National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)
Mumbai, Maharashtra
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Filter interviews byNational Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Placement Interview Questions
Updated
8 Jan 2024
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I applied via Campus Placement
3 Interview Rounds
1
HR Round (2 Questions)
- Q1. The process started off with the 1st round, where the interviewer was the senior manager with the firm (he was also the one who was with our group for the works...read more
- Q2. Our client is a U.S. and Europe based premium shoelaces manufacturer. They want to know whether they should enter the Indian market. This was the statement that...read more
2
Case Study Round
The 2nd round was the case study round with another senior manager and one more interviewer. They started off by introducing themselves, I followed suit. Thereafter, they asked a couple of questions from my CV, after which we were on to the case study.
Our client is in the insurance business in the U.S., operating in three segments within the insurance domain.
The profits have been declining for the past 3 years, and the CEO has four theories as to why the profits are declining.
Our job was to evaluate the four theories and provide solutions to the problem.
This again was a data driven case, where the first table helped you determine what could be the problem behind declining profits. The second table provided a detail of the different platforms the company used to process insurance policies and what services each platform offered. I was told to identify what problems might be there with the existing platforms and what solutions could be offered to solve those problems. Then finally, in the last two tables, there were two possible solutions to the problem given, along with future incomes and costs. The two had to be evaluated, as to which offered a better alternative. Using NPV calculations, I suggested that the one with the higher NPV be recommended.
3
Other Round (1 Question)
- Q1. The 3rd round or the PPD round was with one of the Directors of the firm. It was a very relaxed and informal interaction which was aimed mainly at checking whet...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparations:
I believe candidates should be well versed with the basic financial terminologies. In my case, classroom and self-studies for Managerial Accounting (Mod 1) helped to a great extent. For the general behavioural approach to a case study, I found Victor Chengâs videos on YouTube helpful. Apart from these I partially went through Case in point. I would recommend everyone to go through that at least once. Coming to frameworks, I didnât stick rigidly to the frameworks given in books but followed a logical approach that I felt was appropriate.
Workshop:
The entire lot was segregated into 3 groups. Each group was given a case study. Our group was given a case study on a medical equipment manufacturer based in the U.S. It had nominal presence in India and China. There were two segments in the medical equipment landscape: Premium and Mass. The case study was to gauge the attractiveness of the two markets, and to suggest which segment would be more profitable for the firm to enter.
The entire case was data driven. We had two sets for data for both countries, for the years 2018 and 2030. Based on the two data sets we had to estimate the profitability of the two markets in 2018 and 2030. There was yet another data set of qualitative parameters given, which had to be factored in into the final recommendation as well.
As I have stated earlier, basic knowledge of accounting or finance is a must have. This is because terms from these backgrounds are very frequently used in the cases and sometimes the entire case may depend on a given accounting principle.
I believe candidates should be well versed with the basic financial terminologies. In my case, classroom and self-studies for Managerial Accounting (Mod 1) helped to a great extent. For the general behavioural approach to a case study, I found Victor Chengâs videos on YouTube helpful. Apart from these I partially went through Case in point. I would recommend everyone to go through that at least once. Coming to frameworks, I didnât stick rigidly to the frameworks given in books but followed a logical approach that I felt was appropriate.
Workshop:
The entire lot was segregated into 3 groups. Each group was given a case study. Our group was given a case study on a medical equipment manufacturer based in the U.S. It had nominal presence in India and China. There were two segments in the medical equipment landscape: Premium and Mass. The case study was to gauge the attractiveness of the two markets, and to suggest which segment would be more profitable for the firm to enter.
The entire case was data driven. We had two sets for data for both countries, for the years 2018 and 2030. Based on the two data sets we had to estimate the profitability of the two markets in 2018 and 2030. There was yet another data set of qualitative parameters given, which had to be factored in into the final recommendation as well.
As I have stated earlier, basic knowledge of accounting or finance is a must have. This is because terms from these backgrounds are very frequently used in the cases and sometimes the entire case may depend on a given accounting principle.
I applied via Campus Placement
3 Interview Rounds
1
HR Round (2 Questions)
- Q1. My interviewer was a NITIE alumnus. I entered the room, greeted him and sat down. He quickly scanned my resume and asked me, âOk, tell me something interesting ...read more
- Q2. He then told me that we would be doing a guesstimate. He says, âhow many test matchesâŠ..â breaks and asks me âare you comfortable with cricket?â I said, âI donâ...read more
2
Other Round (3 Questions)
- Q1. I was called in by one of the panelists. This time there were two of them. Again, it started off with my introduction and resume grilling. They even asked me wh...read more
- Q2. Our client is an Insurance Firm in US Their profits have been declining and they have approached us for a solution. The CEO of that firm has listed down four di...read more
- Q3. They gave four tables of data, asked me to run through some numbers and pick one factor which I think is the actual reason. So likewise, the discussion went on ...read more
3
Other Round (2 Questions)
- Q1. This was an interactive session with the Director. This round was purely about me, my personal life and academics. He questioned me on my project and other resu...read more
- Q2. He asked me if I had anything to ask.
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparations:
After the shortlist, I interacted with few seniors who had done their summer internship in the firm and drew some inspiration out of them. I attended the workshop conducted by one of the firms from which I obtained a basic understanding on how to approach a case based interview. However, I was a bit familiar with guesstimates by then, so that didnât trouble me much.
I read through âcase-in-pointâ and tried solving few cases discussed in it. I read âWaltâ on frameworks and some additional data. Overall, I faced the process with a very little preparation. Be good at numbers, try to express any change in terms of percentage and be logical.
Workshop:
My workshop was handled by two of our alumni. It started off with introduction of all of us and quickly moved to solving the case. The case presented to us was regarding a âPremium Medical Devices Manufacturing Companyâ, XYZ, which is a major player in Europe and US. It is planning to enter one of the two emerging markets, India or China. As a consultant, you are required to provide them the solution.
They provided us the data only when asked by us. The data included the industry details in both the countries and market share of premium and mass products. Both qualitative and quantitative data were provided. GDP and data related to economies of the countries was not given but was expected to be asked by us.
After the shortlist, I interacted with few seniors who had done their summer internship in the firm and drew some inspiration out of them. I attended the workshop conducted by one of the firms from which I obtained a basic understanding on how to approach a case based interview. However, I was a bit familiar with guesstimates by then, so that didnât trouble me much.
I read through âcase-in-pointâ and tried solving few cases discussed in it. I read âWaltâ on frameworks and some additional data. Overall, I faced the process with a very little preparation. Be good at numbers, try to express any change in terms of percentage and be logical.
Workshop:
My workshop was handled by two of our alumni. It started off with introduction of all of us and quickly moved to solving the case. The case presented to us was regarding a âPremium Medical Devices Manufacturing Companyâ, XYZ, which is a major player in Europe and US. It is planning to enter one of the two emerging markets, India or China. As a consultant, you are required to provide them the solution.
They provided us the data only when asked by us. The data included the industry details in both the countries and market share of premium and mass products. Both qualitative and quantitative data were provided. GDP and data related to economies of the countries was not given but was expected to be asked by us.
I applied via Campus Placement
1 Interview Round
1
HR Round (5 Questions)
- Q1. (This was probably a round to gauge the personality.) Walk me through your CV.
- Q2. Tell me something interesting about yourself, apart from what is mentioned in your CV.
- Q3. Asked me to explain my Work Ex. Points (2 achievement points) mentioned in the CV.
- Q4. Why consulting?
- Q5. Then he asked me a brain teaser puzzle. There is a broken bridge and the night is dark. 4 persons have to cross the bridge and they have a single torch. Only 2 ...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparations:
Cases & Guesstimates - Saw online videos of Case interviews. Studied the framework structure of different types of cases like profitability, revenues, new product launches, new market entry, pricing and M&A. Practiced a few Case interviews with friends.
Resume: for consulting interviews, you must be crystal clear with your resume. I was well prepared in this area.
What went wrong?
I was the first to go inside for the interview. I was a little tired and disappointed from the previous sessions of interview. I was well prepared for the cases around but during the first-round I was not able remain cheerful and the stress was visible on the face. And I was not able to ask a good question at the end of the interview, that was bad on my part. I feel these were the reasons for not getting selected.
Suggestions:
1. Do not wait till you get the calls to start preparing for the cases. Calls are random and be prepared always.
2. Prior practice of case interviews and guestimates is important. Consulting culture fit questions are always asked.
3. Be prepared for why consulting and why this company with relevant examples from your work.
4. Be ready to tell something interesting about yourself in the interview. This is very important.
5. It is very important to remain calm and overcome the rejections in previous interviews of the day because it will affect your performance during the interview.
Cases & Guesstimates - Saw online videos of Case interviews. Studied the framework structure of different types of cases like profitability, revenues, new product launches, new market entry, pricing and M&A. Practiced a few Case interviews with friends.
Resume: for consulting interviews, you must be crystal clear with your resume. I was well prepared in this area.
What went wrong?
I was the first to go inside for the interview. I was a little tired and disappointed from the previous sessions of interview. I was well prepared for the cases around but during the first-round I was not able remain cheerful and the stress was visible on the face. And I was not able to ask a good question at the end of the interview, that was bad on my part. I feel these were the reasons for not getting selected.
Suggestions:
1. Do not wait till you get the calls to start preparing for the cases. Calls are random and be prepared always.
2. Prior practice of case interviews and guestimates is important. Consulting culture fit questions are always asked.
3. Be prepared for why consulting and why this company with relevant examples from your work.
4. Be ready to tell something interesting about yourself in the interview. This is very important.
5. It is very important to remain calm and overcome the rejections in previous interviews of the day because it will affect your performance during the interview.
I applied via Campus Placement
2 Interview Rounds
1
Case Study Round
A juice company wants to launch a 400ml packaged Beetroot flavored drink in India, and I had to find the market size of the product.
2
Case Study Round
A premium French sunglass manufacturer wants who outsources 60% of its manufacturing to China wants to enter a new market (3 countries were provided along with the basic details like population , demographic, GDP, Per Capita Income) and I had to suggest them the country they should enter and why.
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparation:
Case in Point, IIM Ahmedabad Case Book, Mock Case Interview.
What went right?
The very first thing that went right for me was the fact that during the guesstimate round, I was making clear notes and thinking aloud. As, quite often these interviews focus more on the way you think rather than the final answer. So, the eventual market size that I came up with was not accurate, but I was selected for the next round because I made sure that I covered every possibility and factored in all the possible parameters before locking in on the final percentage or number. I also made sure that before making any assumption I clearly stated it to the interviewer and moved forward only after his approval.
What was your improvement area?
During a case interview one asks a lot of questions and gathers a lot of information and it becomes hard to keep all the relevant information apart from your calculation etc. So, halfway into my interview, I suddenly realized that I have created a mess by not keeping my information organized and I had to waste more than 4/5 minutes just to reorganize everything I had noted down. This made me realize, how important it is to ensure that you are putting proper labels, follow a structure, keep the calculation away from your data.
Suggestions
I would suggest that while you are going through the basics like Case in Point, IIM Ahmedabad case book etc. you create a habit of giving mock interviews. Instead of reading cases, ensure that you are discussing with your friends. Sometimes you can be the interviewer and your friend can be the interviewee, but this will ensure that you are creating your own thought process and not following a set pattern.
Also, try and do one guesstimate every day. Take a random question like number of busses in Mumbai or maybe number of traffic lights in Mumbai and try and solve them. Once you are done, show it to a friend and discuss if you missed out on factoring something or is there a better method to solve this problem.
Case in Point, IIM Ahmedabad Case Book, Mock Case Interview.
What went right?
The very first thing that went right for me was the fact that during the guesstimate round, I was making clear notes and thinking aloud. As, quite often these interviews focus more on the way you think rather than the final answer. So, the eventual market size that I came up with was not accurate, but I was selected for the next round because I made sure that I covered every possibility and factored in all the possible parameters before locking in on the final percentage or number. I also made sure that before making any assumption I clearly stated it to the interviewer and moved forward only after his approval.
What was your improvement area?
During a case interview one asks a lot of questions and gathers a lot of information and it becomes hard to keep all the relevant information apart from your calculation etc. So, halfway into my interview, I suddenly realized that I have created a mess by not keeping my information organized and I had to waste more than 4/5 minutes just to reorganize everything I had noted down. This made me realize, how important it is to ensure that you are putting proper labels, follow a structure, keep the calculation away from your data.
Suggestions
I would suggest that while you are going through the basics like Case in Point, IIM Ahmedabad case book etc. you create a habit of giving mock interviews. Instead of reading cases, ensure that you are discussing with your friends. Sometimes you can be the interviewer and your friend can be the interviewee, but this will ensure that you are creating your own thought process and not following a set pattern.
Also, try and do one guesstimate every day. Take a random question like number of busses in Mumbai or maybe number of traffic lights in Mumbai and try and solve them. Once you are done, show it to a friend and discuss if you missed out on factoring something or is there a better method to solve this problem.
I applied via Campus Placement
2 Interview Rounds
1
Case Study Round
Calculate number of breakfast servings needed for Vistara Airlines from Mumbai airport on any given day.
Using number of runways and average turnaround time as parameters, I calculated the total number of flights and then took a percentage of that as Vistara flights. Henceforth, itâs a simple extrapolation as per number of seats.
Calculate revenue of any barbershop in Mumbai.
I was free to consider any scale of barbershop. After that, I used the average turnaround time, number of barbers and different time periods as parameters in deciding the variability of demand from customers per day.
Furthermore, I calculated the average spend per customer considering different care packages. Using the above two, I calculated the average revenue.
2
Case Study Round
An equity firm which had goal of increasing revenue 2 times over of a brewing company in the next 5 years.
The conversation initially focused on the possible drivers of growth. Once the major growth driver was isolated after analysing company and competition cost breakups, in this case labour costs; more data was provided when asked and then based on that I was asked to calculate possible revenue growth and cost reductions based on labour optimization.
Work experience, JD and consulting lifestyle.
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparation:
1. Prep Methodology: Focused mainly on guesstimates and case studies. I prepared CV defense for possible HR questions as well.
2. Study Resources (specify books and online content used): IIM A, Kellogg Casebooks, Heizer, Chopra Meindl.
What went right?
In guesstimates, it helps to have a clear idea of what assumptions to take and their justification. Even if one goes down the wrong track, itâs accepted if one can identify it quickly by themselves and make the necessary correction.
For case study discussions, an understanding of possible drivers for any problem is a must. Once the drivers were identified quickly, the discussion quickly moved onto analyzing the data points and solving the various problems given.
Throughout both processes, it helped that I was able to communicate my thought processes succinctly and arrive at the solution in a collaborative manner with the panelist.
What was your improvement area?
One can always improve the speed of calculations and thought process for solving cases, which only comes with practice and experience.
Suggestions
Be prepared with all the necessary frameworks and practice quick calculations for case interviews and guesstimates. Interviewers are willing to let it go when you make mistakes if you can identify it quickly yourself, backtrack and make necessary corrections immediately.
Practice walking other people through case studies as that gives the best experience for handling the interviews, as well as asking the right questions which progress the case discussion forward.
1. Prep Methodology: Focused mainly on guesstimates and case studies. I prepared CV defense for possible HR questions as well.
2. Study Resources (specify books and online content used): IIM A, Kellogg Casebooks, Heizer, Chopra Meindl.
What went right?
In guesstimates, it helps to have a clear idea of what assumptions to take and their justification. Even if one goes down the wrong track, itâs accepted if one can identify it quickly by themselves and make the necessary correction.
For case study discussions, an understanding of possible drivers for any problem is a must. Once the drivers were identified quickly, the discussion quickly moved onto analyzing the data points and solving the various problems given.
Throughout both processes, it helped that I was able to communicate my thought processes succinctly and arrive at the solution in a collaborative manner with the panelist.
What was your improvement area?
One can always improve the speed of calculations and thought process for solving cases, which only comes with practice and experience.
Suggestions
Be prepared with all the necessary frameworks and practice quick calculations for case interviews and guesstimates. Interviewers are willing to let it go when you make mistakes if you can identify it quickly yourself, backtrack and make necessary corrections immediately.
Practice walking other people through case studies as that gives the best experience for handling the interviews, as well as asking the right questions which progress the case discussion forward.
I applied via Campus Placement
2 Interview Rounds
1
Case Study Round
Estimate the amount tourists spend in Mumbai during July-Sep.
2
Case Study Round
A Media company which publishes a magazine and it was facing continuous loss in its business. The objective was to find out the reasons for losses and suggestions for improvement.
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparation:
1. For Supply Chain: Chopra Meindl, GD topics related to SCM, Prep Material shared by Placecomm.
2. For Consulting: Practiced solving cases 1v1 to simulate the interview.
3. Sources Referred: Case in Point, IIM A Case Book, NITIE Case Book, Guesstimate Practice question online, etc.
4. General: Backup for questions based on CV, HR Questions, Basic Economics and Finance terms, GD group practice.
What went right?
Round-1: Asking the right questions and communicating with the interviewer was important. The guesstimate given was very open ended and clarifying the details, discussing the assumptions with the interviewer was the key. For Instance: Defining tourists (Business/Leisure and Foreigner/Indians), for spending I considered hotel accommodation as one major expense and after calculating this expense the interviewer asked me to stop solving further.
Round-2: Have a clarity about the role offered by the organization, solving case studies regularly 1v1 and simulating the interview experience helped me.
What was your improvement area?
One can always improve the speed of calculations and thought process for solving cases, which only comes with practice and experience.
Suggestions
1. For consulting, practicing guesstimates and case studies is very important, getting exposure to wide variety of questions will help to face the interview questions. Practice these diligently and if possible, solve case 1v1 and simulate the interview.
2. CV Backup is very critical, as companies expect you to know what you have done earlier.
3. Keep calm, donât overstress there are many companies who offer very good projects focus more on learning and internship projects rather than Stipend and Company.
1. For Supply Chain: Chopra Meindl, GD topics related to SCM, Prep Material shared by Placecomm.
2. For Consulting: Practiced solving cases 1v1 to simulate the interview.
3. Sources Referred: Case in Point, IIM A Case Book, NITIE Case Book, Guesstimate Practice question online, etc.
4. General: Backup for questions based on CV, HR Questions, Basic Economics and Finance terms, GD group practice.
What went right?
Round-1: Asking the right questions and communicating with the interviewer was important. The guesstimate given was very open ended and clarifying the details, discussing the assumptions with the interviewer was the key. For Instance: Defining tourists (Business/Leisure and Foreigner/Indians), for spending I considered hotel accommodation as one major expense and after calculating this expense the interviewer asked me to stop solving further.
Round-2: Have a clarity about the role offered by the organization, solving case studies regularly 1v1 and simulating the interview experience helped me.
What was your improvement area?
One can always improve the speed of calculations and thought process for solving cases, which only comes with practice and experience.
Suggestions
1. For consulting, practicing guesstimates and case studies is very important, getting exposure to wide variety of questions will help to face the interview questions. Practice these diligently and if possible, solve case 1v1 and simulate the interview.
2. CV Backup is very critical, as companies expect you to know what you have done earlier.
3. Keep calm, donât overstress there are many companies who offer very good projects focus more on learning and internship projects rather than Stipend and Company.
I applied via Campus Placement
2 Interview Rounds
1
Case Study Round
Estimating the number of breakfasts served by GoAir in Mumbai in a day. Consider parameters such as Market Share of GoAir, Morning Flights proportion, Proportion of people having breakfast, Aircraft capacity etc.
2. Estimate the revenue of a Salon operating in Mumbai: Ask questions to fix the location (posh/residential/commercial location etc.) and the target customer segment. Consider parameters such as Number of staffs, Portfolio of Services and their corresponding pricing, Time to service, Shop timings, Weekday/Weekend etc.
2
Case Study Round
Increasing the Profitability of the Company from 3% to 5%.
Firstly, try to give a structure to the problem and think of all factors and sub-factors within them which drives profitability of any firm.
There are three broad ways of Increasing the profitability, one is by Increasing the Prices, the other is by increasing the sales of higher margin products and the last is by lowering costs.
Price was supposed to be fixed, and so was the product assortment. This led me to focus on Cost and now, considered the value chain framework to drill down to the major cost driver in the firm.
Ask data wherever you feel that its needed. Have asked data of competitors to compare the cost levels across various components. Figure out, what and why some costs are higher compared to the competitors.
In my case, it was the inefficient repair process which was lowering the efficiency thus, resulting in higher costs per product. Compare it with the feasible alternatives and calculate the effective savings. At the end, I was supposed to calculate all the savings and show that the profit actually jumped to 5% mark.
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparation:
General Awareness:
1. Follow one Newspaper (Mint or Economic Times), discuss with your group & makes short notes of important facts and their corresponding sources. This will cover you for GDs.
2. Online portals such as
- https://www.supplychain247.com
- https://www.supplychaindigital.com
- https://www.supplychainbrain.com
3. Follow consulting reports published by McKinsey, Accenture, Cognizant Business Consulting etc. on various industries.
Differential Skills:
1. Knowledge of Intermediate to Advance excel skills from Pivots to Dashboards and Macros.
2. Intermediate level Analytics certification either in R or Python. Learn Linear Regression, Logistic Regression & Decision Trees. These are the commonly used algorithms in the Industry.
3. Do certification on Data Visualization platform such as Tableau or Power BI
4. Strengthen your work experience-based skillsets and be thorough with all the industry jargons around it.
5. Correlate your work experience with the FMCGs, Automobile, or any relevant industry and see what are the practical areas where business value can be generated through use cases and implemented examples.
What went right?
1. Create a calm environment around yourself, donât get intimated by the whole process as it may sometime appear to be overwhelming for a few.
2. Be updated with general facts and numbers such as Mumbai Population, India demographics, NITIE-related data, Market share of key companies across domains etc.
3. Listen to the questions carefully, note down any facts if possible during the interview.
4. Always have a structured thinking in all the solutions you propose during the interview.
What was your improvement area?
1. Wanted to prepare in more depth about the Economic Scenario across Industries. This helps in correlating where any company is headed in terms of roadblocks and opportunities.
2. Could have read a bit more from the practical perspective through cases on strategic Frameworks such as PESTLE, VRIO/VRIN, BCG Matrix etc.
Suggestions:
1. Stay confident, know your weaknesses and strengths.
2. Try to align your strengths with your interest areas. This will enable you put greater effort and ultimately, standing out among the crowd.
3. Do go with the flow during the Interview rounds. Put the keywords or things, which you want to discuss about during your answers. You should be able to drive the interview, not the other way round.
General Awareness:
1. Follow one Newspaper (Mint or Economic Times), discuss with your group & makes short notes of important facts and their corresponding sources. This will cover you for GDs.
2. Online portals such as
- https://www.supplychain247.com
- https://www.supplychaindigital.com
- https://www.supplychainbrain.com
3. Follow consulting reports published by McKinsey, Accenture, Cognizant Business Consulting etc. on various industries.
Differential Skills:
1. Knowledge of Intermediate to Advance excel skills from Pivots to Dashboards and Macros.
2. Intermediate level Analytics certification either in R or Python. Learn Linear Regression, Logistic Regression & Decision Trees. These are the commonly used algorithms in the Industry.
3. Do certification on Data Visualization platform such as Tableau or Power BI
4. Strengthen your work experience-based skillsets and be thorough with all the industry jargons around it.
5. Correlate your work experience with the FMCGs, Automobile, or any relevant industry and see what are the practical areas where business value can be generated through use cases and implemented examples.
What went right?
1. Create a calm environment around yourself, donât get intimated by the whole process as it may sometime appear to be overwhelming for a few.
2. Be updated with general facts and numbers such as Mumbai Population, India demographics, NITIE-related data, Market share of key companies across domains etc.
3. Listen to the questions carefully, note down any facts if possible during the interview.
4. Always have a structured thinking in all the solutions you propose during the interview.
What was your improvement area?
1. Wanted to prepare in more depth about the Economic Scenario across Industries. This helps in correlating where any company is headed in terms of roadblocks and opportunities.
2. Could have read a bit more from the practical perspective through cases on strategic Frameworks such as PESTLE, VRIO/VRIN, BCG Matrix etc.
Suggestions:
1. Stay confident, know your weaknesses and strengths.
2. Try to align your strengths with your interest areas. This will enable you put greater effort and ultimately, standing out among the crowd.
3. Do go with the flow during the Interview rounds. Put the keywords or things, which you want to discuss about during your answers. You should be able to drive the interview, not the other way round.
I applied via Campus Placement
3 Interview Rounds
1
HR Round (1 Question)
- Q1. The round 1 for PWC US Advisory is a telephonic round and lasts close to an hour. My interview was with a manager. After a brief introduction, the interview pro...read more
2
Case Study Round
The second round was a face-to-face interview that lasted around 50-60 minutes. The interview started with a quick round of introduction from both parties. I was asked to explain certain CV points in greater detail and the type of work that I had to do. My key learnings from the projects. This was followed by small cases.
I: What is the S2P cycle? List its main stages?
C: I explained how the source-to-pay cycle is made of the source-to-contract and the procure-to-pay cycle in detail.
I: Suppose a logistics company is facing high sourcing costs. Apart from price, what other parameters can you discuss during negotiations?
C: Quantity discounts/rebates, payment terms, delivery schedule and incoterms are some of the other things that I would like to negotiate. Detailed discussion on incoterms followed.
I: Why do companies maintain inventory?
C: To circumvent the inherent variance between supply and demand.
I: What are the types of inventory?
C: Explained the types of inventory. Detailed discussion on anticipatory inventory.
I: What is working capital? Which financial statement do you see to derive that?
C: Current assets -current liabilities. It is obtained from the balance sheet.
I: Suppose a firm is facing working capital management issues. What are the aspects you will investigate in detail?
C: Inventory at hand, accounts payable and accounts receivable will be a good starting point.
3
Other Round (1 Question)
- Q1. The final round is held via video conferencing where a director of the firm assesses the cultural fit of the candidate. Questions are centered around the life e...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparation:
Guesstimates: Guesstimate preparation should be regular and spontaneous. Once I was familiar with the necessary numbers (demographic data) and the approaches, it's all about practice. One should be aware of the different methods â top-down, bottom-up, demand side, and supply-side approaches. We had a group of 4-5 people and used to practice random guesstimate every day. That helps you bring in new factors and memorize the demographics quickly.
Case Study: For case studies, I started with Victor Cheng videos and watched case-solving videos online. Getting a clear understanding of the frameworks and practicing enough to identify and lay out a clear structure at the beginning of a case is crucial. I practiced case studies with my friends and selected cases from different case books to get sufficient exposure to different kinds of cases.
CV: CV is perhaps the most critical part of the internship preparation. One should have a concise and well-rehearsed CV with a proper CV backup.
Company-specific: I interacted with seniors to understand the pattern and the type of interview. PWC interviews require command over basic concepts of operations and SCM. In all interviews, the questions are asked from an operations perspective. All the case studies were operations-oriented too.
What went right?
My previous work experience was as a SAP MM consultant. So, I was functional consultant closely working on procurement and inventory management. All my cases were based on what I had worked on. Besides, in the first 3 months, I had acquired knowledge of basic operations and SCM concepts which helped me in these interviews. They wanted to evaluate my clarity on the things I had worked and more importantly if I could build on that and use it in management consulting
Suggestions:
Practice cases and guesstimates regularly. Study the basic concepts of SCM, operations and accounting Practice operations cases as well. During the interviews, when prompted to ask any questions, please ask valid questions. In consulting, they assess the conversational ability of a candidate.
Guesstimates: Guesstimate preparation should be regular and spontaneous. Once I was familiar with the necessary numbers (demographic data) and the approaches, it's all about practice. One should be aware of the different methods â top-down, bottom-up, demand side, and supply-side approaches. We had a group of 4-5 people and used to practice random guesstimate every day. That helps you bring in new factors and memorize the demographics quickly.
Case Study: For case studies, I started with Victor Cheng videos and watched case-solving videos online. Getting a clear understanding of the frameworks and practicing enough to identify and lay out a clear structure at the beginning of a case is crucial. I practiced case studies with my friends and selected cases from different case books to get sufficient exposure to different kinds of cases.
CV: CV is perhaps the most critical part of the internship preparation. One should have a concise and well-rehearsed CV with a proper CV backup.
Company-specific: I interacted with seniors to understand the pattern and the type of interview. PWC interviews require command over basic concepts of operations and SCM. In all interviews, the questions are asked from an operations perspective. All the case studies were operations-oriented too.
What went right?
My previous work experience was as a SAP MM consultant. So, I was functional consultant closely working on procurement and inventory management. All my cases were based on what I had worked on. Besides, in the first 3 months, I had acquired knowledge of basic operations and SCM concepts which helped me in these interviews. They wanted to evaluate my clarity on the things I had worked and more importantly if I could build on that and use it in management consulting
Suggestions:
Practice cases and guesstimates regularly. Study the basic concepts of SCM, operations and accounting Practice operations cases as well. During the interviews, when prompted to ask any questions, please ask valid questions. In consulting, they assess the conversational ability of a candidate.
I applied via Campus Placement
3 Interview Rounds
1
Case Study Round
A firm needs to decide between on-premise, cloud, hybrid ERP based on financial analysis.
GD was entirely on ERP based case, feasibility analysis of Cloud vs On-premises, Agile vs Waterfall.
(10 minutes)
2
Case Study Round
Same group as case discussion would present their analysis to different panel using chart papers.
(10 minutes)
3
HR Round (1 Question)
- Q1. Based on CV, previous work experience, HR questions. Mostly cantered around understanding of Python/R, Knowledge of different Machine Learning algorithms, when ...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Preparation:
ERP concepts, Order to Cash, Procure to Pay cycles, Modules of ERP software, Different ERP offerings like Fusion, EBS, SAP, ERP forms, Cloud, Saas, Paas, Iaas, Public and private cloud, On-premise vs Cloud ERP and when to use each, Hybrid ERP, Conference Room Pilots, ERP project workflow, Career Opportunities, Role of Functional Consultant, Fit Gap Analysis, CV defence, HR questions, About Deloitte, Thoroughly read Deloitte website.
What went right?
When asked about any questions I had for the interviewer I focused on Deloitte articles that I read on their website that captured my attention, mostly on Gig Economy and Crowdsourcing of talent and the future of recruitment and the model in which companies would employ candidates, how Deloitte is enabling this for clients, Deloitte offered technologies in this sphere and what to expect for the future, I showed how much I researched about Deloitte's determination to help clients with their offering, interviewer was impressed that I had taken a keen interest in the company.
Suggestions:
Know fully well about ERP architecture, modules, prepare CV defence and HR questions well, and read up the latest news about Deloitte and it helps to know what they offer which is unique to them, this info will be available on their website, logically suggest frameworks and don't just speak out keywords for the sake of it in post GD presentation, have a well-structured form of presentation, let other's speak, focus on team work and address the question with the client in mind and what would truly help the client in such a situation and dissect the problem logically and structure solutions accordingly.
ERP concepts, Order to Cash, Procure to Pay cycles, Modules of ERP software, Different ERP offerings like Fusion, EBS, SAP, ERP forms, Cloud, Saas, Paas, Iaas, Public and private cloud, On-premise vs Cloud ERP and when to use each, Hybrid ERP, Conference Room Pilots, ERP project workflow, Career Opportunities, Role of Functional Consultant, Fit Gap Analysis, CV defence, HR questions, About Deloitte, Thoroughly read Deloitte website.
What went right?
When asked about any questions I had for the interviewer I focused on Deloitte articles that I read on their website that captured my attention, mostly on Gig Economy and Crowdsourcing of talent and the future of recruitment and the model in which companies would employ candidates, how Deloitte is enabling this for clients, Deloitte offered technologies in this sphere and what to expect for the future, I showed how much I researched about Deloitte's determination to help clients with their offering, interviewer was impressed that I had taken a keen interest in the company.
Suggestions:
Know fully well about ERP architecture, modules, prepare CV defence and HR questions well, and read up the latest news about Deloitte and it helps to know what they offer which is unique to them, this info will be available on their website, logically suggest frameworks and don't just speak out keywords for the sake of it in post GD presentation, have a well-structured form of presentation, let other's speak, focus on team work and address the question with the client in mind and what would truly help the client in such a situation and dissect the problem logically and structure solutions accordingly.
I applied via Campus Placement
2 Interview Rounds
1
HR Round (2 Questions)
- Q1. Justify the numbers present in my CV. Then I was asked why Consulting and then why Deloitte?
- Q2. Guesstimate: âHow much would a tea seller earn in a year by selling a tea on the roadside joint in Mumbaiâ
2
Case Study Round
There is a hardware company who is facing the issue of declining profits in the past 3 years. My role was to identify the problem and come up with the solutions.
(25 minutes)
I started by asking questions about the company, where is it based, how is the market in that geography doing, who are the competitors and how are they faring. Then I asked whether it is an industry wide problem or company specific problem. Then I reiterated the problem and asked if there is anything more expected out of me apart from finding the solution. (This is a good step. Initially, confirm all the external factors and reiterate the problem and the solution asked)- On this, I was told that it is an MNC company, headquartered out of Asia and the problem is primarily existing in the Asia region. Also, it is not an industry specific problem, on they are facing this issue.
I noted the points and started analyzing the problem from the cost and from the revenue point of view (This is the standard approach for a profit-loss case).
Then I was told that the approach is really good, and I should move forward with analyzing the problem from cost side. (They were highly impressed with my approach). Then I listed the factors like fixed cost issues, variable cost issues, misc. cost etc. And asked questions for each factor, that are they responsible for the increase in cost and in turn reduction of profit?
They told that I am moving in the right direction and gave me a sheet where there were complex calculations involved regarding the cost incurred by managers, consultants and labor to the company (They were testing my quantitative skills here). After I completed the complex calculations, they told me it is correct, and there is one major reason for the cost increase that I have already mentioned, and they want me to deep dive into it. I immediately jumped to misc. cost as I knew thatâs my answer, that during servicing stint, managers and consultants might be spending more money on external factors like, travel, stay, food, etc. which is actually not required and can be avoided.
My round ended there as my solution was bang on. They told me that they are highly impressed by both my rounds in their entire interviewing history, I was the quickest to solve the problem. In the interview itself, they told me that they are going to select me, and hence last 10 minutes was just a light discussion among ourselves.
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Stage 1 - CV Preparation: This is the first step and probably the most important step in all the cases, as this is the basis on which you would receive the shortlists. Consulting folks generally love numbers and hence, they would be searching the same in your resume. Hence the first trick here is to quantify each, and every point mentioned in the resume. Another important point here would be to keep the resume very simple and avoid using jargons to make it easily understandable. Get the same reviewed by professionals of different domains and make sure that the resume is crisp and easy to understand.
Stage 2: Setting the stage for Case studies and guesstimates: Now comes the actual preparation phase where the âConsultingâ preparations matter. Generally, the consulting interviews revolve around case studies and guesstimates and this where we need maximum preparation as the students are unaware about the structure and the approach to be followed while solving a case or guesstimates. A case is a small problem statement given along with the supporting data and a candidate is expected to arrive at the solution to the problem in approximately 20-30 minutesâ time. The book âCase in Pointâ is the best material to start with and know about different structures and approach that a student can take to solve a particular case.
In the later stages, Mckinsey case study can be referred. When it comes to preparation time, I would invest 3-4 hours a day in studying the frameworks and solving at least 2-3 case studies daily. Coming to guesstimates, a practice of 2 hours a day should be sufficient.
The best way to practice case and guestimates would be to form a group of 3-4 students and practice internally.
Study Sources: Case-In-Point, IIMA Casebook, Mckinsey Case book, Victor Cheng Videos.
What went right?
My confidence, and my performance in the first round was the main reason of my selection I feel because I feel they were already impressed by me before me even entering my second round.
Suggestions:
Be extremely well prepared with your resume, cases and guesstimates. Also, keep the discussion open and both ended. Involve the panelist in the discussion because they are interested to know the approach you take and thought process behind it, and not your solution. The sooner you impress them, the better it is for you. Do a very well thorough research about Deloitte, consulting life and why you fit in the consulting world. Be ready with all the HR answers and align all your answers with the vision and mission of Deloitte.
Stage 2: Setting the stage for Case studies and guesstimates: Now comes the actual preparation phase where the âConsultingâ preparations matter. Generally, the consulting interviews revolve around case studies and guesstimates and this where we need maximum preparation as the students are unaware about the structure and the approach to be followed while solving a case or guesstimates. A case is a small problem statement given along with the supporting data and a candidate is expected to arrive at the solution to the problem in approximately 20-30 minutesâ time. The book âCase in Pointâ is the best material to start with and know about different structures and approach that a student can take to solve a particular case.
In the later stages, Mckinsey case study can be referred. When it comes to preparation time, I would invest 3-4 hours a day in studying the frameworks and solving at least 2-3 case studies daily. Coming to guesstimates, a practice of 2 hours a day should be sufficient.
The best way to practice case and guestimates would be to form a group of 3-4 students and practice internally.
Study Sources: Case-In-Point, IIMA Casebook, Mckinsey Case book, Victor Cheng Videos.
What went right?
My confidence, and my performance in the first round was the main reason of my selection I feel because I feel they were already impressed by me before me even entering my second round.
Suggestions:
Be extremely well prepared with your resume, cases and guesstimates. Also, keep the discussion open and both ended. Involve the panelist in the discussion because they are interested to know the approach you take and thought process behind it, and not your solution. The sooner you impress them, the better it is for you. Do a very well thorough research about Deloitte, consulting life and why you fit in the consulting world. Be ready with all the HR answers and align all your answers with the vision and mission of Deloitte.
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