1. The Management Consulting Association presents... Intro to Case Interview Frameworks Today!! Tuesday D301 from 12-1pm

2. The Management Consulting Association Intro to Case Interview Frameworks

3. What Case Interviewers are looking for zAnalytical ability zPoise zCreativity zCommunication skills zLogical thought process zBusiness acumen zNOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION

4. What are frameworks? zA structured approach to break down a case problem zA way to think about the facets of a business decision zA tool to develop case interview proficiency

5. How to use frameworks? zDuring your early practice interviews, use frameworks to develop the discipline for structuring a interview answer zLater, depart from the frameworks (avoid mentioning them) to develop a comfort level with structuring a framework on the fly zBottom line: You need to practice to do this right

6. How not to use frameworks? zSaying, “Well, I’ll use the Porter’s 5 forces to break this down...” zWorrying about finding the right framework for the case - in every case, several would work fine zBecoming panicked if you can’t remember a framework - remember, structure is the most important thing!

7. Structure Your Response - The golden rule zListen to question and ask any clarifying questions. Take notes. zTell interviewer the areas you plan to investigate in 2-3 sentences zProceed down line of inquiry in first area you think shows the most promise - “First, I would like to get a better understand of their customer base..” zProceed to next area if deterred in questioning and/or you’ve exhausted a subject. Telegraph your moves - “Next, I would like to assess their competitive environment…” zPull finding together at end of interview and state recommendations (“Initial findings suggest… ; I recommend we do the following….”)

8. Pizarro Case Question Example zQuestion: How did the Spanish Conquistador Pizarro, with only 180 men, manage to defeat the Incan Empire which numbered in the thousands… zFramework: “Like business, success in a military campaign is dependent on many factors including training, resources, and leadership. I would want to explore the following.. yCompare the Pizarro’s leadership with the of the Incan ruler yAnalyze the training of Pizzaro’s forces yDetermine if Pizarro’s forces had any technological advantage over the Incas zLet’s start with Leadership. “Who was the Inca ruler and how would you characterize his leadership...”

9. Popular Frameworks z4 P’s of Marketing zPorter’s 5 Forces zInternal and External Factors z3 C’s - Company, Competition, Customer zRevenues vs Costs

10. Revenues vs. Costs Useful for determining why a company is losing profitability zRevenues yhave they changed, how? yPricing pressure?, recession?, competition? zCosts yFixed Costs - new investments, low capacity? yVariable Costs - raw materials costs (supplier power), labor costs

11. 4 P’s of Marketing Useful for determining in company should enter a new market or product category. Also, may help identify cause of sales slowdown zProduct zPrice zPromotion zPlacement

12. Porter’s 5 Forces Useful for determining whether a company will be competitive and profitable in the long run zSupplier Power zBuyer Power zEntry Barriers zInternal Rivalry zSubstitutes

13. Internal Vs External Useful for nearly all business problems zExternal Factors yMarket - trends, segments, substitutes yCustomers - demand, price sensitivity, loyalty yCompetitors - how many, share, strengths zInternal Factors yOperations - how cost competitive and inefficient yFinance - are resources sufficient, profitability yProduct - competitive advantage, differentiated

14. The 3 C’s Useful for nearly all business problems zCompany - marketing, operations, strategy zCompetition - industry structure (Porter’s 5), competitor positioning (low cost, high quality) zCustomer - segments, size, growth, price elasticity

15. Closing zLearn the frameworks so they become second nature zPractice and more practice to become comfortable with the facets of a business problem zDevelop capacity to structure problem in an appropriate manner to reach a solution