through alternate channels. How can we regain store traffic or offset the rental loses? Recommendations (these are iust a few of the ontions considered\: . Develop new, more convenient locations - kiosks, pick-up/delivery . Develop pricing/bundling formats combining new releases with existing movies . Offer rent to buy programs - rent the first time, then have option to purchase
Six Areas of Data: . Current year revenues . Previous year revenues . Current year costs (Then you have gross profits) . Previous year costs . Competitive current year share (Then you gain access to the competitive set) . Competitive previous year share
Slide #l Chart with last years share position vs. the competition Slide #2
Chart with this years share position vs. the competition with references to increase/decrease vs. previous year.
Slide #I4
Chart comparing current revenue vs. last year (highlight any major increase or decrease as an area for exploration)
Slide #3
Chart comparing current costs vs. last year (highlight any major increase or decrease as an area for exploration)
Chart demonstrating current profit position vs. Summary slide of the major changes in store last year and relevant ramifications. I performance and the steps necessary to analyze 1them further
Slide #5
Slide #6
?JOJg: . This case was given in order to assess a candidates ability to simplify information and present it
in a logical structure.
No Way!
How much does the author receive? (Assume $15 retail) Value Chain: = - Retailer Cut $2 - Marketing Costs $3 - Manufacturing Costs= ;3 = $3.50 - Publisher Cut = $1.50 (Total Take: 125M x $1.50 = $188M - Author Total $15 Can thev Retire? . Wrap-up by asking if $188M is enough to retire - doubtful.
Make assumotions of the current trends affectine the book industry: . Use of substitutes are increasing including CD ROM, Computer info and on-line information. . Lack of leisure time has decreased book reading . Paper costs are increasing for newspapers, books and magazines . Rapid change in the computer and technical industry require rapid changes to training manuals and educational materials (manuals may be outdated) Make Assumotions reaardine ootential emereine markets: . Increase in number of people working at home = home offices. . Increase in the area of childrens edu-tainment - educating kids simultaneous with entertainment . Increase interest in the areas of personal finance . Increase need for health care information and easy to update medical training materials. Assessment /Recommendations: . The future for the book industry itself is flat or declining at best. . Providers of new information technologies require content for their formats . The company should leverage the content they own. For example, they could align with new technology providers to provide content in the areas of health care and childrens edu-tainment.
Pros Direct store distribution allows for easier placement Marketing expertise in premium brand name/image Deep pockets with retail buyers
Key Issues: . As with the market, there are numerous uncertainties that must be addressed prior to forming a
full joint venture. Recommendations: . Conduct consumer research to determine consumer interest in a branded premium coffee bean at a premium price (in the grocery channel) . Attempt a test in a regional market to determine the operational issues.
25% Syrup/Bottling 25% Distribution 25% Marketing 10% Overhead 10% Profit Draw a chart with the dollar percentage allocations for RC Cola.
Rationale: . To make it easier, start with the larger percentages. . RC doesnt have the economies of scale Coke enjoys, therefore their manufacturing is a higher percentage df costs. . They do not have as efficient a distribution system (fewer products/same # of locations), therefore it requires a higher percentage. . Both of these leave less money available for R&D (look at the lack of new products), marketing and profit. . Overhead is actually lower because they require fewer front-office people to run the business.
Its much easier. Theyre not looking to see if you have a calculator for a brain, they want to see your logic and ability to convert.
Autoland CaDabilities: . Assumption: We actually have two businesses under one roof, is one more profitable than the other? A: In Canada - no. But in the U.S. we are profitable in retail sales and losing heavily on
the service center. . Are the costs associated with each side of the business different? A: Yes, the service center is much more expensive to operate, we have to pay mechanics and have highfixed costs. . Assumption: We are profitable in retail, but losing in service. We attract the wrong consumer.
Market/Customers: Autoland provides two services, are the customers for each service different?
A: Yes. The customers that shop for retails parts typically have lower to middle incomes and are trying to save a few dollars by performing their own maintenance. The customers who utilize the service center have higher incomes and no interest infixing their own car.
We are attempting to attract two distinct customer segments. Are we doing this successfully? A: We ure not sure, how would you help us determine if we are?
&mrnDtiOn:
A: We do the same as the competition A: Identical to competition A: Dinerent, we located in the inner cities to save mon y on leases. competition located? A: Between the inner city and the suburbs (on the border)
Assume tions /Recommendations: . Our location is great for the retail sales business, but prohibits heavy use of the service center due the distribution of income between the inner city vs. the suburbs. . In new markets, locate between the lower and upper income areas to attract both segments. . In existing markets, move, or drop the service business and retain the profitable retail portion
Overhead
- 50% of the cost is labor related and 50% is made-up of all other costs
Kev Leaminq: . Vickis cost per item = $10 vs. $8 for the competition ($8 + 50% tariff) = $12/item . The competitions labor costs are extremely low, yet with the tariff they cant compete in NZ. Result of reduced tariff: Tariff Yr-0 5 0 % Cost Yr-1 4 5 % Cost Yr-2 40% Cost Yr-3 35% Cost Yr-4 30% Cost Yr-5 25% Cost Yr-6 20% Cost Result $12, Wont enter market $11.60, Wont enter $11.20, Wont enter. $10.80, Wont enter $10.40, May consider entering $10.00, Competitive price to Vickis definitely will enter $9.60, Suddenly the low cost producer - advantage over Vi&is
= = = = = = =
Issues: . Due to the low labor costs and the declining tariffs, the competition will soon have an advantage over Vickis. Why are their labor costs so low?
A: The competition also uses manual labor but produces in Asia and pays lower wages.
Assessment: . Vi&is may have three years before they will face extreme competition. They need to look into opportunities for decreasing their labor costs. Options: . Analyze the result of automating production on a pay-out and product quality basis . Analyze the result of increased training or manual production techniques/designs . Begin production in Asia to take advantage of the low labor costs (build or acquire)
Issues Involved in Enterine a Foreipn Market: . Is there market potential for Cool Whip in foreign markets? . What are the competitive factors? . Can we supply product at an appropriate cost structure? . Do we have any foreign presence to take advantage of?
How might you determine the answers to these Issues?
Area of Analvsis: . Look for markets with a high incidence of dessert consumption (France) . Research the existence of competitors or substitutes (ice cream, other toppings) . Conduct consumer research to determine if consumers would accept/try the product . Research Krafts current manufacturing, distribution, marketing capabilities in these markets Recommendation: . Invest in answering addressing these issues and make a recommendation to the president
Based on R.O.S. how manv SKUs would vou want to can-v? AssumDtions: . To determine return on sales need the equation: [(Sales - Cost)/Sales] . Key: Have to ask for the costs associated with each SKU level
The intemiewer provides the following cost equation: [Y = .75X + 21
Draw the cost line on the graph and estimate the return on sales for the optimal SKU level.
Revenue Driver Assumotions: . Any changes in: Price, number of accounts, sales levels, type of cheese sold, quality of cheese?
A: Have taken periodic price reductions. No other major changes
Assumvtions: . Frank has increased promotional spending and reduced prices. Most likely due to an increase in competitive pressure. Have we seen increased competition?
A: Yes, many of our accounts are offering private label cheese at half our retail price . What do we know about the private label cheese? Quality?, Consumers? A: Lower quality than Franks. Two consumer segments: Those who do a lot of home cooking and use only Franks or Joes. Those who just stop in and pick-up a block of cheese. . Why have we been discounting? Are we losing our loyal consumers? A: No. Were just under a lot of pressurefrom the retailer to match prices
Issues: . Due to competitive pressure from private label, Frank and Joe have taken periodic price reductions. This has hurt their margins and may also cause them to lose their loyal customers (lose high quality brand image). Recommendations: . Maintain premium price levels for Franks current line of high quality cheese. . Manufacture a lower cost product under a different brand name to compete with private label brands. . Utilize advertising revenues to communicate the benefit of using high quality cheese