咨询公司case分析方法25页

Case Interview经典分析来源：范振宇的日志一.Case Interview1．类型介绍(1) 什么是Case Interview?一般来说，Case Interview主要针对咨询公司面试而言。

也有一些公司如Dell二面会用一些小case来考察面试者的应变能力、考虑问题的全面性以及逻辑分析能力。

咨询公司的Case Interview可以分成两个部分，一开始先是Warm-up。

在这一部分，你可能需要自我介绍，然后大致回答一下面试官针对简历以及个人选择提出的一些问题。

接下来才是真正的Case Interview。

简而言之，Case Interview就是现场对一个商业问题进行分析的面试。

但是和大多数其他面试不同，这是一个互动的过程。

你的面试官会给你提出一个Business Issue，并且会让你给出分析和意见。

而你的任务是向面试官有逻辑的提出一些问题以使得你能够对这个Business Issue有更全面，更细致的了解，并且通过系统的分析最后给出建议。

一般而言，Case Interview是没有绝对正确的答案的。

面试官看重的不是答案，而是从面试过程当中你表现出来的分析能力和创造力。

对于大学毕业，没有工作经验的学生来说，大多数情况下Case不会很难，也不会需要你对那个行业有系统的了解。

Case Interview一般是一对一的，一轮会有两个Case Interview，由两个不同的面试官来负责，每个Interview持续45分钟，包括10-15分钟的warm-up以及一些Behavior questions，剩下的30分钟就是讨论Case。

10-15分钟的Warm-up一般用英文，Case可能是英文，也有可能是中文，不同的公司以及不同的面试官对语言是有不同的偏好的。

(2) 为什么使用Case Interview?由于咨询师在工作上的不少时间都是在和客户以及同事进行相互的沟通，同时咨询工作本身的特点要求咨询师必须具备一系列的特质才能够成功。

运营管理Case Analysis1. 案例背景本案例分析将聚焦于一家名为ABC公司的制造业企业。

ABC公司成立于2005年，专注于生产和销售高品质的电子产品。

随着市场竞争的加剧，ABC公司面临着来自国内外竞争对手的压力。

为了保持竞争优势并实现可持续发展，ABC公司需要进行运营管理的优化。

2. 问题陈述ABC公司在运营管理方面存在以下问题：a) 生产效率低下：生产线上的生产效率低，导致产品交付周期长，无法满足客户需求。

b) 库存管理不当：ABC公司面临着库存积压的问题，造成资金占用和仓储成本的增加。

c) 供应链管理不稳定：ABC公司的供应链管理存在问题，供应商交货延迟频繁，给生产计划带来困扰。

d) 品质控制不完善：ABC公司产品的品质控制存在漏洞，导致产品质量不稳定，客户投诉率较高。

3. 分析方法为了解决ABC公司的运营管理问题，我们将采用以下分析方法：a) 价值链分析：通过分析ABC公司的价值链，找出运营管理中的瓶颈环节。

b) 流程优化：通过优化生产流程和供应链流程，提高生产效率和交付周期。

c) 库存管理模型：建立合理的库存管理模型，避免过多的库存积压。

d) 供应商评估：对供应商进行评估，选择稳定可靠的供应商，并建立长期合作关系。

e) 品质管理工具：引入品质管理工具，如六西格玛、质量控制图等，提升产品质量稳定性。

4. 解决方案基于以上分析，我们提出以下解决方案来改善ABC公司的运营管理：a) 引入自动化生产设备：通过引入自动化生产设备，提高生产效率，并减少生产过程中的人为错误。

b) 优化生产流程：通过流程改进和优化，减少生产环节中的浪费和瓶颈，提高生产效率。

c) 建立合理的库存管理模型：通过建立合理的库存管理模型，避免过多的库存积压，减少资金占用和仓储成本。

d) 与供应商建立长期合作关系：与稳定可靠的供应商建立长期合作关系，减少供应商交货延迟的风险。

e) 引入六西格玛和质量控制图：引入六西格玛和质量控制图等品质管理工具，提升产品质量稳定性和客户满意度。

Week 12 Case AnalysisObjectives:Students will be able to1.understand what is ―case analysis ‖ and how to do it in English;2.team up with fellows to analyze a case in English;3.think critically and creatively through finding and solving problems in the case.4.make oral English presentation with the help of PPT.Preparation Work:1.Decide a topic which all the team members are interested in and whose possible solutions mayshed lights on college life;2.Carry out a survey to collect data;3.Write a report of the analysis, based on which ppt should be made in preparation for the oralpresentation;4.Prepare a 10-minute presentation about the work done.What is case? / How to solve the case? / How to prove that the solutions will work?:A case is a situation in which a decision must be made:●The situation may be a problem that needs a solution●The situation may require making a change in the organization and operations●The situation may require making short term or long term decisions or plansTo study and analyze a case, answer these questions:●Who is involved in the situation?●What is the situation, i.e., what is going on to cause a problem or that makes functionsunsatisfactory?●When does / did /will the situation occur?●Where is the situation taking place? Or, in other words, how does the location relate to thecase?●Why does a problem exist; or, why is this problem occurring?To prove that the solutions will work:The analyst must organize his solution so that he tells what the solution is and then gives cause-effect reasons that demonstrate why the solution will solve the problem in the case. (Personal opinions alone would not work convincingly as solutions to the problems without the support of data; thus it is essential to carry out survey. )Ⅱ. Assignments1.The students work in teams. Each person has his own responsibility in the teamwork.2.Each team chooses one from the given topics. Written report is supposed to turn in by week12 and oral presentation is going to be made at class time in week 12.Ⅲ.Oral Presentation (week 12/100mins)1. Specific rules for presentation:①Speaking! NOT Reading !②Eye-Contact with the audience;③Elicit questions from the audience when the presentation is over;④Time stretch for each team: 10mins’ presentation+5mins’discussion with audience2. Students’ presentation: the audience listen carefully and take notes in order to raise challenging questions.3. Teacher and students, students and students exchange ideas on the case and presentation.(strengths, weaknesses. etc)Follow-up Activity:Find more information on internet about how to make a successful case analysis in English.For references:Case AnalysisWhat is case?Generally speaking, a ―case‖ is a description of a situation in which one or more problems exist. The description discusses the events, the people, and pertinent details, and perhaps even presents some options for solving the problem. However, the case does not tell whether any possible solutions could work, or why they could solve the problem.Often, the situation is complex, and several solutions could potentially solve the problem. Those who analyze the case must determine what the best solution is, and explain why it will work—or why it is the best of several solutions. The writer of the case may also ask one or more questions that must be analyzed and answered; these questions can help the analyst solve the case problem.How to solve the case:Kenneth Burke, a well known early 20th century analyst and theorist who studied the ways in which people persuade each other to believe carious ideas, developed the ―pentad‖—a five step method for analysis. He believed that asking WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY questions about a situation or idea could help the analyst understand why we believe as we do. His ideas can easily be applied to case analysis.By studying the case and asking WHO did or is dong what, WHAT is really going on in the situation, WHEN is the situation occurring (or when did it occur, or when will it occur),WHERE is the situation taking place, and WHY the situation is occurring, the analyst can determine the real reasons for any problems that may be occurring. The analyst can also determine the identity of the ―actors‖ who are doing things in the ―scene‖–plus heo; to determine the relative importance of various details to the case.Proving the solution will work:Once the analyst has determined what the problem really is and has carefully analyzed the various potential solutions, the analyst must select the best way to solve the case and explain WHY that solution will not only solve the problem, but why it is the best way to do so.Often, an analyst is tempted to simply tell what the solution is and then tell WHAT it will do. But, to really prove that the solution will work, the analyst must organize his/her solution so that he/she tells WHAT the solution is, and then gives ―cause-effect‖ reasons that demonstr4ate WHY the solution will solve the problem in the case. Critical thinking is very important in this proof, and answering the WHY question is very important.CASE ANALYSIS (1): Xiao Wang’s Housing ProblemXiao Wang graduated as a postgraduate this April. He is 32 years old. He has a seven-year-old son, who will go to primary school this summer. His wife is an English teacher working in a middle school in suburb of this city.Xiao Wang now works as a lecture in a university. Each month, his salary is 1300 Y uan RMB.He should have an apartment in the university, but unfortunately, the university is tearing down the old apartments and rebuilding new ones. So the apartment is limited and it’s impossible for him to find any apartment on campus. Where to live ? It’s a problem.His wife wants to purchase an apartment. But the price of an apartment is 2800 Y uan RMB/m2 in inner city, the price relatively lower in suburb. For example, in Chang An County. His wife thinks that they can buy a set of apartment in suburb, they can loan the money from banks. The total salary of the wife and husband is 2300 Y uan RMB. Each month, they take out 1300 Y uan RMB for expense and for the rest of the total salary, they can repay the loan, thus, in the future, they can have their own apartment. She even wants to find a part-time job in order to pay off the loan quickly and she thinks the air in suburb is fresh, the life is relaxed besides the low price. She does n’t like to rent a house, she wants their own house.Xiao Wang wants to rent a house to live, especially he likes to live near his university. Its’very convenient for him to go to work, and it is very convenient for their son to go to attached primary school of this university this summer. It’s a nightmare for a child to get up very early in the morning to go to school by bus. And living in inner city means colorful life, Xiao Wang enjoys city life, he doesn’t like suburb life---it’s like dead well. Besides his likes, he thinks purchasing an apartment is a great burden for them now,. He just graduated this April. They don’t have enough money to pay first installment, and He is at his critical point in his career. He hasn’t spare time to do part-time job. If his wife insists on doing part-time job, who will take up the responsibility of looking after their son? Living in inner city means high expenditure. So the budget 1300 Y uan RMB each month is not enough. And if they expend more, they can’t pay off the loan in time. So it’s impractical to buy their own apartment even in suburb.The couple fall in a dilemma, Could you help them to find a solutionCASE ANALYSIS (2): Wei Han`s Painting SaleWei Han is a well known and respected painter and calligrapher who lives within the ancient city of Xi`an with his wife and teenage son. He and his wife sell their paintings at a table on the artists` street inside the south gate, east of the small pagoda. In this area near the Forest of Steles Monument, there are many shops and tables selling souvenirs for tourists; there are also many other painters whose work is sold by shopkeepers, themselves, or friends. Some of the artists belong to families that have beautiful courtyards and gardens. During the 1940s and 1950s, however, many of these gardens were infilled with small dwellings that were rented to newcomers who had enough money to rent them at a high price because they were quite charming.Wei Han is such a productive and excellent painter that his work sells for very high prices, as much as 15,000 RMB per painting. But, one day, his wife decides that they should hold a painting sale by selling a lot of paintings at lower prices, such as 500 RMB, in order to raise a lot of money. She wants to buy back their garden, and to tear down the six small houses that are filling it. Wei`s wife found an old painting under a tile in her kitchen, and she recognized the scene as the original garden, dating back to about 1500. Ever since she found that painting, she has been obsessed with returning the garden to its original lovely, peaceful condition with trees, a fish pond, a small vegetable garden, and many flowers and bamboo plants surrounding quiet tables and benches where she can imagine herself painting. Currently, she paints on a makeshift table that she sets up on top of her son`s bed when she wants to paint, and she dislikes taking everything off the tablewhen it is bedtime.Her husband thinks that a painting sale is not such a good idea because he is afraid that he will lose money—or at least he believes that he may not earn as much money as he could make when he sells a few paintings or written poems each day. He also thinks that people may lose respect for him and his painting if he sells at bargain price, and he does not want to lose his good reputation. Plus, Wei currently earns 6,000 RMB per month from the rental of those houses in his garden when he rents to people who want to live inside the old city wall and can afford to pay high rent to live in such a charming old house. Also, Wei is accustomed to the old houses in the former garden and doesn`t see a need to remove them. His wife thinks that she can paint more beautiful pictures if she has such a wonderful garden in which to paint, so she believes that she can sell her paintings for more than her present 140-400 RMB per painting. Currently, Wei earns about 300,400 RMB per year; his wife earns about 15,000 RMB per year from their paintings and calligraphy; the rental payments increase their annual income to about 321,400 RMB. The son is in favor of the project because he believes that he will get a new and larger room; he is also selfish and knows that if the reconstruction occurs, the house he will inherit will be more valuable than it is as an infilled garden and crowded original house.To purchase the old houses in their garden will cost about 250,000 RMB, and to reconstruct the garden according to the old style seen in the painting found by the wife will cost about 140,000 RMB. If they have to move out of their house during the reconstruction ( it will cause a big mess), they must rent another house for about six months at a cost of 4,000 RMB per month, since they have many possessions and need a lot of room. Also, the bank does not want to lend them any money for such a project on such an old house and garden. The bank only wants to lend money to buy new houses or apartments, or to construct new buildings.PROBLEM: Wei Han and his wife have a dilemma. What should they do? Why is your solution to their dilemma the best possible way to resolve this problem?以上为样本案例（sample cases）, 仅供阅读参考，不做选择题目。

(1) 什么是Case Interview?一般来说，Case Interview主要针对咨询公司面试而言。

也有一些公司如Dell二面会用一些小case来考察面试者的应变能力、考虑问题的全面性以及逻辑分析能力。

咨询公司的Case Interview可以分成两个部分，一开始先是Warm-up。

在这一部分，你可能需要自我介绍，然后大致回答一下面试官针对简历以及个人选择提出的一些问题。

接下来才是真正的Case Interview。

简而言之，Case Interview就是现场对一个商业问题进行分析的面试。

但是和大多数其他面试不同，这是一个互动的过程。

你的面试官会给你提出一个Business Issue，并且会让你给出分析和意见。

而你的任务是向面试官有逻辑的提出一些问题以使得你能够对这个Business Issue有更全面，更细致的了解，并且通过系统的分析最后给出建议。

一般而言，Case Interview是没有绝对正确的答案的。

面试官看重的不是答案，而是从面试过程当中你表现出来的分析能力和创造力。

对于大学毕业，没有工作经验的学生来说，大多数情况下Case不会很难，也不会需要你对那个行业有系统的了解。

Case Interview一般是一对一的，一轮会有两个Case Interview，由两个不同的面试官来负责，每个Interview持续45分钟，包括10-15分钟的warm-up以及一些Behavior questions，剩下的30分钟就是讨论Case。

10-15分钟的Warm-up一般用英文，Case可能是英文，也有可能是中文，不同的公司以及不同的面试官对语言是有不同的偏好的。

(2) 为什么使用Case Interview?由于咨询师在工作上的不少时间都是在和客户以及同事进行相互的沟通，同时咨询工作本身的特点要求咨询师必须具备一系列的特质才能够成功。

这些特质包括：在压力之下保持冷静，对问题能够很快的根据细节建立假设，并且运用很强的逻辑分析能力来解决问题等等。

【海归招聘会】咨询公司面试的Case Study，这样做准能过●●●想从100个candidate中，脱颖而出？那么，你必须知道如何搞定面试的案例分析环节（Case Study）。

咨询公司和投资银行的申请人背景大同小异，真正起到筛选作用的是面试中案例分析环节。

过去三年，我曾在三家咨询公司干过，目前我们正在招收管培生项目。

这里是一些关于面试的建议。

●●●勤能补拙，请多加练习！事实上，没人有这方面的天资。

这是一门需要后天练习的学问。

一旦进入到分析员的角色里，公司会提供资源对这部分员工进行培训，让他们适应公司的研究方法论。

所以，在面试阶段，候选人必须展示对案例分析的基本认识和日后的发展潜力。

面试官希望看到你能够通过逻辑缜密和高效的方法解决问题。

面试之前，你必须熟谙申请公司官网的客户及其信息，竞品的信息也必须同时关注。

所有成功的候选人在之前都有练习，正是不断的练习让他们在面试中胸有成竹。

其实，最好的练习就是参与面试。

在面试中，无论是面试官的明示或是暗示，你都可以得到反馈和指导。

如果你得到了这样的讯号，那么就坦然地接受并作出改变，或者你也可以说明你的方法为什么更好。

你对问题的反应能力也是面试官考核的一个方面。

●●●建模是开始面试之前，你必须学习掌握所有分析问题的模板。

举个简单的例子，你必须知道怎样将成本拆分成可变成本和不可变成本，或是把收入拆解成定价和数量。

然后再尝试通过更加具体的方式，比如市场营销的4P模式来解决问题。

面试官希望你知道一些方法论或是商业模式，因为咨询公司天天都在使用它们。

这些方法论或是模式让你的思考更加有结构，帮助你更快的得到几个“相互独立，完全穷尽”（MECE）的选择来解决问题。

然而，面试过程中，千万别做以下两件事。

一，千万别解释你的模板或是使用的原因。

模板只是为了建构你的答案，毕竟客户只关注如何解决问题而不是解决问题所采用的模板。

所以把面试官当成你的客户吧！二、跳出惯性思维的圈子。

运用已知的模板解决未知的问题，这正是一流咨询公司引以为傲之处。

咨询Case方案框架1. 引言在进行咨询案例分析时，一个好的方案框架是十分重要的。

它可以帮助咨询顾问组织思路，确保咨询分析的全面性和逻辑性。

本篇文档将介绍一个通用的咨询Case方案框架，以帮助咨询顾问更好地进行案例分析。

2. 咨询Case的背景在本节中，我们将介绍咨询Case的背景信息。

这部分内容应该包括以下内容：•公司或组织的历史和背景•市场环境和竞争情况•问题或挑战的起因和重要性3. 目标和目的在本节中，我们将明确咨询Case的目标和目的。

这是解决问题的关键步骤，确保咨询顾问和委托方有共同的理解。

以下是一些问题可以帮助明确目标和目的：•委托方希望实现什么样的结果？•委托方对咨询顾问的期望是什么？•咨询顾问在解决这个问题上的角色是什么？4. 分析方法本节将介绍咨询Case的分析方法。

分析方法是咨询顾问分析问题和提出解决方案的基础。

以下是一些常用的分析方法：•SWOT分析：评估公司或组织的优势、劣势、机会和威胁。

•价值链分析：分析公司的主要业务活动，确定增值点和成本节约机会。

•PESTEL分析：评估宏观环境中的政治、经济、社会、技术、环境和法律因素对组织的影响。

5. 数据收集和分析本节将介绍数据收集和分析的过程。

数据的准确性和全面性对于咨询分析的质量非常重要。

以下是一些常用的数据收集和分析方法：•面谈：通过与公司内部的关键人员进行面谈，收集关于问题的详细信息。

•数据分析：对公司的财务报表、市场数据和竞争对手的情况进行分析。

•文献研究：通过阅读相关的研究报告和文献，获取对行业和问题的更深入的理解。

6. 解决方案本节将提出解决方案。

解决方案应该基于咨询顾问的分析结果和委托方的目标和期望。

以下是一些常见的解决方案类型：•组织优化：通过重组公司的业务和资源配置，提高效率和增加市场竞争力。

•业务发展：通过开发新的产品或市场，实现组织增长和市场份额的增加。

•流程改进：通过改进内部流程和操作，提高工作效率和质量。

Case interview分析工具/框架来源：张旭的日志最近在准备CASE INTERVIEW，刚接触这个，对里面涉及到的FRAMEWORK和STRATEGY非常不熟悉，偶获珍宝，与诸君共享。

顺便攒RP！！案例面试分析工具/框架一．Business Strategy1．市场进入类●行业分析（波特5力，市场趋势，市场规模，市场份额，市场壁垒等）●公司宏观环境（人口，经济，自然，技术，政治），公司微观环境（公司，供应商，市场中介，顾客，竞争对手，大众）●3C（Competitor, Consumer, Company/Capabilities）●Cost-revenue固定成本，可变成本收入怎么计算？时间序列估计，可比公司估计●市场细分很重要，niche marketA.地理细分B.人口细分（年龄及生命周期阶段细分，性别细分，收入细分）C.心理细分（社会阶层，生活方式，个性特征）D.行为细分（购买时机-柯达，利益细分-牙膏，用户状况，使用率，忠诚度）2．行业分析类●市场（市场规模，市场细分，产品需求/趋势分析，客户需求）●竞争（竞争对手的经济情况，产品差异化，市场整合度，产业集中度）●顾客/供应商关系（谈判能力，替代者，评估垂直整合）●进入/离开的障碍（评估公司进入/离开。

对新加入者的反应，经济规模，预测学习曲线，研究政府调控）●资金金融（主要金融资金来源，产业风险因素，可变成本/固定成本）●风险预测与防范3．新产品引入类●营销调研●产品？价格？即4P●4C (Customer, Competition, Cost, Capabilities)●市场促销，分校渠道（渠道选择，库存，运输，仓储）●STP和4P（Product, Price, Place, Promotion）●产品生命周期二．Business Operation1．市场容量扩张（竞争对手，消费者，自己实力）2．利润改善型●Revenue, Cost分析，到底是销售额下降造成，还是成本上升造成●如果销售额下降，看4P了（是价格过高？产品质量问题？分校渠道问题？还是promotion的efficacy有问题？）●如果成本上升，看固定成本or可变成本是否有问题？（固定成本过高，设备是否老化，需要关闭生产线、厂房，降低管理者工资等，可变成本过高，看原材料价格是否上升，有没有降低的可能，switch suppliers? 还是人员工资过高，需要裁员等）●成本结构是否合理，产能利用率如何（闲置率）3.推销任何一种产品/服务●4P，3c4.定价●以成本为基础的定价成本加成定价，以目标利润（盈亏平衡定价）●以价值为基础定价●以竞争为基础定价三．Market Sizing/Estimation●市场趋势，市场规模，市场份额，市场壁垒等●市场集中度●市场驱动因素（价格，服务，质量，外观）●关键成功要素KSF四．M&A类●整合原因（synergy, scale, management impulse, Taxconsideration, Diversification, Breakup Value）●5C（Character, Capacity, Capital, Conditions, Competitive Advantage）●类型：horizontal, vertical, congeneric, conglomerate●估值方法：DFC，Market Multiple( EBITDA，P/E，P/B)●DFC：Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement，Discount Rate●Hostile VS Friendly takeovers所有咨询公司面试可能用到的分析结构Advanced concepts & frameworksMBAs and other candidates with business background, take note - interviewers will expect you to have a more detailed take on your case than an undergrad uate would have. Here are some commonly used case concepts.Net present valuePerhaps the most important type of decision company managers must make o n a daily basis is whether to undertake a proposed investment. For example, should the company buy a certain piece of equipment? Build a particular facto ry? Invest in a new project? These types of decisions are called capital budget ing decisions. The consultant makes such decisions by calculating the net pres ent value of each proposed investment and making only those investments tha t have positive net present values.Example: Hernandez is the CFO of Western Manufacturing Corp., an automobil e manufacturer. The company is considering opening a new factory in Ohio th at will require an initial investment of $1 million. The company forecasts that t he factory will generate after-tax cash flows of $100,000 in Year 1, $200,000 in Year 2, $400,000 in Year 3, and $400,000 in Year 4. At the end of Year 4, the company would then sell the factory for $200,000. The company uses a discount rate of 12 percent. Hernandez must determine whether the company should go ahead and build the factory. To make this decision, Hernandez must calculate the net present value of the investment. The cash flows associated with the factory are as follows:Hernandez then calculates the NPV of the factory as follows:Since the factory has a negative net present value, Hernandez correctly decide s that the factory should not be built.The net present value ruleNote from the example above that once the consultant has figured out the NP V of a proposed investment, she then decides whether to undertake the invest ment by applying the net present value rule:Make only those investments that have a positive net present value.As long as the consultant follows this rule, she can be confident that each inv estment is making a positive net contribution to the company.The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)In the above example, we assumed a given discount rate. However, part of a consultant's job is to determine an appropriate discount rate (r) to use when c alculating net present values. The discount rate may vary depending on the in vestment.BetaThe first step in arriving at an appropriate discount rate for a given investmen t is determining the investments riskiness. The market risk of an investment is measured by its "beta" (?), which measures riskiness when compared to the market as a whole. An investment with a beta of 1 has the same riskiness a s the market as a whole (so, for example, when the market moves down 10 percent, the value of the investment will on average fall 10 percent as well). An investment with beta of 2 will be twice as risky as the market (so when th e market falls 10 percent, the value of the investment will on average fall 20 percent).CAPMOnce the consultant has determined the beta of a proposed investment, he ca n use the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to calculate the appropriate disc ount rate (r):The risk-free rate of return is the return the company could receive by makin g a risk-free investment (for example, by investing in U.S. Treasury bills). The market rate of return is the return the company could receive by investing in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks (for example, S&P 500).Example: Shen, Inc., a coal producer, is considering investing in a new ventur e that would manufacture and market carbon filters. Shen's chief financial offic er, Apelbaum, wants to calculate the NPV of the proposed venture in order to determine whether the company should make the investment. After studying t he riskiness of the proposed venture, Apelbaum determines that the beta of th e investment is 1.5. A U.S. Treasury note of comparable maturity currently yie lds 7 percent, while the return on the S&P 500 stock index is 12 percent. The refore, the discount rate Apelbaum will use when calculating the NPV of the in vestment will be:Although this is an overly simplified discussion of how consultants calculate dis count rate to use in their cash-flow analysis, it does give you an overview of how consultants incorporate the notion of an investment's market to select the appropriate discount rate.Porter's Five ForcesDeveloped by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter in his book Co mpetitive Strategy, the Porter's Five Forces framework helps determine the att ractiveness of an industry. Before any company expands into new markets, di vests product lines, acquires new businesses, or sells divisions, it should ask it self, "Is the industry we're entering or exiting attractive?" By using Porter's Fi ve Forces, a company can begin to develop a thoughtful answer. Consultants f requently utilize Porter's Five Forces as a starting point to help companies eval uate industry attractiveness.Take, for example, entry into the copy store market (like Kinko's). How attract ive is the copy store market?Potential entrants: What is the threat of new entrants into the market? Copy s tores are not very expensive to open - you can conceivably open a copy store with one copier and one employee. Therefore, barriers to entry are low, so th ere's a high risk of potential new entrants.Buyer power: How much bargaining power do buyers have? Copy store custo mers are relatively price sensitive. Between the choice of a copy store that ch arges 5 cents a copy and a store that charges 6 cents a copy, buyers will usu ally head for the cheaper store. Because copy stores are common, buyers hav e the leverage to bargain with copy store owners on large print jobs, threateni ng to take their business elsewhere. The only mitigating factors are location a nd hours. On the other hand, price is not the only factor. Copy stores that ar e willing to stay open 24 hours may be able to charge a premium, and custo mers may simply patronize the copy store closest to them if other locations ar e relatively inconvenient.Supplier power: How much bargaining power do suppliers have? While paper p rices may be on the rise, copier prices continue to fall. The skill level employe es need to operate a copy shop (for basic services, like copying, collating, etc.) are relatively low as well, meaning that employees will have little bargaining power. Suppliers in this situation have low bargaining power.Threat of substitutes: What is the risk of substitution? For basic copying jobs, more people now possess color printers at home. Additionally, fax machines h ave the capability to fulfill copy functions as well. Large companies will normal ly have their own copying facilities. However, for large-scale projects, most in dividuals and employees at small companies will still use the services of a cop y shop. The Internet is a potential threat to copy stores as well, because som e documents that formerly would be distributed in hard copy will now be post ed on the Web or sent through e-mail. However, for the time being, there is s till relatively strong demand for copy store services.Competition: Competition within the industry appears to be intense. Stores oft en compete on price, and are willing to "underbid" one another to win printing contracts. Stores continue to add new features to compete as well, such as e xpanding hours to 24-hour service and offering free delivery.From this analysis, you can ascertain that copy stores are something of a com modity market. Consumers are very price-sensitive, copy stores are inexpensiv e to set up, and the market is relatively easily entered by competitors. Advan ces in technology may reduce the size of the copy store market. Value-added services, such as late hours, convenient locations, or additional services such as creating calendars or stickers, may help copy stores differentiate themselve s. But overall, the copy store industry does not appear to be an attractive one.As dot-coms come under fire, one case question we've heard increasingly is " How would you create barriers to entry as an Internet Startup?"Product life cycle curveIf you're considering a product case, figure out how "mature" your product or service isStrategy tool/framework chartHere's one way to think about the choice between being the lowest-cost provi der or carving out a higher-end market niche - what consultants call differenti ation.The Four PsThis is a useful framework for evaluating marketing cases. It can be applied t o both products and services. The Four Ps consist of:PriceThe price a firm sets for its product/service can be a strategic advantage. For example, it can be predatory (set very low to undercut the competition), or it can be set slightly above market average to convey a "premium" image. Consi der how pricing is being used in the context of the case presented to you. ProductThe product (or service) may provide strategic advantage if it is the only prod uct/service that satisfies a particular intersection of customer needs. Or it may simply be an extension of already existing products, and therefore not much of a benefit. Try to tease out the value of the product in the marketplace bas ed on the case details you have been given.Position/PlaceThe physical location of a product/service can provide an advantage if it is sup erior to its competition, if it is easier or more convenient for people to consu me, or if it makes the consumer more aware of the product/service over its c ompetition. In the context of a business case, you may want to determine the placement of the product or service compared to its competition.PromotionWith so much noise in today's consumer (and business to business) marketpla ce, it is difficult for any one product/service to stand out in a category. Promo tional activity (including advertising, discounting to consumers and suppliers, c elebrity appearances, etc.) can be used to create or maintain consumer aware ness, open new markets, or target a specific competitor. You may want to sug gest a promotional strategy in the context of the case you are presented relati ve to the promotional activity of other competing products/services.The Four CsThe Four Cs are especially useful for analyzing new product introductions and for industry analysis.CustomersHow is the market segmented?What are the purchase criteria that customers use?CompetitionWhat is the market share of the clients?What is its market position?What is its strategy?What is its cost position?Does he/she have any market advantages?CostWhat kind of economies of scale does the client have?What is the client's experience curve?Will increased production lower cost?CapabilitiesWhat resources can the client draw from?How is the client organized?What is the production system?The Five CsThis framework is mostly applied to financial cases and to companies (althoug h it can be applied to individuals). You may employ it in other situations if yo u think it is appropriate.CharacterEvaluate the dedication, track record, and overall consumer perception of the company. Are there any legal actions pending against the company? If so, for what reason? Is the company progressive about its waste disposal, quality of l ife for its employees, and charitable contributions? What sort of impact would this have on the case you are evaluating?CapacityIf you are dealing with a manufacturing entity, are its factories at, above, or below capacity, and for what reasons? Are there plans to add new plants, imp rove the technology in existing plants, or close underperforming plants? What about production overseas?CapitalWhat is the company's cost of capital relative to its competitors? How healthy are its cash flows, revenues, and debt load relative to its competition? ConditionsWhat is the current business climate the company (and its industry) faces? W hat is the short- and long-term growth potential in the industry? How is the market characterized? Is it emerging or mature? These questions can assist yo u in evaluating the facts of the case against the environment that the compan y/industry inhabits.Competitive AdvantageThis is the unique edge a company possesses over its competitors. It can bean unparalleled set of business processes, the ability to produce a product/ser vice at a lower cost, charge a market premium, or any number of other asset s that create an advantage over other market players. Whatever the case, the se advantages are usually defensible and not easily copied.In evaluating business cases using the Five Cs framework, you should look for those unique qualities that a company possesses and identify any that meet t he criteria mentioned above. You may suggest that the company leverage its competitive advantage more aggressively or recommend alternatives if that co mpany has no discernible advantage.Value Chain AnalysisThis approach involves assessing a company's overall business processes and i dentifying where that company actually adds value to a product or service. Th e total margin of profit will be the value of the product or service to buyers, l ess the cost of its production, as determined by the value chain.In most cases, a competitive advantage is only temporary for many of today's products/services. Being first to market, having a unique formula or configura tion, or having exclusivity in a market were once long-term defensible strategi es. But today, businesses are globally connected by lightning-fast communicati ons and knowledge-sharing systems and manufacturing technologies are gettin g better and faster at reacting to and anticipating market conditions. Thus the se advantages are only fleeting or may not exist at all.Value Chain Analysis attempts to identify a competitive advantage by deconstr ucting the various "changes" a company's business processes perform on a set of raw materials or other inputs. Most can be easily copied by other competit ors, but there is usually a unique subset that represents the "value-added" qu alities only the company under scrutiny possesses. This set is that company's competitive advantage, or "value chain." Sometimes this set can be copied, bu t a unique set of circumstances may still allow the company in question to per form them at a lower cost, charge a premium in the market, or retain higher market share than its competitors.In the context of a business case, you can use this framework to identify a co mpany's overall business processes set and then determine if one or more of t he processes are defensible competitive advantages.For example, a manufacturer of fruit juice might have the following value chai n elements:•Research and development (Will mango really taste good with cloudberry juic e?)•Cost of goods sold (How much does it cost to manufacture the fruit juice? Is there a frost in Florida that drives up the costs of oranges? Is the currency c risis in Indonesia making papaya very cheap? Are per-volume purchases lower than, for example, those of Tropicana?)•Packaging and shipping (How much does that new banana-shaped container c ost? Are many bottles lost in transit? What are the fixed costs of shipping?)•Manufacturing (How much do those juice pulpers cost? How often do factories need to be reengineered?)•Labor (How many employees do we have? Where are they located? Are they unionized?)•Distribution(Where are the distribution centers? Where are the products distri buted?)•Advertising (Billboards, TV, magazines?)•Margin (How profitable is the juice company?)For more detailed information on this type of analysis, you may want to consi der the authoritative text on competitive strategy: Competitive Strategy: Tech niques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, by Michael E. Porter.Core competencies"Core competencies" is the idea that each firm has a limited number of things it is very good at (that is, its core competence or competencies).When restructuring or reengineering, one of the starting points for a company should be identifying its core competencies. A firm should define its core com petencies broadly in order to be flexible enough to adapt to changes in the m arketplace. (For instance, when Xerox defined itself as a "document company," rather than a maker of copy machines, it was able to take advantage of the more lucrative business of document handling and outsourcing for major corpo rations, as well as of the market for fax machines, scanners, and other docum ent-handling equipment.)Companies should seriously consider selling/spinning off business units that ar e not part of their "core" business. For instance, Pepsi recently spun off its re staurant operations after it concluded that its expertise was in manufacturing and marketing beverages, not in managing restaurants.Benchmarking and "best practices"A commonly used concept in consulting (especially in operations and implemen tation engagements) is "benchmarking." Benchmarking basically means researc hing what other companies in the industry are doing (usually in order to evalu ate whether your client is operating efficiently or to identify areas where the c lient can cut costs). For example, if a mail-order company wants to reduce its order-processing costs, it would want to compare its order processing costs w ith those of other mail-order companies, breaking down its costs for each part of the process (including order-taking and shipping) and comparing them with industry averages. It can then pinpoint those areas where its costs are higher than average for the industry.A related concept is "best practices": once you've benchmarked what other co mpanies are doing, you want to focus on those companies that have particular low costs or which otherwise operate particularly well. What are they doing ri ght (i.e., what are their "best practices")? And how can our client (in the case) emulate or copy what they're doing? Remember to look outside your client'sparticular industry, if necessary, to find the best practices for a particular proc ess or operation.The 2x2 matrixThe 2x2 matrix is a good framework to use any time you have two factors th at, when combined, yield different outcomes. A very rudimentary example wou ld be what happens when you turn on your bathroom faucets, as follows:A more business-appropriate example would involve acquiring a company. Let? s say a company is interested in understanding the difficulty of acquiring or b uilding a distribution center and it is considering financing this decision with ei ther stock or debt. The potential outcomes might look like this:The BCG MatrixThe BCG Matrix, named after the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), is perhaps t he most famous 2x2 matrix. The matrix measures a company's relative marke t share on the horizontal axis and its growth rate on the vertical axis.M&A cases: Determining the value of an acquisitionCase interviews aren't just for consultants. Mergers & acquisition cases are wil dly popular at investment banks. Here's how to analyze a potential acquisition.Value Drivers (M&A) FrameworkIn order to understand value, we need to understand the three primary value drivers:The value components can be further broken out into specific "value drivers":M&A Cases: Data Gathering and AnalysisMarket Analysis Tools• Competitive position framework• Relative value versus competitors to customer through supply chain• Product life cycle• Supply and demand analysis- Industry capacity- Industry utilization- Demand drivers- Regressions• Segmentation analysis• Porter's Five Forces• Experience curves• Trends and outlook• Key success factorsTarget Analysis Tools• Business system - comparison with competitors• Market share (over time and by segment)• Capacity (growth and utilization of)• Customer's key purchase criteria and relative performance• Financial history• Sales and profitability by segment• Cash flow analysis• Margin and expense structure• Relative cost position• Cost benchmarkingYour data gathering strategy will vary depending on industry:A framework cautionAll the frameworks detailed above are widely used, and most U.S. business sc hools teach them as part of their core curriculums. Your interviewers will insta ntly recognize when you are applying them, since they are already familiar wit h the techniques. While this is OK, consider that you are trying to demonstrat e your unique analytical and deductive reasoning skills that set you apart from other candidates. You must be creative and original in analyzing case questio ns. Use these frameworks sparingly. (Another note: No interviewer will be imp ressed if you proudly proclaim, "I'm going to apply Porters Five Forces now." Apply frameworks without identifying them.)。

case interview基本上是所有咨询公司在面试当中都会采用的一种面试形式，除了笔试、网申和群面，还有pre-talk这种不是非常典型的面试之外，然后很多咨询面试都是用behavior interview加上case interview这两个部分组成的，所以我们今天主要是讲下case interview。

case interview 就是在我们目前所面试的常态当中主要有五种类型：第一种是market sizing，第二种是profitability，第三种是market entry，第四种是M&A，然后第五种是pricing，就是这五种case是最主要的五种case interview类型。

第一种market sizing，比较会常见用在pre-talk，或者说是前面的面试，后面的大case可能就会可能嵌套一个sizing，但sizing不会在作为一个case的主体来面你。

然后sizing就是基本上什么都可以sizing，比如非常典型case，就是问你中国一年的啤酒销量有多少？或者说中国一年的奶粉销量有多少？还有一些不是那么典型的sizing可能会问，比如问你，上海市目前九点钟道路上一共有多少辆车？或者让你估一下上海一共有多少辆出租车在跑？就说这些问题可能都是非常比较常见的一些sizing，如果有兴趣的话可以自己想一想自己到底要去怎么估。

Sizing我简单讲一下，做它的最重要的一个思想就是分类。

比如说你估中国奶粉销量有多少，你肯定要分为婴幼儿奶粉和成人奶粉。

然后婴幼儿奶粉再在那里面细分，最后分到一个可以进行计算的细分领域就OK了。

然后这个profitability呢，可以说是case里面最为常见的一个case。

因为其实咨询公司很多情况下，客户抛给他们的问题也就是你帮我看一下，我们这个公司最近利润下滑了，怎么回事？然后你应该做些什么，采取哪些措施，让我们的利润重新上升。

profit为什么下降的要点就在于是profit是由哪两个部分组成？第一个是revenue，第二个是cost。

Case Interview In Point—通往咨询的必经之路前序咨询行业属于出租头脑的行业，咨询顾问赚钱的方式就是针对客户给定的问题，综合大量不相关的数据资料，去粗取精，去伪存真，构思解决方案，当着公司高层的面，提出既合情合理又富有创意的设想。

其实这也是为什么咨询公司特别重视进行案例分析面试的原因，他们想借此机会来判断candidate的逻辑思维能力和说服能力，basically, 案例面试无异于扮演咨询顾问角色的一次练习。

想必各位对于去年teclast的那篇《Looking Beyond the Case Interview》还意犹未尽，那么我希望我这篇文章能让各位再次加深对于咨询以及case interview的理解，并有所突破。

记得我是从大三下开始认识和熟悉管理咨询行业的（比起现在的大一大二学生真是惭愧了），当年读了《麦肯锡方法》、《麦肯锡意识》后，对于咨询工作产生了强烈的兴趣和向往。

作为一个非经管专业的学生，我知道要踏入这一行，需要比别人付出更多，经历了两年多的历练、磨练、锤炼，终于修成正果。

要想进咨询公司，就必须过案例面试这一关；要过案例面试这一关，就必须知道如何进行准备和如何表现自己，必须知道面试官希望在你身上看到哪些素质，你也需要知道有哪些类型的案例问题，然后还要知道有一些怎样的思维框架，也就是我们俗称的framework。

所以仅以此文和有志于往咨询业发展的兄弟姐妹分享我的个人经验（有一些经验我在去年5月爱因斯特组织的牛人经验介绍会上已经share过了），此文和《Looking Beyond the Case Interview》不同的是，此文还是主要focus在case interview上，全文纯属个人意见，不足或遗漏之处望补正。

第一部分. 认识咨询，认识自我第一部分我觉得还是老规矩，先谈谈Why consulting? Why hires you? 这两个问题。

比如你今天去Bain参加一面，面试官肯定会问你为什么选择咨询，为什么选择贝恩，我们为什么要聘用你？这是需要首先解决的问题。