如何应付案例分析面试24953.docx

Firmm: AA.T. KeearnneyCasee Nuumbeer:Casee seetupp (ffactts ooffeeredd byy innterrvieewerr):q Yourr clliennt iis aa maanuffacttureer oof bbicyycleesq Theyy haave beeen iin bbusiinesss ffor 25 yeaarsq Theyy maanuffacttureer aand selll tthreee ccateegorriess off biicyccless:Ø Raciing bikkes: Hiigh endd, hhighh peerfoormaancee biikess foor ssophhistticaatedd cyycliistssØ Mainnstrreamm biikess: DDuraablee, bbut nott ovverlly ccomppliccateed bbikees ffor eveerydday ridderssØ Chilldreenss biikess: SSmalllerr, ssimpplerr veersiionss off thheirr maainsstreeam bikkes forr chhilddrennq Proffitss att yoour cliientt haave deccreaasedd ovver thee paast fivve yyearrsQuesstioon:q Whatt iss drriviing thee deecliine in oveeralll pproffitss?q Whatt reecommmenndattionns mmighht ccorrrectt thhe ssituuatiion?Sugggestted sollutiionss:The firrst queestiion is to dettermminee whhat hass caauseed ooverralll prrofiits to deccreaase. Too acccommpliish thiis tthe canndiddatee muust firrst unddersstannd wwhatt haas ttrannspiiredd inn eaach of thee thhreee prroduuct cattegooriees ooverr thhe ppastt fiive yeaars durringg whhichh prrofiitabbiliity hass sllippped. Thhe ffolllowiing aree quuesttionns aand ansswerrs tthatt woouldd bee prroviidedd inn ann innterrvieew sscennariio.q Whatt arre tthe cliientts marrginns ffor a bbicyyclee inn eaach of thee thhreee seegmeentss?Raciing: Coost = $6000/unnit, Prrofiit=$3000/unnitMainnstrreamm: Cosst = $2250/uniit, Proofitt = $755/unnitChilldreenss: Cosst = $ 2000/unnit, Prrofiit = $550/uunittq Whatt haas hhapppeneed tto tthe marrkett siize of eacch oof tthe thrree seggmennts oveer tthe passt ffivee yeearss?Raciing: Haas rremaaineed cconsstannt aat itss prreseent sizze oof $3000MMMainnstrreamm: HHas inccreaasedd att 2% grrowtth rratee peer yyearr too itts ppressentt siize of $1.0BChilldreenss: HHas inccreaasedd att 3% grrowtth rratee peer yyearr too itts ppressentt siize of $4000MMMq Whatt haas hhapppeneed tto oour cliientts marrkett shharee inn eaach of theese seggmennts?Raciing: Maarkeet ssharre hhas deccreaasedd frrom 60% too 300%Mainnstrreamm: MMarkket shaare hass inncreeaseed ffromm 0% too 5%Chilldreenss: MMarkket shaare hass inncreeaseed ffromm 0% too 3% q Who aree thhe cclieents mmajoor ccomppetiitorrs in eacch mmarkket seggmennt? Whaat hhas happpenned to theeir marrkett shharee inn eaach seggmennt ooverr thhe ppastt fiive yeaars?Raciing: Thheree iss onne mmainn coompeetittor andd a hosst oof ssmalll ffirmms. Youur mmainn coompeetittor hass inncreeaseed mmarkket shaare froom 330% to 50%Mainnstrreamm: TTherre eexisst mmanyy, llargge ccomppetiitorrs, nonne oof wwhicch hholdds mmoree thhan 10% off thhe mmarkketChilldreenss: AAs iin tthe maiinsttreaam ssegmmentt, ttherre aare manny ccomppetiitorrs, nonne wwithh moore thaan 110% of thee maarkeetThe aboove infformmatiion prooviddes enooughh innforrmattionn too puut ttogeetheer aa piictuure of whyy prrofiits havve ddecrreassed oveer tthe passt ffivee yeearss : Youur cclieent, wiith a ccommmanddingg poosittionn inn a flaat mmarkket seggmennt (raccingg), exppandded intto nnew seggmennts (maainsstreeam andd chhilddrenns). AAs tthiss occcurrredd, mmarkket shaare deccreaasedd drramaaticcallly iin tthe mosst llucrratiive seggmennt (raccingg), creeatiing an unffavoorabble mixx. The exttentt too whhichh prrofiits havve ddecrreassed cann bee deeducced froom ssomee quuickk maath : pproffitss haave sliippeed ffromm $660MMM fiive yeaars agoo (=60% x $3000MMM x 33% raacinng mmarggin) too $444MMM toodayy ( = (30% x $3000MMM x 33% raacinng mmarggin) + (5% x $1BB x 23% maainsstreeam marrginn) + (33% xx $4400MMM xx 200% cchilldreenss maargiin).The draamattic deccreaase in marrkett shharee inn thhe rraciing seggmennt iis aat tthiss poointt sttilll unnexpplaiinedd. QQuesstioons thaat wwoulld hhelpp foormuulatte aan eexpllanaatioon iinclludee:q Havee thheree beeen anyy maajorr chhangges in prooducct qquallityy inn yoour cliientts raccingg prroduuct? Orr inn itts mmainn coompeetittors rraciing prooducct?Noq Havee thheree beeen anyy maajorr prricee chhangges in youur cclieents rraciing prooducct? Or in itss maain commpettitoorss raacinng pprodductt?Noq Havee thheree beeen anyy maajorr chhangges in disstriibuttionn ouutleets forr yoour cliientts raccingg prroduuct? Orr foor iits maiin ccomppetiitorrs raccingg prroduuct?Yes. Prreviioussly youur cclieent andd itts mmainn coompeetittor in thee raacinng ssegmmentt soold excclussiveely thrrouggh ssmalll, speeciaaltyy deealeers. Thhis remmainns uunchhangged forr thhe ccomppetiitioon. Youur cclieent, hoowevver, beegann too seell itss raacinng bbikees tthrooughh maass disstriibuttorss annd ddisccounnt sstorres (thhe ddisttribbutiion outtletts ffor maiinsttreaam aand chiildrrens bbikees) as it enttereed tthe maiinsttreaam aand chiildrrens ssegmmentt.q How do thee maass disstriibuttorss annd ddisccounnt sstorres priice thee raacinng bbikees rrelaativve tto tthe speeciaaltyy sttorees?Pricces at theese stooress teend to be 15 to 20% leess.q Whatt peerceent of youur cclieents rraciing salles occcur in masss ddisttribbutoors andd diiscoountt sttorees?Effeectiivelly nnonee. TThiss atttemmpt to selll tthrooughh thhesee diistrribuutorrs hhas faiileddq How hass thhe ddeciisioon tto sselll thhrouugh masss ddisttribbutoorss annd ddisccounnt sstorres afffectted thee immagee off thhe cclieents rraciing prooducct?No sstuddiess haave beeen ddonee. q How hass thhe ddeciisioon tto sselll thhrouugh masss ddisttribbutoorss annd ddisccounnt sstorres afffectted youur cclieents rrelaatioonshhip witth tthe speeciaaltyy ouutleets?Agaiin, no forrmall annalyysiss haas bbeenn peerfoormeed.Althhouggh ssomee annalyysiss annd/oor ssurvvey shoouldd bee peerfoormeed tto aanswwer morre cconcclussiveely thee laast twoo quuesttionns, a pposssiblle sstorry ccan be putt toogettherr. TTherre hhas beeen nno aapprreciiablle cchannge in eittherr quualiity or priice (orr anny ootheer ttanggiblle ffacttor) off yoour cliientts raccingg prroduuct rellatiive to itss coompeetittionn. IIt iis nnot thee prroduuct thaat iis tthe proobleem, butt raatheer iits imaage. Ass yoour cliientt caame outt wiith lowwer endd, mmainnstrreamm annd cchilldreenss prroduuctss annd bbegaan tto ppushh thheirr raacinng ssegmmentt thhrouugh masss ddisttribbutoors andd diiscoountt ouutleets, thheirr reeputtatiion wass coomprromiisedd. AAddiitioonallly, thhe ppressencce oof tthe raccingg prroduuctss inn thhe ddisccounnt ooutlletss haas pput youur hhisttoriic rraciing disstriibuttor (thhe sspecciallty shoops) inn a preecarriouus pposiitioon. Thee sppeciialtty sshopps mmustt noow lloweer ppricce tto ccomppetee, ttherrebyy cuuttiing theeir ownn prrofiits. Innsteead, thhey aree liikelly tto ppushh thhe ccomppetiitioonss prroduuct. Reememmberr, yyourr clliennt hhas no dirrectt saalessforrce at thee reetaiil ooutlletss. TThe speeciaaltyy shhopss esssenntiaallyy seervee ass yoour cliientts salles forrce.The aboove anaalyssis offferss ann exxplaanattionn off whhat hass afffecctedd thhe ttop sidde oof tthe proofittabiilitty pprobblemm. SStilll tto bbe eexammineed iis tthe cosst, or botttomm siide, off thhe pproffitaabillityy isssuee. QQuesstioons to unccoveer ccostt isssuees wwoulld iinclludee:q How doees tthe cliientt acccouunt forr itts ccostts?The cliientt haas aa siinglle mmanuufaccturringg annd aasseemblly pplannt. Theey hhavee seeparratee liiness inn thhis facciliity to prooducce rraciing, maainsstreeam andd chhilddrenns prooduccts. Thhey divvidee thheirr coostss innto thee foolloowinng ccateegorriess: llaboor, matteriial andd ovverhheadd. OOverralll coostss haave beeen iincrreassingg att a faiirlyy heeftyy raate of 10% peer yyearr.q Whatt iss thhe ccurrrentt brreakkdowwn oof ccostts aalonng tthesse ccateegorriess foor eeachh prroduuct seggmennt?Raciing: Laaborr = 30%, MMateeriaal = 400%, Oveerheead = 330%Mainnstrreamm: LLaboor = 255%, Matteriial = 440%, Ovverhheadd = 35%Chilldreenss: LLaboor = 255%, Matteriial = 440%, Ovverhheadd = 35%q How hass thhis mixx off exxpennsess chhangged oveer tthe passt ffivee yeearss?In aall seggmennts, laaborr iss ann inncreeasiing perrcenntagge oof tthe cossts. q Doess thhe bbasiic aapprroacch tto mmanuufaccturringg (ii.e. thhe mmix of labbor andd teechnnoloogy) reefleect thaat oof iits commpettitiion?Yourr clliennt ttellls yyou thaat ttherre iis aa coontiinuiing movvemeent to auttomaate andd uttiliize tecchnoologgy tto iimprrovee effficcienncy thrrougghouut tthe inddusttry, buut iit iis hhis/herr oppiniion thaat ttheiir aapprroacch, maiintaainiing thee “hhumaan ttoucch”, iss whhat diffferrenttiattes theem ffromm thhe ccomppetiitioon. (Unnforrtunnateely, hees rigght!)q Is tthe worrkfoorcee unnionnizeed?Yesq Whatt iss thhe aaverragee agge oof tthe worrkfoorcee?52 aand cliimbiing. Thheree iss veery litttlee tuurnooverr inn thhe wworkkforrce.q Whatt iss thhe ppressentt thhrouughpput rattingg? HHow hass itt chhangged oveer tthe passt ffivee yeearss?Pressenttly thee pllantt iss prroduucinng aat aabouut 880% of cappaciity. Thhis hass beeen deccreaasinng ssteaadilly ooverr thhe llastt seeverral yeaars.q Whatt iss thhe ttypiicall reeasoon ffor equuipmmentt shhutddownn?Emerrgenncy reppairrq Desccribbe tthe preevenntivve mmainntennancce pproggramm inn efffecct aat tthe cliientts facciliity?Prevventtivee maainttenaancee iss peerfoormeed iinfoormaallyy baasedd onn thhe kknowwleddge of senniorr teechnniciianss.q How oftten hass eqquippmennt bbeenn reeplaacedd? IIs tthiss coonsiisteent witth tthe oriiginnal equuipmmentt maanuffacttureerss reecommmenndattionns?The cliientt feeelss thhat mosst OOEM reccommmenddatiionss arre vveryy coonseervaativve. Theey hhavee foolloowedd a phiilossophhy oof mmaxiimizzingg thhe llifee off thheirr eqquippmennt aand havve ggeneerallly douubleed OOEM reccommmenddatiionss.The aboove infformmatiion is suffficciennt tto aadd somme uundeersttanddingg too thhe ccostt siide of thee eqquattionn. YYourr clliennt hhas an agiing worrkfoorcee annd pplannt tthatt iss beehinnd tthe timmes in terrms of tecchnoologgy aand innnovaatioon. Thiis hhas conntriibutted to exccesssivee brreakkdowwns, deecreeaseed tthrooughhputt, iincrreassed labbor rattes (waagess inncreeasee wiith senniorrityy) aand greeateer llaboor hhourrs (oveertiime to fixx brrokeen mmachhinees).In ppropposiing reccommmenddatiionss too immproove thee cllienntss siituaatioon, theere is no sinnglee coorreect appproaach. Thheree arre aa nuumbeer oof aapprroacchess thhat migght be expplorred andd reecommmenndedd. TThe folllowwingg arre ssomee poossiibillitiies:q Abanndonn thhe mmainnstrreamm annd cchilldreenss seegmeent to reccoveer lleaddersshipp inn thhe rraciing seggmenntIssuues to connsidder in thiis aapprroacch:Ø How mucch oof tthe raccingg seegmeent is “reecovveraablee”?Ø Whatt arre tthe exppectted groowthh raatess off eaach seggmennt?Ø How baddly dammageed iis tthe rellatiionsshipp wiith thee sppeciialtty ooutlletss?Ø Are theere altternnatiive outtletts tto tthe speeciaaltyy shhopss suuch as intternnet salles?Ø How willl tthiss moove afffectt ovveraall utiilizzatiion of thee opperaatinng ffaciilittiess?q Mainntaiin tthe maiinsttreaam aand chiildrrens ssegmmentt, bbut selll uundeer aa diiffeerennt nnameeIssuues to connsidder in thiis aapprroacch:Ø Is ttherre ddemaand amoong thee maass andd diiscoountt diistrribuutorrs ffor biccyclles undder theeir namme?Ø Whatt adddittionnal advverttisiing andd prromootioons cossts migght be inccurrred?Ø Whatt arre tthe exppectted groowthh raatess off eaach seggmennt?Ø Whatt iss drriviing thee buuyinng hhabiits of thee maainsstreeam andd chhilddrenns marrkett?q Reduuce cossts thrrouggh aautoomattionn annd iinnoovattionnIssuues to be connsiddereed:Ø Whatt teechnnoloogiccal impprovvemeentss arre tto bbe mmadee?Ø Whatt arre tthe reqquirred invvesttmennts? Ø Whatt arre tthe exppectted retturnns oon tthosse iinveestmmentts?Ø How willl tthesse iinveestmmentts aaffeect thrrougghpuut?Ø To wwhicch llinees aare theese invvesttmennts appproppriaate? Ø Are thee maainsstreeam andd chhilddrenns seggmennts pottenttiallly “ovver-enggineeereed”?Ø Whatt immpacct wwilll thhis havve oon tthe reqquirred worrkfoorcee leevells?Ø If llayooffss arre rrequuireed tto aachiievee thhe bbeneefitts, whaat iimpaact willl tthiss haave on labbor rellatiionss?q Reduuce cossts thrrouggh eestaabliishiing a fformmal preevenntivve mmainntennancce pproggrammIssuues to be connsiddereed:Ø Whatt orrgannizaatioonall chhangges willl bbe rrequuireed?Ø Whatt annalyysiss wiill be perrforrmedd too deeterrminne tthe appproppriaate amoountt off PMM?Ø Whatt trrainningg iss reequiiredd off thhe wworkkforrce?Ø Whatt teechnnicaal oor ssysttem chaangees aare reqquirred?Ø How willl tthe uniioniizedd woorkfforcce rresppondd?Key takkeawwayss:Thiss caase cann prrovee too bee leengtthy andd veery invvolvved. Itt iss noot eexpeecteed tthatt a canndiddatee woouldd cooverr alll oof tthe aboove toppicss, bbut rattherr woork thrrouggh sseleecteed ttopiics in a llogiicall faashiion. Itt iss immporrtannt tthatt thhe ccanddidaate purrsuee a sollutiion thaat cconssideers botth rreveenuee annd ccostt isssuees tto iimpaact proofitt. AAddiitioonallly, a connadiidattess abbiliity to worrk ccomfforttablly wwithh thhe qquanntittatiive sidde oof tthiss caase is impporttantt. TThe aboove reccommmenddatiionss foor iimprroviing proofittabiilitty aare jusst aa feew aamonng mmanyy. Thee caandiidatte mmay comme wwithh thheirr owwn iideaas.