Thank you to everyone from the UMass community who applied to join IUCG for the Spring semester. For those of you interviewing this weekend, we have some quick tips for the case interview. Below you will find a selection of popular frameworks used to solve an array of cases, as well as links to some helpful resources. Study up, and good luck!

Profitability Framework

The profitability framework is considered one of the most popular frameworks, and is used when addressing a company that has issues with their bottom line.

Remember: Profit = Revenue – Costs
In a more holistic view: E(P=R-C)M, where E=economic conditions, P=profit, R=revenue, C=costs, M=market conditions

Revenue includes price per unit and number of units sold.  Types of costs includes Fixed Costs (overhead and insurance) and Variable Costs (new machinery, packaging, raw materials, cost per unit, number of units, etc.)

Economic Conditions to keep in mind:
• Unemployment
• Strength of the Dollar
• Interest Rates
• Consumer Spending

Market Trends
• What are three year trends for this industry?

Note: Revenue can be further broken down by demographic, location, product line, etc.

 

Porter’s Five Forces

Are you trying to figure out where a company has room for growth? Are you looking into the company’s overall strategy regarding the creation of a new product? These are just two potential situations where Porter’s Five Forces will come in handy. Use this framework for a high level view of what your company’s strategy should be.

 

Supplier Power
• Number of suppliers
• Size of supplies
• Differentiation of inputs
• Your ability to substitute
• Switching costs

Threat of New Entry
• Time and cost of entry
• Specialist knowledge
• Economies of scale
• Cost advantages
• Technology protection
• Barriers to entry

Competitive Rivalry
• Number of competitors
• Quality difference
• Switching costs
• Customer loyalty

Buyer Power
• Number of customers
• Price sensitivity
• Size of each order
• Differences between competitors
• Bargaining leverage

Threat of Substitute
• Substitute performance
• Cost of change

 

IUCG’s 8 Case Commandments

1. Pay attention to what the question asks
2. Take notes
3. Verify and ask clarifying questions
4. Think before you speak
5. Work the numbers
6. Be coachable
7. Close and summarize
8. Don’t forget the original question

 

 

Below you will find some useful links relating to case interviews and how to prepare for them.

• McKinsey Interview Advice: http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/join_us/interview_prep
• Case Interview Prep from a former McKinsey Interviewer: http://www.caseinterview.com/case-interview-preparation
• BCG Interview Advice: http://careers.bcg.com/join/practice_cases.aspx

Feel free to do your own research, and good luck!