Coherent Market Insights Management Consultant Interview Questions and Answers

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be Genuine don’t get nervous and specify your key skills

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case 1: As I had worked in the healthcare industry for the last 2.5 years of career with Infosys. The interviewer made a case on the spot for the software industry and healthcare.
Nandan Nilakeni approaches you for advice on a product that can be created for the US healthcare industry. How do you analyze the situation?
Analysis
Since healthcare industry value chain has many players, structured case as focusing on the healthcare providers. Confirmed with interviewer. Bucketed the IT drivers into market trends, government regulation & operational efficiency.
Market trends
Discussed the broad trends in the US healthcare industry
f. Climbing health care costs
g. Government encouraging customers to take more responsibility for their health care spending
h. Creation of tax deductible Flexible spending accounts
i. Consumers transitioning to customers (earlier customers were the payers employers)
j. Need for more robust means of identifying customers and their medical history to manage chronic diseases
k. More consumer directed health plans being purchased
l. Importance of customer relationship management systems for health care providers (which currently doesn’t exist/ limited versions)
He further quizzed me about the apparent lack of IT systems in US HC providers. Asked me to explore historical reasons
Me:
1) Misaligned incentives for the providers vis-à-vis accrual of benefits from IT usage. Major beneficiaries are insurance companies.
2) Practicing Physicians less likely to make IT investment Government Regulation
Discussed high cost of regulation in the health care industry (1 of total health care spend)
Discussed HIPAA regulations as an example
Interviewer: Will the providers be able to meet the deadlines set by HIP? Talked about the security and portability aspects of HIPAA, Timelines for each phase etc
Me : Compliance will drive some of the major health spending. Ease of enhancement for regulatory compliance will be one of the important aspects of the IT product.

Operational Efficiency:
Me: Accidental deaths from inefficient and error-prone process within hospitals. Operational efficiency to be improved. Importance of IT systems like CPOE, EHR gaining importance. Potential toreduce errors. Standardization of processes within hospitals
increases scope for productization.
Interviewer: To summarize, what are the most important aspects which favor product development as opposed to customized application development in the health care industry ?
Me: Standardization of requirements is one. Regulatory compliance is another.

Asked if I have any questions.

In the second interview I was given another case.
Client is a no 1 boiler manufacturer in India. He is now witnessing
reduce profits. Advise .
Laid out the structure--- Client (his product lines, pricing, distribution channel), competition (change in competitors, their strategy wrt product lines, distribution), Customers (size, preferences), Industry (regulatory, new technology) and cost dynamics (fixed, variable, etc).Interviewer was happy with the structure and said he wanted hypothesis as to why is he losing profits:
• New competitors have come up with diff technology for boilers
–NO
• The market size for boilers has shrunk (due to changes in the
industry they have been rendered redundant)
• Price war in the industry – reduced profitability – YES
Then I explored how the competitors are offering a lower price. After delving through each item on cost structure, Supply chain, etc; it appeared that it was because the competitors used a new technology to manufacture boilers --- This tech required LESS raw material (steel) per unit of boiler because the manner in which Steel was being cut (he gave some technical knowledge) -boy….this took some time to get to…in fact interviewer helped out here !!!

Discussed about the trends in IT off-shoring. Asked him about the next wave of off-shoring from Infrastructure management business and how well prepared the Indian players are to meet this challenge in his opinion ?


General Tips: Stick to a detailed and precise answer while solving for the case.
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - First know the basics of Saleforce.com for functional role then you dive into all great features in Salesforce.

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - The Interview was conducted in 3 stages.
Stage 1: Technical - The Capability lead has taken interview which lasted for over 45 mins.
Stage 2: Senior Leadership - Personal, Work, Team Level questions with a check on team fitment, work culture. It lasted for 45+ mins.
Stage 3: HR Round - HR will advice on polities, benefits, work culture, financial offer, opportunities.

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be prepared to solve industrial or business-specific case studies. Also, be ready to answer a few behavioural questions.

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be well prepared on the experience you listed in your resume

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be confident. Know what you answering

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - * keep your basics strong and up to date.
* Speak with confidence.
* Communicate well.
* Its the best practice to say No to something which you don't know, rather than beating around the bush and answering nonsense.
* Dress well, because of the first impression factor.