2023年怎样应付案例分析面试

Rememberyourseventh-gradealgebrateacher’sthreefavoritewords?"Showyourwork."Atthetime,itseemedsilly:Whynotjustshowtherightanswer?Nowthatyou’reolderandwiser,however,youknowthatinmanycaseshowyougettotherightanswerismoreimportantthansimplyknowingtheansweritself.Thesamegoesforthecasequestionsthatconsultingrecruiterslobatyou.Consultingisademandingjobwithfew"correct"answers;thismethodofinterviewinggaugeshowwellyoumanagetheprocessofgettingtoananswerandhowyouperformundersimulatedclient-engagementconditions.

Wetalkedtoconsultant-huntersatseveralfirmstogleantheiradviceoncrackingthecaseinterview.Here'swhattherecruitersrevealed—andhowyoucanbestprepare.

WhytheCaseInterview?

Caseinterviewshavelongbeenusedbyrecruiterstoseeacandidate'sthoughtprocessesinmotion.Canyoudeconstructandanalyzecomplex,open-endedbusinessproblems?Doyoustaycalm,orwillyousweatbulletsunderpressureataclientsite?

Atthemostbasiclevel,acaseinterviewisaboutaskingtherightquestions,developingalogicalwayofworkingthroughtherelevantissues,andarrivingatarecommendation.Yourstructuremaybeapackagedframeworkoritmaybevariousframeworksstrungtogether;youmayevenchoosenottouseframeworksatall.What'simportantisthatyoudemonstratesomedefinedstructure.

“Casestudiesareanimperfectscience,”concedesMichaelGibney,projectmanageratPricewaterhouseCoopers,“butareeasilyimplementableinthe30to45minuteswehaveforeachinterview.”Sincetheymeasureyouranalyticalskills,they'reanimprovementoversimple"fit"or"resumé"interviews.

Inmostcaseinterviews,therecruitergivesyouanexampleofareal-lifeclientproblem.Sometypicalcategoriesinclude:光华人向上旳精神光华人向上旳精神BrainGames:“HowmanytennisballsareintheUnitedStates?”OperationsImprovement:“Whyismyclient’sfactoryrunningbehind?”MarketSize:“Howbigistheglobalairconditionermarket?”Althougheachrequiresaslightlydifferentapproach,allaremeantmainlytoevaluatetheprocessyouuse,nottheansweryoucomeupwith.

PracticeMakesPerfect

Youabsolutely,positivelymustprepareinadvanceforcaseinterviews.“Itbecomesprettyclearprettyfastwhohas—andwhohasnot—practiced,”saysGibney.“Iknowthereisabasicsortofbusinessacumenthatmaynotbeabletobepracticed,butcandidatesmusthaveanunderstandableapproachtosolvingproblems.That’swhatourclientsdemandofus.Ifwecan’trelatesolutionstotheclient,it’saproblem.”

Don’tassumethatattendingacase-orientedbusinessschoolwillgiveyouanupperhand.JohnFlato,CapGeminiErnst&Young’snationaldirectorofuniversityrecruiting,saysthesecandidatesdon’tseemtodoanybetterorworsethancandidatesfromnon-caseschools.

Studydifferentkindsofcasequestions.Justbecauseyourbuddyinterviewedbeforeyouandgaveyouaheads-uponthequestionsdoesn’tmeanyouhavealegup.Recruitershavetonsofcasequestionsintheirrepertoire,andthechancesoftheirusingthesamequestionmultipletimesononecampusvisitareslimtonone.

光华人向上旳精神

Getaclassmateorfriendtorole-playtheinterviewwithyou,anduseanyresources(suchasacasebook)thatyourschool'sconsultingclubprovides.Themoremockcasesyousinkyourteethinto,themorelikelyyouaretoberelaxedandpoisedfortherealthing.Sometimesyoulearnmorebypresentingacasequestiontosomeonethanyoudowhensolvingthecaseyourself.

Deliberatelypickindustriesyou'renotfamiliarwithsoastotestyouranalyticalskills,notmemorizedfacts;forinstance,ifyourpre-B-schoolexperienceismostlyinmediaandentertainment,askyourcasebuddytoaskyouaboutsteelproductionormedicaldevicemarketing.Thatsaid,doconsiderbrushinguponthebasicsinseveralindustries—forinstance,knowtheproductdevelopmentcycleinpharmaceuticalresearch,andunderstandcurrenttrendsintechnology.(Formoreinformationonvariousfields,checkoutour.)Althougheachcaseisdifferent,withpracticeyouwillimproveyouranalyticalreasoningskillsandsolutionmethod.

ThinkThroughtheProcess

Whenitcomestostrategyorproductmarketingquestions,theinterviewerwilloftengiveyouonlythebarebonesofacaseandwillwaitforyoutorequestfurtherdetails:Howmanycompetitorsdoesthecompanyhave?Whatarethemajorcostandrevenuedrivers?Whoarethemajorclients?Anddon'tforgettoaskforthefirm'smission—ifyoudon'tknowwhatacompany'sgoalsare,youmightcomeupwithavalid—butmisguided—solution.Usesomebasicframeworkstodriveyourquestions—thefourP'sandthethreeC's,forinstance.

AsamplequestionGibneyusedrecentlyinvolvedamanufacturer/distributor/retailerofcomputerproducts.Thisclienthastraditionallygonedirectlytotheconsumerandhasdevelopedasolidbrandimage.Theclientnowwantsanassessmentastotheissuesrelatingtothecorebusiness,aswellastheopportunitiesforthecompanytogetintotheservicesside,whichitviewsasahigh-margin/high-growth-ratebusiness.Thecandidatenowneedstoprovideanapproachorevaluativeframeworkforanalyzingeachofthetwodifferentproblems.

Aslongasit'spermitted,workyouranswersoutonpaper.Pencilsandpens,plusanotebookorlegalpadshouldbestandardequipmentinanyinterview.“It’samazinghowmanypeopleshowupwithoutapenandpaper,”marvelsKamennaRindova,aseniorassociateatMercerManagementConsulting.Thinkingthroughallthefactsisamust,and光华人向上旳精神光华人向上旳精神Page2of3[WebExclusive]Youdon'thavetobeSherlockHolmestoacethecasesinaconsulting-firminterview.Infact,alittlepreparationcanmakesolvingthemseem,well,elementary.MaytheFiveForces(Not)BewithYouSomerecruitersareturnedoffwhenpotentialhiresdrawonapackagedanalyticalframework(suchasthefiveforces)tosolveaproblem.Others,however,areimpressed.Tobeonthesafeside,ifyouuseaframework,don’tstraytoofarfromtheissue.

EileenCoveney,vicepresidentatL.E.K.Consulting,warnscandidatesabouttheperilsofframeworks:“Whenpeopledependtoomuchonapre-establishedframework,theymaynotbethinkingdeeplyenoughabouttheproblemathand.Thismayindicatethatwhenpresentedwithanactualclientissue,theyarenotgoingtofocusonthedetailsandspecificsoftheclient’sproblem.Rather,theymaybeinclinedtojumpintoeasyandobvioussolutions.”

Ifyoudouseone,choosewisely.Ifthecaseisaboutabusinessthat'sconsideringentryintoanindustry,Porter'sfiveforcesmayindeedbeyourbestbet.Ifyou'retalkingabouthowproductsgetfromsupplierstoendconsumers,considerthevaluechain.Companiesthatarefallingshortonsalescoulduseaprofitabilityorcostvs.revenueanalysis.Ifyou'remarketinganewpharmaceuticalproduct,thinkaboutthe4P'sandthe3C's.

光华人向上旳精神光华人向上旳精神"IsThatYourFinalAnswer?"

Don’tbeafraidofpausing.Takethetimetodrawupnotesandsketchouttheproblem.Don’tblurtanythingoutunnecessarilytoendaperiodofsilence.You’renotonagameshow;you’reinterviewingtobeaconsultant,whichisabusinessasmuchaboutthinkingasitisaboutcommunicating.Aboveall,becalm.

Ifyoudorespondtoaquestiontooquickly,beforeunderstandingallthefacts,youmayendupcontradictingyourselfhalfwaythroughyourresponse—whichcouldbedisastrous.“Inourenvironmentandourindustry,”saysSeanHuurman,nationalrecruitingdirectorofKPMGConsulting,“weneedtomakesurewe’resayingtherightthingthefirsttime.”

Afteralltheanalysis,however,don'tforgettocometosomekindofconclusionastowhatthecompanyshoulddo.Considerpresentingadecisionrulethattheimaginaryorganizationcouldusetofigureoutwhatthebestoptionis—e.g.,ifrevenuesoutstripcosts,thendo光华人向上旳精神光华人向上旳精神Page3of3[WebExclusive]Youdon'thavetobeSherlockHolmestoacethecasesinaconsulting-firminterview.Infact,alittlepreparationcanmakesolvingthemseem,well,elementary.Readyforsomecompany-specificadvice?Here'swhatfiverecruiterstoldusaboutinterviewingattheirfirms.

RecruiterNo.1:EileenCoveney,vicepresident,L.E.K.Consulting

TheQuestions:

Testingacandidate'sskillacrossarangeofareasistheprimaryreasonL.E.K.usescaseinterviews.Coveneyindicatesthatthecaseinterviewsaremeantto(1)assessacandidate’sanalyticalability,(2)evaluateacandidate'scommunicationskillsandlogicflow,(3)understandhowacandidaterespondstoredirection,and(4)testhis/heroverallfitwiththefirm.MostquestionsL.E.K.recruitersaskcenteraroundstrategicgrowthopportunitiesforpotentialclients.

WordsofWisdom:

Coveneypointsoutthatshedoesn’thaveapreferenceregardinghowacandidateinitiallyreactstothecaseinterviewquestion.“Somepeopletakesometimetoformulatetheirthoughts,otherpeopleaskafewquestions,andotherpeoplejumprightin,”Coveneysays.“Relaxandtakeyourtime,focusonthespecificissuesofthecase,rememberthereisnoonerightanswertothecase,anddon’tusetoomanyframeworks.Don’tthrowinthekitchensink,likePorter’sfiveforces,etc.Justbeconfident,andrelax—itwillreallyhelpwiththeinterview.”

RecruiterNo.2:KamennaRindova,seniorassociate,MercerManagementConsulting

TheQuestions:

MMCasksmostcandidatesone-on-onequestionsanddoesn’toftendogroupexercises.Reflectingthefirm’sfocus,mostquestionsdealwithstrategyissues,withoccasionalmarketsizingquestionsthrownin.ThepurposeoftheinterviewforMMCistoseethecandidate'sabilitytostructureandthinkthroughaproblemastheywouldonthejob.

WordsofWisdom:

Rindovasayspracticeandfamiliaritywithcasesisessential,andstressesthataninterviewcangosouthifthecandidatelosessightofthestructureheorsheisbuilding.Lastly,beatingaclearpathtoanyresponseismoreimportantthangettingitright.“Youcangive(arecruiter)awronganswer,butifyouthoughtoutloudthroughtheprocess,youcouldstillhaveastellarinterview,”Rindovaconcludes.

RecruiterNo.3:ScottBerney,headofU.S.recruitingoperations,MonitorGroup

TheQuestions:

Determiningaperson’sanalyticalskills,comfortwithmanipulatingnumbers,andabilitytointegratedifferentpiecesofdataisthepurposeofthecaseinterviewforMonitorGroup.Forthefirstroundofinterviews,casequestionsareusuallywrittenandaretwotothreepagesinlength.Inthefinalround,agroupeventisused.

WordsofWisdom:

“Mytakeonmostotherfirmsisthattheyputapremiumon[thecandidate’s]abilitytoaskquestionsintheinterview.Monitorcasesputapremiumonyourabilitytoanalyzedata,manipulatenumbers,integrate,andcomeupwithananswerbasedonthedatayou’vebeengiven,”saysBerney.LikeL.E.K.’sCoveney,hedoesn’tliketoseecandidatesusetoomanyframeworkstosolveaproblem.

RecruiterNo.4:SeanHuurman,nationalrecruitingdirector,KPMGConsulting

TheQuestions:

“Thecasequestionhelpsgettoathinkingprocessandvariouscharacteristicsofacandidateyoudon’tnecessarilygetinanordinaryinterview,”saysHuurman.“Whenweusecases,wearereallyfocusingonthingsthattieintotheclient.”ThetypicalKPMGconsultanthunterwantstoknowhowacandidatecancommunicatewiththeteam,theirleadership,andtheclient.

Huurmanfavorsgroupinterviews,andknowsalotofcandidatescanbepreppedinadvance,buthenotesthatthere’s"noamountofcoaching"thatcanprepareyouforagroupproject.

光华人向上旳精神

WordsofWisdom:

“Toomanypeoplejumprightintothecasestudyanddon’tputanythoughtintoit,”saysHuurman.“Iwanttheintervieweestothinkthingsthrough.”KPMGrecruitersarealwaystoldtoletthecandidatehavesometimetothinkthroughthecase,butHuurmanindicatesthatveryfewcandidatestakeadvantageofit.

HuurmanadmitsthatfewrecruiterswouldaskintervieweeswhatKPMGstandsfor(curious?It'sKlynveld,Peat,Marwick,andGoerdeler),butit’simportanttodoyourhomeworkonthefirm’sservices,strengths,andculture.

RecruiterNo.5:MichaelGibney,projectmanager,PricewaterhouseCoopers

TheQuestions:

SomeofPwC’scompetenciesdon’trequirethatacasequestionbeasked,butit’sprobablybesttoplanforone.Interviewsaretypicallyone-on-oneandaremeanttotestthebusinessacumenofacandidate.Seeingcandidates'insightintobusinessproblemsandtheirapproachtosolvingthem(mostquestionsarebasedontrue-lifeclientengagements)istheoverallgoal.

WordsofWisdom:

Gibneyunderstandsthatmanyproblemsaretoobigtosolveduringthecourseofahalf-hourinterview,butwantstoseeafirmgraspofkeyissues.“Thecandidatemusthaveanunderstandingoftheoverallsituationandtheoverallproblem,andthencreateanapproachtosolveit,”Gibneysays.“Forinstance,ifwe’retalkingaboutaclientgettingintotheservicesbusiness,Iwouldexpecttoseesomekindofframeworkaroundidentifyingwhatrelevantserviceswouldbe,andthedifferentmarketandcompanyfactorsinvolved.Iwantthecandidatetorelatedirectlywhatthecoreissuesare.”

光华人向上旳精神Firm:A.T.KearneyCaseNumber:Casesetup(factsofferedbyinterviewer):YourclientisamanufacturerofbicyclesTheyhavebeeninbusinessfor25yearsTheymanufacturerandsellthreecategoriesofbicycles:Racingbikes:Highend,highperformancebikesforsophisticatedcyclistsMainstreambikes:Durable,butnotoverlycomplicatedbikesforeverydayridersChildren’sbikes:Smaller,simplerversionsoftheirmainstreambikesforchildrenProfitsatyourclienthavedecreasedoverthepastfiveyearsQuestion:Whatisdrivingthedeclineinoverallprofits?Whatrecommendationsmightcorrectthesituation?Suggestedsolutions:Thefirstquestionistodeterminewhathascausedoverallprofitstodecrease.Toaccomplishthisthecandidatemustfirstunderstandwhathastranspiredineachofthethreeproductcategoriesoverthepastfiveyearsduringwhichprofitabilityhasslipped.Thefollowingarequestionsandanswersthatwouldbeprovidedinaninterviewscenario.Whataretheclient’smarginsforabicycleineachofthethreesegments?Racing:Cost=$600/unit,Profit=$300/unitMainstream:Cost=$250/unit,Profit=$75/unitChildren’s:Cost=$200/unit,Profit=$50/unitWhathashappenedtothemarketsizeofeachofthethreesegmentsoverthepastfiveyears?Racing:Hasremainedconstantatitspresentsizeof$300MMMainstream:Hasincreasedat2%growthrateperyeartoitspresentsizeof$1.0BChildren’s:Hasincreasedat3%growthrateperyeartoitspresentsizeof$400MMWhathashappenedtoourclient’smarketshareineachofthesesegments?Racing:Marketsharehasdecreasedfrom60%to30%Mainstream:Marketsharehasincreasedfrom0%to5%Children’s:Marketsharehasincreasedfrom0%to3%Whoaretheclient’smajorcompetitor’sineachmarketsegment?Whathashappenedtotheirmarketshareineachsegmentoverthepastfiveyears?Racing:Thereisonemaincompetitorandahostofsmallfirms.Yourmaincompetitorhasincreasedmarketsharefrom30%to50%Mainstream:Thereexistmany,largecompetitors,noneofwhichholdsmorethan10%ofthemarketChildren’s:Asinthemainstreamsegment,therearemanycompetitors,nonewithmorethan10%ofthemarketTheaboveinformationprovidesenoughinformationtoputtogetherapictureofwhyprofitshavedecreasedoverthepastfiveyears:Yourclient,withacommandingpositioninaflatmarketsegment(racing),expandedintonewsegments(mainstreamandchildren’s).Asthisoccurred,marketsharedecreaseddramaticallyinthemostlucrativesegment(racing),creatinganunfavorablemix.Theextenttowhichprofitshavedecreasedcanbededucedfromsomequickmath:profitshaveslippedfrom$60MMfiveyearsago(=60%x$300MMx33%racingmargin)to$44MMtoday(=(30%x$300MMx33%racingmargin)+(5%x$1Bx23%mainstreammargin)+(3%x$400MMx20%children’smargin)).Thedramaticdecreaseinmarketshareintheracingsegmentisatthispointstillunexplained.Questionsthatwouldhelpformulateanexplanationinclude:Havetherebeenanymajorchangesinproductqualityinyourclient’sracingproduct?Orinitsmaincompetitor’sracingproduct?NoHavetherebeenanymajorpricechangesinyourclient’sracingproduct?Orinitsmaincompetitor’sracingproduct?NoHavetherebeenanymajorchangesindistributionoutletsforyourclient’sracingproduct?Orforitsmaincompetitor’sracingproduct?Yes.Previouslyyourclientanditsmaincompetitorintheracingsegmentsoldexclusivelythroughsmall,specialtydealers.Thisremainsunchangedforthecompetition.Yourclient,however,begantosellitsracingbikesthroughmassdistributorsanddiscountstores(thedistributionoutletsformainstreamandchildren’sbikes)asitenteredthemainstreamandchildren’ssegment.Howdothemassdistributorsanddiscountstorespricetheracingbikesrelativetothespecialtystores?Pricesatthesestorestendtobe15to20%less.Whatpercentofyourclient’sracingsalesoccurinmassdistributorsanddiscountstores?Effectivelynone.ThisattempttosellthroughthesedistributorshasfailedHowhasthedecisiontosellthroughmassdistributor’sanddiscountstoresaffectedtheimageoftheclient’sracingproduct?Nostudieshavebeendone.Howhasthedecisiontosellthroughmassdistributor’sanddiscountstoresaffectedyourclient’srelationshipwiththespecialtyoutlets?Again,noformalanalysishasbeenperformed.Althoughsomeanalysisand/orsurveyshouldbeperformedtoanswermoreconclusivelythelasttwoquestions,apossiblestorycanbeputtogether.Therehasbeennoappreciablechangeineitherqualityorprice(oranyothertangiblefactor)ofyourclient’sracingproductrelativetoitscompetition.Itisnottheproductthatistheproblem,butratheritsimage.Asyourclientcameoutwithlowerend,mainstreamandchildren’sproductsandbegantopushtheirracingsegmentthroughmassdistributorsanddiscountoutlets,theirreputationwascompromised.Additionally,thepresenceoftheracingproductsinthediscountoutletshasputyourhistoricracingdistributor(thespecialtyshops)inaprecariousposition.Thespecialtyshopsmustnowlowerpricetocompete,therebycuttingtheirownprofits.Instead,theyarelikelytopushthecompetition’sproduct.Remember,yourclienthasnodirectsalesforceattheretailoutlets.Thespecialtyshopsessentiallyserveasyourclient’ssalesforce.Theaboveanalysisoffersanexplanationofwhathasaffectedthetopsideoftheprofitabilityproblem.Stilltobeexaminedisthecost,orbottomside,oftheprofitabilityissue.Questionstouncovercostissueswouldinclude:Howdoestheclientaccountforitscosts?Theclienthasasinglemanufacturingandassemblyplant.Theyhaveseparatelinesinthisfacilitytoproduceracing,mainstreamandchildren’sproducts.Theydividetheircostsintothefollowingcategories:labor,materialandoverhead.Overallcostshavebeenincreasingatafairlyheftyrateof10%peryear.Whatisthecurrentbreakdownofcostsalongthesecategoriesforeachproductsegment?Racing:Labor=30%,Material=40%,Overhead=30%Mainstream:Labor=25%,Material=40%,Overhead=35%Children’s:Labor=25%,Material=40%,Overhead=35%Howhasthismixofexpenseschangedoverthepastfiveyears?Inallsegments,laborisanincreasingpercentageofthecosts.Doesthebasicapproachtomanufacturing(i.e.themixoflaborandtechnology)reflectthatofitscompetition?Yourclienttellsyouthatthereisacontinuingmovementtoautomateandutilizetechnologytoimproveefficiencythroughouttheindustry,butitishis/heropinionthattheirapproach,maintainingthe“humantouch”,iswhatdifferentiatesthemfromthecompetition.(Unfortunately,he’sright!!)Istheworkforceunionized?YesWhatistheaverageageoftheworkforce?52andclimbing.Thereisverylittleturnoverintheworkforce.Whatisthepresentthroughputrating?Howhasitchangedoverthepastfiveyears?Presentlytheplantisproducingatabout80%ofcapacity.Thishasbeendecreasingsteadilyoverthelastseveralyears.Whatisthetypicalreasonforequipmentshutdown?EmergencyrepairDescribethepreventivemaintenanceprogramineffectattheclient’sfacility?Preventivemaintenanceisperformedinformallybasedontheknowledgeofseniortechnicians.Howoftenhasequipmentbeenreplaced?Isthisconsistentwiththeoriginalequipmentmanufacturer’srecommendations?TheclientfeelsthatmostOEMrecommendationsareveryconservative.TheyhavefollowedaphilosophyofmaximizingthelifeoftheirequipmentandhavegenerallydoubledOEMrecommendations.Theaboveinformationissufficienttoaddsomeunderstandingtothecostsideoftheequation.Yourclienthasanagingworkforceandplantthatisbehindthetimesintermsoftechnologyandinnovation.Thishascontributedtoexcessivebreakdowns,decreasedthroughput,increasedlaborrates(wagesincreasewithseniority)andgreaterlaborhours(overtimetofixbrokenmachines).Inproposingrecommendationstoimprovetheclient’ssituation,thereisnosinglecorrectapproach.Thereareanumberofapproachesthatmightbeexploredandrecommended.Thefollowingaresomepossibilities:Abandonthemainstreamandchildren’ssegmenttorecoverleadershipintheracingsegmentIssuestoconsiderinthisapproach:Howmuchoftheracingsegmentis“recoverable”?Whataretheexpectedgrowthratesofeachsegment?Howbadlydamagedistherelationshipwiththespecialtyoutlets?Aretherealternativeoutletstothespecialtyshopssuchasinternetsales?Howwillthismoveaffectoverallutilizationoftheoperatingfacilities?Maintainthemainstreamandchildren’ssegment,butsellunderadifferentnameIssuestoconsiderinthisapproach:Istheredemandamongthemassanddiscountdistributorsforbicyclesundertheirname?Whatadditionaladvertisingandpromotionscostsmightbeincurred?Whataretheexpectedgrowthratesofeachsegment?Whatisdrivingthebuyinghabitsofthemainstreamandchildren’smarket?ReducecoststhroughautomationandinnovationIssuestobeconsidered:Whattechnologicalimprovementsaretobemade?Whataretherequiredinvestments?Whataretheexpectedreturnsonthoseinvestments?Howwilltheseinvestmentsaffectthroughput?Towhichlinesaretheseinvestmentsappropriate?Arethemainstreamandchildren’ssegmentspotentially“over-engineered”?Whatimpactwillthishaveontherequiredworkforcelevels?Iflayoffsarerequiredtoachievethebenefits,whatimpactwillthishaveonlaborrelations?ReducecoststhroughestablishingaformalpreventivemaintenanceprogramIssuestobeconsidered:Whatorganizationalchangeswillberequired?WhatanalysiswillbeperformedtodeterminetheappropriateamountofPM?Whattrainingisrequiredoftheworkforce?Whattechnicalorsystemchangesarerequired?Howwilltheunionizedworkforcerespond?Keytakeaways:Thiscasecanprovetobelengthyandveryinvolved.Itisnotexpectedthatacandidatewouldcoveralloftheabovetopics,butratherworkthroughselectedtopicsinalogicalfashion.Itisimportantthatthecandidatepursueasolutionthatconsidersbothrevenueandcostissuestoimpactprofit.Additionally,aconadidate’sabilitytoworkcomfortablywiththequantitativesideofthiscaseisimportant.Theaboverecommendationsforimprovingprofitabilityarejustafewamongmany.Thecandidatemaycomewiththeirownideas.Firm:A.T.KearneyCaseNumber:Casesetup(factsofferedbyinterviewer):YourclientisaU.S.basedmanufacturerofbrandedcookies(cookiesthatcarrythenameofthemanufacturer)Recentlyprivatelabelcookies(thosecarryingthenameoftheretailer)haveemergedandthreatenedbrandedcookiesPrivatelabelcookiesemergedfiveyearsagoTwoandone-halfyearsagotheymadeup10%oftheoverallcookiemarket(brandbeingtheother90%)Todaytheymakeupapproximately20%oftheoverallcookiemarket(i.e.,therehasbeenasteady,linearincreaseofprivatelabelportionoftheoverallcookiemarketduringthepastfiveyears)TheoverallcookiemarkethasbeenrelativelyflatoverthepastfiveyearsPrivatelabelcookiesaremadebythesamemanufacturerswhomakebrandedcookies,theyarejustsoldunderthenameoftheretailerThereareessentiallythreemajorcompetitorstoconsider:Yourclient,whomakesonlybrandedcookiesAsecondmajorplayer,thatmakesbothbrandedcookiesandsuppliescookiesforprivatelabelersAcollectionofsmalloutfits,thatmakebothbrandedcookiesandsupplyprivatelabelersDistributionoccursprimarilythroughoneoftwotypesofoutlets:Groceryoutlets:allgrocerssellbrandedcookies,mostalsocarrytheirownprivatelabelcookies.Thisrepresentsapproximately90%oftotalcookiesalesMassmerchandisers(ex.Walmart,Sam’s,etc.):sellonlybrandedcookiesQuestion:HowlargewouldyouestimatetheoverallU.S.cookiemarkettobeintermsof$?Howlargeofathreatdoyoubelievethetrendinprivatelabelcookiesalestobetoyourclient?Basedonyourassessment,whatisanappropriatestrategyforyourclienttofollow?Suggestedsolutions:Thefirstquestion,estimatingthesizeoftheU.S.cookiemarket,hasnorightorwronganswer.Itisatestofacandidate’sabilitytomakereasonableassumptionsandworkquicklywithnumbersonan“orderofmagnitude”level.OneacceptableresponsewouldbetoestimatethenumberofU.S.households,estimatehouseholdconsumptionoversomeperiodoftime,estimatetheaveragecostofabagofcookies,andprojectoutforoneyear.Inthiscase,afteranestimatehasbeenmade,thecandidatewouldbetoldtoassumethemarketsizeis$1Billiontosimplifyanyfuturecalculations.Asstatedintheupfrontinformation,themarketisassumedtohavebeenflatforthepastfiveyears.Thesecondquestionismoreinvolved.Itinvolvesdeterminingtowhatextentyourclientisthreatenedbytheincreasingpercentoftheoverallcookiemarketrepresentedbyprivatelabelsales.Tobetteranswerthisquestioninformationshouldbegatheredpertainingtowhatisdrivingthedemandforprivatelabelcookies,towhatextentthishasalreadyaffectedyourclient’ssales,andwhatthe