CasebookChicago.docx

CasebookChicago.docx

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CasebookChicago

TheUniversityofChicago

GraduateSchoolofBusiness

ManagementConsultingGroupCasebookSupplement

SupplementofAdditionalCasesandGuidesforthe2000-2001SchoolYear

TheUniversityofChicagoGSB

ManagementConsultingGroup2000-2001

1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000bytheUniversityofChicagoGraduateSchoolofBusinessManagementConsultingGroup,Chicago,IL.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

Note:

Thisisasupplementtocurrent2ndYearStudentsfromtheprioryeartosupplementtheadditionalcasesandliteratureaddedinthisyear’scasebook.

TheinformationincludedfromPages1-16areguidestoapproachingcasesthatmightbeofuse,butwereprimarilywrittenforfirst-yearstudentsorthosethatareunfamiliarwiththecaseinterviewexperience.StartingfromPage17arethenewcasesthathavebeenincludedinthisyear’scasebook.

Againwewouldliketothankthosememberswhohelpedcontributetothelistofnewcasesinthebook.

Introduction

WHATISCASEINTERVIEWING

Caseinterviewingisthepreferredformofconsultingfirmstoscreencandidates.Thereasonforthisisthatconsultingfirmsdependonemployingflexibleanddynamicpeoplewhoareabletointeractextensivelywithcolleaguesandclientsinvariedenvironments.Thecaseinterviewisanefficient,butimperfectwaytoquicklyevaluatecandidatesfortheirabilitiesincludinganalyticalskills,knowledge,leadership,andcommunication.

Manytimesthecaseyouwillbegivenisfromtheactualexperienceofyourrecruiterandmaysometimesbetheverycasetheyarethemselvesworkingonatthetime.Donotexpectthatthereisananswertoeverycasethatyoureceiveasyouareevaluatedforyourabilitytodeterminethekeyfactorsinfluencingthesituationyouaregiven.Sometimesyoumaybeaskedtodevelopapotentialsolution,butinmanycasesyouonlyhavetimetoevaluateandidentifykeyareasthatinfluencetheproblem.

Thecasesyoureceivemaybeverydifferentfromthoseoftheothercandidatesduetoyourpersonalbackgroundandexperience.Ifyourbackgroundisperceivedtobeweakinonearea,althoughyoureceivethesamecaseasanothercandidate,theinterviewermaytryandevaluateyourabilityinthatskill.

Rememberthecaseinterview’spurposeistoevaluateyourabilitiesasaconsultantandnotaconfrontativeinterrogation.

HOWTOGETTHEMOSTOUTOFTHEMCGCASEBOOK

TheManagementConsultingGroupCasebookisoneoftheresourcesthatyoufindavailabletoyouhereattheGSB.InordertoprepareyoufortheupcomingrecruitingseasonyoushoulduseitinconjunctionwiththeotherresourcesofferedbytheMCG,CareerServices,andthefirmsthemselves.TheMCGResourceGuidetouchesonmanyoftheseavailableresourcesandprovidesasampletimetableofwhattodoonyourroadtotheConsultingCaseInterview.AttendingcaseworkshopsandothereventssponsoredbytheManagementConsultingGroupareintendedtosupplementtheinformationintheCasebook.

Tobestutilizethiscasebook,werecommendthatyouusethesecasesinpracticingwithotherstudentsbetheyfirstorsecondyears.TherearemanyotherexternalresourcesavailablethatwillhelpyoustartpracticingonyourownincludingofferingsbyVaultReportsandWetFeetPress.TheseofferingscanbefoundintheCareerResourceCenteratEdelstoneandissuggestedasanexcellentmeanstostartpracticingonyourownandbecomefamiliarwithcaseinterviews.Unfortunatelythecasesincludedinthesebookswerenotasusefulforgrouppracticing,whichisviewedasthemosteffectivemethodtopreparingforcaseinterviewingbypriorstudents.

what’snewinthemanagementconsultinggroup

TheManagementConsultingGroup’sWebpagehasbeenupdatedconsiderableoverthispastsummerandshouldbeagoodresourceforlinkstootherresources.ThesitewillbeupdatedregularlytoprovideyouwiththemostuptodatecalendarofeventssponsoredbytheManagementConsultingGrouporeventsthatrelatetoconsultingattheGSB.

TheMCGsitewillalsobeusedthisyeartoallowforcontinuousimprovementstotheCasebookandResourceGuides.Astheseguidesareprintedonpaperduringthesummer,manychangesinconsultingmaynotbecaptured.TobetterprepareyouforthesechangesbetheyinCasesorwithintheindustry,supplementswillbeavailablefordownloadifthesebecomenecessary.

TheManagementConsultingGroupwillalsobesponsoringafalllunchtimeseries,whichwillpresentmanyframeworksthatmaybeusefulinpreparationforcaseinterviewing.SelectedGSBProfessorsorinvitedConsultantswillpresentthesesessions.

Acknowledgments

The2000-2001MCGCo-Chairswishtothankthefollowingorganizationsandindividualsfortheirassistanceandsupport:

∙PastMCGCo-Chairswhohelpedcompilemanyofthecasescurrentlyincluded

∙OfficeofCareerServicesfortheirsupportandassistance

∙OfficeofStudentAffairsforhelpingtomakelifealoteasierincoordinatingallthelogisticsnecessarytooperatetheMCG

∙CurrentandpastManagementConsultingGroupmemberswhocontributedtothecollectionofcasesinthisbook

Sincerely,

TheManagementConsultingGroupCo-Chairsfor2000-2001

AlbertChowBradLibbyMarkGaffin

TripMeredithScottRockfeldAndyRojeski

Beforeyoustartreading...

Pleaseunderstandthatthisresourceguideisbasedontheopinionsandinsights

ofthepastandpresentManagementConsultingGroupCo-Chairs.

Responsibilityforanyerrors,factualorotherwise,

restswiththeManagementConsultingGroupandnotwithothercontributors.

IntroductiontoCaseInterviews

Formatofthecaseinterview

Asstatedearlierthecaseinterviewisthemostlikelyformofevaluationyouwillencounterduringyourinterviewswithconsultingfirms.Whilepreparingfortheinterviewsyouwillencountermanydifferentopinionsonthecaseinterview.Somestoriesyoumayhearmaymakeitappeartobeanelaborateformoftorturetoapieceofcake.Butaswithmostthingsitissomewhereinbetweenandwillbeeasierwithpractice.Againthegreatestcommentinhindsightbythosewhohavegonebeforeyouisthattheywishedtheyhadpracticedsomemore.

Astandard30-minutecaseinterviewformatcanbebrokendownasfollows:

1.Greetings/Introductions（1-2minutes）

2.PersonalQuestions–Oftenfocusingonyourresumeorthingsyouhavedoneandwereofinteresttotheinterviewer,makesureyouhaveyourstorydown!

（5-10minutes）

3.TheCaseInterview–Nowcomesthefunpart!

（10-20minutes）

4.Wrap-upquestions–Askoneortwoquestionsthatyouwouldliketoknowaboutthefirmandisalsoagoodtimetoaskwhatthenextstepisandtheirbusinesscard（1-5minutes）

Itisimportanttorememberthateachinterviewisdifferentastherehavebeencaseswhereduringthecourseofaninterviewnocasewaseverasked!

Inadditionsometimesyourbackgroundisspunintoapseudo-casewheretheywillaskpertinentquestionstobetterevaluateyou.Ofcourseontheotherhand,therehavebeeninterviewswhereyouhitthecasethesecondyousitdown.

Ofteninterviewswillcomeinpairs,soyoumaygetacasefromoneinterviewerandthenreceivenonefromthesecond.Alsodonotbeintimidatedasyouwillmaybeinterviewedbysomeveryseniorpartnersofafirm.Thisisnotintendedtoputpressureonyou,butgivesyouanideahowimportanttheseinterviewsaretothefutureofthefirmaswell.

We’veallbeenthroughinterviews,youwentthroughonetogetintotheGSBandweresuccessful.Sodon’tbuttoomuchpressureonyourself.

PREPARINGFORTHEINTERVIEW

Althoughthisguideisprimarilyintendedforpreparationforthecases,itisvitalthatyoualsoknowyourownstoryfromyourresume.Thisreflectstheimportanceofyourresumeontheinterview,sopleasetakeyourtimeinthinkingthroughwhatyouwanttoputtopaper.AsithasbeenfoundthatthefirmsusuallyonlylookatthefirstoneyousubmitasitistheonethatmakestheofficialresumebookthatisputoutbyCareerServices.Youmaybringanewonetotheinterview,butyourinterviewerwillmostlikelyhavealreadyreadyourresumefromtheresumebookandnotedcomments.

Westronglyrecommendthatyoualsotakeadvantageofresumereadingactivitieswherecareerservices,alumni,andsecondyearswilllookoveryourresumeandcomment.TheMCGwillbeholdingaresumereadingserviceformembersinOctoberaswell.

ButknowingyourstoryisveryimportantastheGSBhasareputationforbeingtoogearedintothecaseandnotbeingverypolishedontheirownbackgroundorstory.Thusitisimportanttonotneglectthisaspectoftheinterview,asstatedabovetherearesomeinterviewswherethecasewillNOTappearandwillfocusthespotlightdirectlyonyou!

SowhenpracticingforCases,itishighlyrecommendedtoworkinanofficialstyleinterviewwhereyougreet,talkaboutyourbackground,andthenhitthecase.TherewillbeopportunitiestopracticeaswellthroughMockInterviewssponsoredbyCareerServicesandothersincludingtheMCG.Forfirst-yearstudentsthiseffortwillspeedupattheconclusionofsecond-yearrecruiting.

Asyoubeginpracticingcasesitisalsoveryusefultoseektheassistanceofasecond-yearorotherindividualwhohasgonethroughtheprocess.Thiswillbetterprepareyouforwhattoexpectfromtheinterviewasitisnaturallyhardtopracticeforsomethingyou’veneverexperiencedfirsthand.

PracticingCases

PRACTICINGTHECASE

Althoughitisobviousthateverybusinessstudentmustdevotetimeandefforttopracticingthecaseinterview,itislessobvious