咨询公司面试案例分析指南_咨询面试系列（2）：a[1]

Firm:A.T.KearneyCaseNumber:Casesetup(factsofferedbyinterviewer):YourclientisamanufacturerofbicyclesTheyhavebeeninbusinessfor25yearsTheymanufacturerandsellthreecategoriesofbicycles:Racingbikes:Highend,highperformancebikesforsophisticatedcyclistsMainstreambikes:Durable,butnotoverlycomplicatedbikesforeverydayridersChildren’sbikes:Smaller,simplerversionsoftheirmainstreambikesforchildrenProfitsatyourclienthavedecreasedoverthepastfiveyearsQuestion:Whatisdrivingthedeclineinoverallprofits?Whatrecommendationsmightcorrectthesituation?Suggestedsolutions:Thefirstquestionistodeterminewhathascausedoverallprofitstodecrease.Toaccomplishthisthecandidatemustfirstunderstandwhathastranspiredineachofthethreeproductcategoriesoverthepastfiveyearsduringwhichprofitabilityhasslipped.Thefollowingarequestionsandanswersthatwouldbeprovidedinaninterviewscenario.Whataretheclient’smarginsforabicycleineachofthethreesegments?Racing:Cost=$600/unit,Profit=$300/unitMainstream:Cost=$250/unit,Profit=$75/unitChildren’s:Cost=$200/unit,Profit=$50/unitWhathashappenedtothemarketsizeofeachofthethreesegmentsoverthepastfiveyears?Racing:Hasremainedconstantatitspresentsizeof$300MMMainstream:Hasincreasedat2%growthrateperyeartoitspresentsizeof$1.0BChildren’s:Hasincreasedat3%growthrateperyeartoitspresentsizeof$400MMWhathashappenedtoourclient’smarketshareineachofthesesegments?Racing:Marketsharehasdecreasedfrom60%to30%Mainstream:Marketsharehasincreasedfrom0%to5%Children’s:Marketsharehasincreasedfrom0%to3%Whoaretheclient’smajorcompetitor’sineachmarketsegment?Whathashappenedtotheirmarketshareineachsegmentoverthepastfiveyears?Racing:Thereisonemaincompetitorandahostofsmallfirms.Yourmaincompetitorhasincreasedmarketsharefrom30%to50%Mainstream:Thereexistmany,largecompetitors,noneofwhichholdsmorethan10%ofthemarketChildren’s:Asinthemainstreamsegment,therearemanycompetitors,nonewithmorethan10%ofthemarketTheaboveinformationprovidesenoughinformationtoputtogetherapictureofwhyprofitshavedecreasedoverthepastfiveyears:Yourclient,withacommandingpositioninaflatmarketsegment(racing),expandedintonewsegments(mainstreamandchildren’s).Asthisoccurred,marketsharedecreaseddramaticallyinthemostlucrativesegment(racing),creatinganunfavorablemix.Theextenttowhichprofitshavedecreasedcanbededucedfromsomequickmath:profitshaveslippedfrom$60MMfiveyearsago(=60%x$300MMx33%racingmargin)to$44MMtoday(=(30%x$300MMx33%racingmargin)+(5%x$1Bx23%mainstreammargin)+(3%x$400MMx20%children’smargin)).Thedramaticdecreaseinmarketshareintheracingsegmentisatthispointstillunexplained.Questionsthatwouldhelpformulateanexplanationinclude:Havetherebeenanymajorchangesinproductqualityinyourclient’sracingproduct?Orinitsmaincompetitor’sracingproduct?NoHavetherebeenanymajorpricechangesinyourclient’sracingproduct?Orinitsmaincompetitor’sracingproduct?NoHavetherebeenanymajorchangesindistributionoutletsforyourclient’sracingproduct?Orforitsmaincompetitor’sracingproduct?Yes.Previouslyyourclientanditsmaincompetitorintheracingsegmentsoldexclusivelythroughsmall,specialtydealers.Thisremainsunchangedforthecompetition.Yourclient,however,begantosellitsracingbikesthroughmassdistributorsanddiscountstores(thedistributionoutletsformainstreamandchildren’sbikes)asitenteredthemainstreamandchildren’ssegment.Howdothemassdistributorsanddiscountstorespricetheracingbikesrelativetothespecialtystores?Pricesatthesestorestendtobe15to20%less.Whatpercentofyourclient’sracingsalesoccurinmassdistributorsanddiscountstores?Effectivelynone.ThisattempttosellthroughthesedistributorshasfailedHowhasthedecisiontosellthroughmassdistributor’sanddiscountstoresaffectedtheimageoftheclient’sracingproduct?Nostudieshavebeendone.Howhasthedecisiontosellthroughmassdistributor’sanddiscountstoresaffectedyourclient’srelationshipwiththespecialtyoutlets?Again,noformalanalysishasbeenperformed.Althoughsomeanalysisand/orsurveyshouldbeperformedtoanswermoreconclusivelythelasttwoquestions,apossiblestorycanbeputtogether.Therehasbeennoappreciablechangeineitherqualityorprice(oranyothertangiblefactor)ofyourclient’sracingproductrelativetoitscompetition.Itisnottheproductthatistheproblem,butratheritsimage.Asyourclientcameoutwithlowerend,mainstreamandchildren’sproductsandbegantopushtheirracingsegmentthroughmassdistributorsanddiscountoutlets,theirreputationwascompromised.Additionally,thepresenceoftheracingproductsinthediscountoutletshasputyourhistoricracingdistributor(thespecialtyshops)inaprecariousposition.Thespecialtyshopsmustnowlowerpricetocompete,therebycuttingtheirownprofits.Instead,theyarelikelytopushthecompetition’sproduct.Remember,yourclienthasnodirectsalesforceattheretailoutlets.Thespecialtyshopsessentiallyserveasyourclient’ssalesforce.Theaboveanalysisoffersanexplanationofwhathasaffectedthetopsideoftheprofitabilityproblem.Stilltobeexaminedisthecost,orbottomside,oftheprofitabilityissue.Questionstouncovercostissueswouldinclude:Howdoestheclientaccountforitscosts?Theclienthasasinglemanufacturingandassemblyplant.Theyhaveseparatelinesinthisfacilitytoproduceracing,mainstrea