【正文】 20xx Accenture All Rights Reserved. 22 Practice Cases: “The Great Unknown” Sample Cases ? A major furniture retailer has experienced declining profits for four quarters, yet over that same time period, it has experienced a 25% growth in sales and has opened many new stores. Why are profits declining? ? A fast food pany is thinking about putting a franchise in an airport. They hire you to see if they should do so. ? A bread division of a large food pany is facing increasing petition in its market and wants to know if it should exit the market. ? A car pany is interested in developing a new car. What marketing related issues should it consider before doing so? ? What factors influence the revenue potential of a new pharmaceutical product? ? Citibank is considering purchasing another credit card pany. If the acquisition is made, Citibank will gain access to 100,000 new card holders. What is the estimated value of this acquisition? ? A mercial bank is reevaluating the number of branches it operates, and whether they should increase the number of branches or close some down. How would you suggest they go about it? ? A large conglomerate pany is facing declining profits in its railroad pany division and is considering shutting it down. You have been hired to determine if this is the right course of action and identify potential alternatives. ? New York City has hired you to determine what optimal route or what destination taxi drivers should go to when they do not have a customer. 31 169。 20xx Accenture All Rights Reserved. ? The interview process we have outlined will help you structure your thinking and the ―types‖ of cases we have suggested will help you orient yourself to the different way in which information may be presented. ? In addition, the types of business issues and corresponding solution frameworks provided on the preceding page will help you determine how to analyze the situations given. ? Remember, there will always be multiple methodologies and frameworks that can be used successfully to approach a solution and you will work more effectively if you choose a framework you are fortable with. Building and Refining Skills ? One of the best ways to prepare for case interviews is by practicing them. Some suggestions for sharpening skills include: – Rehearse before your first interview – Think through potential types of business problems and applicable frameworks – Practice cases with friends alternating between various styles and cases – Refine your skills throughout the recruiting process Putting it Together 169。 20xx Accenture All Rights Reserved. Sample Frameworks and Applications 27 169。 20xx Accenture All Rights Reserved. ―The Back of the Envelope‖ questions are very different from other types of cases in that they are primarily numerically driven. You will be asked to estimate the number of some everyday item in society. The interviewer is not looking for a random guess, but rather a structured thought process to get to a numerical answer. These types of questions not only test your fort level with numbers, but also force you to create your own framework to develop a numerical answer. There are often several different ways to approach these problems, and all of them are correct as long as they are internally consistent and holistically structured to arrive at a logical answer. ? Problem Understanding: – Rather than asking probing questions, take a moment to think about the steps you would need to take to get to an answer. What assumptions will you have to make along the way? ? Framework Development and Numerical Analysis: – Walk the interviewer stepbystep through your framework, calculating the numbers for him as you go. You will need to begin with some assumption about the population (of people, objects, etc.) and will need to make other assumptions at certain points throughout the case. Don’t be afraid to make too many assumptions, but be certain that they are needed and that you can explain why you are making that assumption. Often, you will hit a ―dead end‖ in your thinking. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know how to proceed, you should back up several steps in your analysis (make sure you municate this to the interviewer) and pursue an alternative path. “The Back of the Envelope” Cases 25 169。 20xx Accenture All Rights Reserved. “The Parade of Facts” Case Example Interview Example: ? Client is a leading food pany that wants to develop a fresh prepared meal business ? Trend among consumers is toward fresher food with no artificial preservatives or coloring ? Consumers are currently purchasing $ billion of frozen meals trend is toward more upscale products ? A fresh meal plate bining a protein, vegetable and starch is delicately arranged in a sealed plastic dome package ? Nitrogen gas flushing is used to extend shelf life ? Product is currently in limited consumer test at $ to $ per meal ? Shelf life of product is 14 days product will spoil in 21 days potentially causing food poisoning ? Client wants to know if they can make money in this business ? Client wants to know if the market is big how will they keep petition out ? Client wants a consultant to assist in building business case 23 169。 20xx Accenture All Rights Reserv