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Parthenon - EY Interview Questions, Process, and Tips

Updated 24 Dec 2015

Top Parthenon - EY Interview Questions and Answers

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Parthenon - EY Interview Experiences

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9 interviews found

Interview Questionnaire 

4 Questions

  • Q1. Discussion on economics of Multiplex Chain based in City of Kolkata
  • Q2. Market Entry case (In India) of a healthcare giant that has built a product that cures Cataract
  • Q3. Investigation of profitability issues of a Coffee Vending Machine Operator
  • Q4. Investment Attractiveness of K12 (Kindergarten-Class 12) type school chains in India
  • Ans. 

    Investment attractiveness of K12 school chains in India

    • Growing demand for quality education in India

    • Increasing disposable income of parents

    • Government initiatives to promote education

    • Potential for expansion and scalability

    • Examples: Delhi Public School, DAV Public School, Podar Education Network

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Typically for any top tier management consulting firm there is a resume shortlist followed by interviews. Generally, these firms shortlist around 30-40 candidates. After shortlists there was telephonic round where candidates were judged on case interviews.The first interview was more of a guesstimate where I was mostly checked on my numbers. Its always better to be a little slow rather than incorrect. The second case was a long business case which lasted for an hour or so. The interviewers look for objectivity in candidates approach while solving such problems. 
Tips: Try to convert the interview into a conversationNever be wrong in your calculations, it leaves a bad impressionSpeak out loud whatever you are thinkingBe objective in your approachPractice Case Interviews with peers - IIM A,B casebooks, Wharton Casebook, Case in point 

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: These were final round of interviews where candidates were judged solely on the base of case interviews. The first case was more of a numbers case followed by a more business oriented problem.
Tips: Same as I have mentioned for the first roundAlso I would advise you to be extremely confident during the interview Good communication skills is a must for any management consulting firms. 

General Tips: Be confident always even you screw up somewhere in the middle.
College Name: IIT Kharagpur
Motivation: Big Brand in Management ConsultingCompensation benefitsExponential Learning Curve
Funny Moments: I was the last candidate to be interviewed by the firm. Nearly thought I had lost the company.

Associate Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. There are 2 cricket teams, A and B, with 11 players each. If every player of team A shakes hands with every player of team B(once), what will be the total number of handshakes?
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Interview Questionnaire 

1 Question

  • Q1. Don't Remeber

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: I have a good resume and hence got shortlisted. You need to have a couple of big spikes to get shortlisted in a big consulting firm such as Parthenon.
Tips: Start preparing your resume early in August for Placements so that you can get it review by as many people as possible.

Round: Interview
Experience: Good experience.
Tips: Try to be very very effective in your communication. Be clear and slow in your approach. They key for a case interview is not to run and search for an answer but to get into a sweet conversation with interviewer so that he can understand what you mean. Also try to follow a very structured and clear approach. 

In terms of preparation, start with Victor Cheng lectures move on to Case in Point and try to apply all that you learned with Victor Cheng onto Case in Point cases.

Then do advanced cases with IIM A case book, try to ask some friends from Tier 1 B schools to run mock cases for you.

For a third level, contact people in company and request them to run a mock case. This is very crucial as they will always do a fresh case with you and those cases are most likely to challenge you, These case also act as a mock interview to you. Atleast practice 30 cases before going.

General Tips: 'll just say one thing - try to spend a few minutes and convince yourself that you can do it / believe that you can do it  It enhances on the spot performance if you can go into the interview, as they say, on the front foot!

This really helped me!
Skill Tips: Speak well and slow
Skills: Communication, Clarity, Confidence, Structure in approach
College Name: IIT KHARAGPUR
Motivation: Great exposure to business. International Travel. Salary and obviously a Tier 1 consult

Associate Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. There are 2 cricket teams, A and B, with 11 players each. If every player of team A shakes hands with every player of team B(once), what will be the total number of handshakes?
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Parthenon - EY Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers
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Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

user image Vikas Panjwani

posted on 11 Dec 2015

I applied via Referral

Interview Questionnaire 

1 Question

  • Q1. There is a college in Malaysia and it has been witnessing a fall in the number of students enrolled every year.(Case Type-Profitability)
  • Ans. 

    The college in Malaysia is experiencing a decline in student enrollment each year.

    • Identify the reasons for the decline in student enrollment

    • Analyze the competitive landscape and market trends

    • Evaluate the college's marketing and recruitment strategies

    • Consider the quality of education and facilities offered

    • Assess the affordability and financial aid options available

    • Explore potential partnerships or collaborations with ot

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: There were no PI questions. I was only told one thing before he laid out the case facts – ‘Vikas, let me warn you upfront, this is going to be a very complex case and nobody today in the interviews has been able to crack it.” I do not know whether that was indeed the case or it was just a psychological ploy to make the circumstances more challenging.
One important skill that is helpful in such cases is the ability to ‘Zoom in’ and ‘Zoom Out’ frequently. Such cases would require you to keep the bigger picture in mind and not get too bogged down at any time of the case. Remember the interviewer is looking for your skills and ability and not for the solution of the case
Tips: It was extremely important to be calm in this interview as I kept meeting dead ends. I think one of the qualities being tested here was how the candidate reacts in adverse circumstances. These are the cases where being structured helps immensely as there is a high possibility that you might not get to the right answer. My advice would be to keep practicing this skill as much as possible, until it becomes a habit and comes out naturally


Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. How would you pass an entry for travel expenses incurred and paid by employee and was reimbursed? How would the end to end flow happens
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Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

user image Vikas Panjwani

posted on 11 Dec 2015

I applied via Referral

Interview Questionnaire 

1 Question

  • Q1. Case Type- An exhaustive written case

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case Narration
I had no break between any of the three interviews. After back to back 2 rounds, I was handed a 25 slides deck with loads of numbers, charts and graphs and interviews of key management personnel of the company. The interviewer gave me exactly 30 minutes to:
- Read the case and make sense of the bigger picture
- Analyze the numbers, charts and graphs and identify the trends
- Identify the potential problems (what the company is doing wrong)
- Try and figure out possible reasons for each of these problems
- Lay out an approach if I were to do this assignment in real life
- Use the white board in order to make a presentation to him (he was acting as the CEO of the Client company)

While it is extremely difficult to reproduce the case facts and approach here, I will cover some Dos and Don’ts below
Tips: Some Do’s:
1. Skim the case in the first 2-3 minutes identifying the flow of the case and how data heavy it is.
2. Spend the next 10-12 minutes quickly going through the slides and jotting down takeaways from each slide. Typically, each slide won’t have more than 1 -2 key takeaways.
3. Spend the next 5 minutes linking everything together and putting a story together and identifying 3-4 top issues.
4. Strictly reserve the last 10 minutes to use the white board and jot down the key issues, supporting numbers and your approach if you were to solve this case in real life. Do not over-write, just keep it as a reference for the Partner.
5. There might be client management interviews in the slide deck – they serve as important guides in order to identify the issues.

Some Don’ts:
1. Do not miss (at least) glancing through any slide. Make sure you cover all slides. It’s embarrassing to not know what’s on a particular slide at all in case the partner refers to it during the discussion.
2. Do not treat it as a normal case interview conversation. This is a business presentation, and hence the softer aspects of presentation get noticed all the more

Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. How would you pass an entry for travel expenses incurred and paid by employee and was reimbursed? How would the end to end flow happens
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Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

user image Vikas Panjwani

posted on 11 Dec 2015

I applied via Referral

Interview Questionnaire 

5 Questions

  • Q1. Why do you want to switch from a finance role to consulting role.
  • Ans. 

    I want to leverage my financial expertise to help companies make strategic decisions and improve their operations.

    • Desire to work on a wider range of projects and industries

    • Ability to apply financial knowledge to solve complex business problems

    • Interest in working closely with clients to drive positive change

    • Opportunity to develop new skills and expand professional network

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Don’t you think you are moving away from your core strengths (finance) and becoming a generalist?
  • Ans. 

    I believe that expanding my skills beyond finance allows me to offer a more holistic approach to problem-solving.

    • While finance is my core strength, I have also developed expertise in other areas such as strategy, operations, and technology.

    • Being a generalist allows me to see the bigger picture and connect different aspects of a business to drive better outcomes.

    • For example, my finance background helps me analyze data a...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Why don’t you want to go back to KPMG at a senior position?
  • Ans. 

    I am seeking new challenges and opportunities for growth in my career.

    • I have gained valuable experience and skills at KPMG, but I feel that it is time for me to explore new horizons.

    • I am looking for a role that offers more responsibility and the chance to work on diverse projects.

    • I believe that joining a different organization will expose me to different perspectives and ways of working, which will enhance my professio...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. What do we do at Parthenon?
  • Ans. 

    Parthenon is a consulting firm that provides strategic advice and solutions to clients across various industries.

    • Parthenon offers services such as market research, competitive analysis, and growth strategy development.

    • They work with clients to identify opportunities for expansion, improve operational efficiency, and drive revenue growth.

    • Parthenon has expertise in sectors like healthcare, technology, consumer goods, and...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. Estimate the number of printers in India (Case Type-Guesstimate)
  • Ans. 

    Estimating the number of printers in India.

    • Start by estimating the number of households in India

    • Assume a percentage of households that own printers

    • Consider the number of businesses and organizations that may have printers

    • Factor in the number of educational institutions and government offices

    • Take into account the population density and urban-rural divide

    • Consider the growth rate of technology adoption in India

    • Use availab...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: HR Interview
Experience: this round was a mix of PI questions as well as one Guesstimate. The interviewer was trying to gauge my motivation of applying to Parthenon and the reason of switching from a core finance profile to consulting role. There were a few counter questions to whatever I had to say about my motivation, essentially to determine whether or not they should be spending their time interviewing me.

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: As we know, there is no right or wrong approach or answer such questions. I started by breaking down the problem on the basis of use of the product. I divided the printers into corporate uses, residential uses and other uses.
As for corporate uses, I further divided it into Tier I, Tier II and Tier III cities. For each of the cities, I used the following approach:

India’s total population >> Population in Tier I / II / III cities / >> Division of population into age brackets >> Estimation of working population basis the age classification >> Estimate number of working people per printer Summing up the 3 city types, this would give total printers for corporate use.
For residential uses, I used the income approach for households and used the number of households in India as the starting point. Number of households >> Classification on the basis of Rural and Urban households >> Classification on the basis of income of each household >> Assumed a hit % for households only above a certain income level in Urban cities
For other uses, I primarily had Schools and Colleges in mind and went about estimating this using the population as the starting point.
India’s total population >> Population in Rural and urban >> Division of population into age brackets >> Estimate school and college going population >> Estimate average number of students per School / College >> Estimate number of printers per School / College Add everything up. Ask yourself whether the number looks realistic – Give your opinion whether it’s a conservative estimate or an optimistic estimate. Summarize the case.
Tips: Be very confident during PI. That is one thing which is completely in your control. The more you think about it and practice, the better you will get at it. PI is the only way for the recruiter to know you as a person, the rationale about your choices in life and whether you can stand your ground when pushed a bit. A good PI is more than half the job done (for that round).

The case was not a very tough one and since we had already spent considerable time on PI, the interviewer told me to go real quick about the case. There is no right or wrong answer to guesstimates, but there are certain things that you must follow in order to seem structured. A few do’s for guesstimates:
1. Narrow down meaning of the “product” ask clarifying questions
2. Think of various uses of the product and break the problem down.
3. Walk the interviewer through at each step – He wants to know how you are approaching the problem!
4. Give your prima facie opinion whether the answer looks reasonable – it is absolutely ok to arrive at an answer which is way off its mark
5. If possible, tell the interviewer the single most assumption you made in your approach To sum up it, guesstimates are not as arbitrary as they might look. There is a method to the madness

Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. How would you pass an entry for travel expenses incurred and paid by employee and was reimbursed? How would the end to end flow happens
View answer (8)

Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

user image Aakansha Sethi

posted on 11 Dec 2015

I applied via Referral

Interview Questionnaire 

3 Questions

  • Q1. Number of roller coaster rides in the US in a year.(Case Type- Guesstimate)
  • Ans. 

    Estimate the number of roller coaster rides in the US per year.

    • Identify the number of amusement parks in the US

    • Estimate the average number of roller coasters per park

    • Determine the average daily ridership per roller coaster

    • Multiply the number of coasters by the daily ridership and the number of operating days per year

    • Adjust for seasonal variations and special events

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Determine if a PE firm should invest in a timeshare based travel company- they've been making some profits but have now stagnated
  • Q3. Was given a slide deck and asked to identify the problem and present the case

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case solving as well as PI, 4 rounds of interviews.
Since I had work-ex as a journalist- will you be able to work as a consultant- do you have the requisite skill set- I spoke about my strengths which were unique- was asked to give concrete examples.
Tips: Practice, Practice, Practice and do as many different types of cases as possible. I didn't have a very quantitative background, so did my math with all the steps but ensured it was correct- make sure you don't make calculation errors

Round: Case Study Interview
Tips: The case went pretty well. Takeaways- Structure is very important. By the end of case prep you should be drawing up your own frameworks. Victor Cheng's videos are a good place to start. Along with group case prep, doing cases individually is a good way to internalize the concepts. Core term concepts have to be very clear. Consult and get feedback from the interviewer at every stage while solving the case

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: The company was a scientific instruments company- sales data and market share data had to be analyzed- the company was present in too many categories and hence wasn't being able to specialize. However they rated extremely high on service- this mean the sales force was very skilled but was spread thin due to the number of categories they were present in. For this round my key reccos: 1. Go through all the slides- each slide will have a key take away 2. A story will start forming in your head- this is where listening carefully in class and practicing cases kicks in. 3. Write the points on the board simultaneously- doing them on paper first and then writing on the white board wastes time. 4. Reference page numbers on the white board so when you're making the presentation you aren't fumbling through the pages to find the relevant numbers. 5. Practice presentation skills.
Round 4 Partner round:
This round was with a partner where they asked me why a journalist wanted to become a consultant and if I'd be able to cope with the long hours. I gave an honest answer for both- this is better than having standard interview answers. I had bullet points for 50 or so PI questions. Other takeaways from the year: 1. Identify what you want to achieve in this year- and make a plan to achieve it before you get here- because during the year there isn't much time. 2. I did not have conventional corporate work ex- and for someone with a similar profile- you will have to work extra hard at mastering the concepts. 3. There's nothing that can replace practice for the case prep- so do as many cases as possible. 4. Speaking to alums about their experiences is very helpful- seek all the help you can get. 5. Begin CV review by August.


Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. How would you pass an entry for travel expenses incurred and paid by employee and was reimbursed? How would the end to end flow happens
View answer (8)

Interview Questions & Answers

user image Anonymous

posted on 22 Dec 2015

Interview Questionnaire 

2 Questions

  • Q1. Case Questions: There is a company in UK which organizes outdoor trips for field students. A private equity company wants to pick up a stake in the firm and wants to assess the validity of the claims of co...
  • Ans. 

    To assess the validity of market share claims of a UK outdoor trip company for a private equity investment.

    • Conduct market research to understand the competitive landscape and market trends in the outdoor trip industry in the UK.

    • Analyze the company's revenue data in comparison to industry benchmarks to determine market share.

    • Evaluate customer feedback, reviews, and testimonials to gauge the company's reputation and mark...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Case Questions: This round is specific to Parthenon. I was given a 25-30 pager document on a real client situation with a LOT of numbers and I had to come up with a project proposal. I was left alone for 3...

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: For a second I thought that the case of around assessing if the revenues of the company were reported correctly. So I wrote the formula:Revenues = No of students going of trips per year * Number of trips per students But after going astray for a min I realized that I have to estimate the total market size. Then the usual line of questioning of what is the population of UK – 60 Mn (given by interviewer) -> Assuming uniform distribution -> trips organized for people in the age group 7yrs – 15yrs (given) - > attenuate
further to estimate total number of people going for such trips - > further I asked if I should attenuate on affordability but it was not required.At this point I had forgot to question on the lines of number of trips per person and interviewer pointed this out. Thankfully, I had written it earlier in front of him and he was ok. We briefly chatted about my restaurant business and then interviewer asked if I had any questions. I asked how did he see Parthenon evolving and he explained that he still expected the office to be small but doing meaningful work.

Writing the formula early on helped not goof up. Didn’t get mired in a lot of detail

Could have remembered the other parameter


Tips: The simplicity of this case is actually what throws people off track. The case was simply about estimating the total market size of the outdoor trips industry and then assessing if the market share claimed = actual market share. So just be grounded in basics.


Round: Personal interview
Experience: We just discussed about my restaurant business. What went well and why did it not work. Then moving on to the viability of organized food services business but really no case. Just conversation.

I tried to point out to key business insights in a structured fashion. I disagreed a lot but was polite.


Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: After I was ready all the members of the interview panel came into the room and I started presenting. They agreed with the overall though process but the discussion ultimately hinged on why the production process is not cost effective. I pointed out to the economies of scale issue but was shot down. I pointed out to operational inefficiencies but was shot down. We were going round and round on this and it was really late in the night. But I forced myself to think from a fresh perspective
after taking a break of one min. I realized that there is an issue of learning curve here (Economics of strategy, competitive strategy – competitive advantage of Intel) which I presented. The discussion abruptly ended there as interviewer was specifically looking for this insight and I was made an offer on the spot.

I think I did a fairly good job of extracting key business insights and didn’t get lost in numbers. I used the board effectively and laid out a storyboard for the presentation. What also helped was that when pushed to come up with more ideas, I did not give up, did not lose my cool and was continuously thinking on my feet


Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

user image Abhinav Mital

posted on 24 Dec 2015

I applied via Walk-in

Interview Questionnaire 

1 Question

  • Q1. Client is a dollar store owner and has experienced a drop in revenues over the past year.
  • Ans. 

    The drop in revenues for the dollar store owner can be attributed to various factors.

    • Analyze the market trends and competition to identify any changes in consumer behavior or preferences.

    • Evaluate the store's pricing strategy and assess if it is competitive compared to other dollar stores or discount retailers.

    • Review the store's inventory management and ensure a diverse range of products that cater to customer demands.

    • A...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: This seemed as a standard revenue based case. however, the interviewer was not very interested in identifying one root problem but a breadth of problems that could influence revenues and more importantly the parameters or “symptoms” one should look for. I started with the understanding of the problem – how much drop in revenues, understand dollar stores, location of client, trend in revenue drop (geography, or store type). After having a good understanding of the situation, I decided to take a 3 Cs approach to diagnose the situation. Some problems uncovered were as follows – 1. slowdown of the economy. Consumer purchase decreasing 2. increase in competition. (possibly because of higher import opportunities) 3. geographical impact of competition 4. changing purchase behaviour at stores 5. decrease in repeat customers I followed up the diagnoses with solutions for each problem. The interviewer wanted to assess my ability to think about a wide variety of issues rather than go into a detailed discussion about one particular topic. On retrospect, I think that for a strategy consulting firm like Parthenon, they are more interested in macro level analysis than micro level.
Tips: Parthenon is strategy consulting. They will ask cases which have similar flavor as you would see in my next case interview.

Skills: Case Analysis
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

Consultant Interview Questions asked at other Companies

Q1. How would you pass an entry for travel expenses incurred and paid by employee and was reimbursed? How would the end to end flow happens
View answer (8)

Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

user image Viren Pereira

posted on 24 Dec 2015

I applied via Walk-in

Interview Questionnaire 

6 Questions

  • Q1. Tell me about yourself
  • Ans. 

    I am a dedicated and experienced consultant with a strong background in problem-solving and client management.

    • Over 5 years of experience in consulting roles

    • Skilled in analyzing data and providing strategic recommendations

    • Proven track record of successfully managing client relationships

    • Strong communication and presentation skills

    • Certified in relevant consulting methodologies

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Why Consulting
  • Ans. 

    Passion for problem-solving and helping clients achieve their goals.

    • Enjoy working on diverse projects and industries

    • Opportunity to continuously learn and grow

    • Ability to make a significant impact on client's success

    • Variety of challenges keeps work interesting

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Why Parthenon
  • Ans. 

    Parthenon is a top consulting firm known for its strategic approach, diverse client base, and impactful solutions.

    • Parthenon has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality strategic advice to clients

    • The firm works with a diverse range of clients across various industries, providing a broad perspective on business challenges

    • Parthenon's solutions are known for being innovative and impactful, driving real results for

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. Are you interested in strategy consulting
  • Ans. 

    Yes, I am interested in strategy consulting.

    • I have a strong interest in analyzing market trends and developing strategic plans.

    • I enjoy problem-solving and finding innovative solutions for businesses.

    • I have experience in conducting research and presenting recommendations to clients.

    • I am familiar with frameworks such as SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, and PESTEL analysis.

    • I am excited about the opportunity to work wi

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. Do you have any questions for me
  • Q6. A store in a chain of retail department stores was experiencing a drop in profitability. Diagnose the problem
  • Ans. 

    The drop in profitability in a store in a chain of retail department stores needs to be diagnosed.

    • Analyze the sales data to identify any trends or patterns

    • Evaluate the store's pricing strategy and compare it to competitors

    • Assess the store's inventory management and identify any issues with stock levels

    • Review customer feedback and satisfaction levels

    • Examine the store's marketing and advertising efforts

    • Consider external ...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: HR Interview
Experience: 1. Prepared answers to the basic questions in particular why firm ABC
2. Demonstrated enthusiasm. Spent over 20 minutes after he had asked his basic questions discussing Parthenon’s plans in India. It was more of a conversation and helped build connect.
Tips: 1. Do your reading about the areas of work that the Firm does so that you can engage the interviewer in a conversation [Source: Website, alums etc]
2. Prepare your basic questions and do mock PI sessions
3. Believe that you will crack the interview when you enter. The mental confidence does wonders.

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Started off by understanding the context to the case. A handy tool I would use to ensure I asked all the relevant questions was:
1. Did I understand every word in the problem definition e.g.: Drop in profitability by how much, since when, is it drop in absolute terms or percentage terms, what is the profitability trends for competitors in the industry
2. 5 Ws: Who, Why, When, Where, What V: What products does the retail store offer KK: Ordinary department store. Offers everything from electronic goods to vegetables to packaged foods etc
Me: Is it experiencing a fall in profitability in all products or certain segments
Interviewer: All
Me: What is the profitability trend of other competitors
Interviewer: Profitability has been stable although our chain is well below the industry average
Me: I am not very familiar with this business. Could you explain to me what the value chain would be like?
Interviewer: Standard procurement model. There are well-established suppliers for each product category. The goods are procured, markup price is applied by each store manager and goods are sold to retail customers
Me: What has the trend of costs been for the company
Interviewer: Costs have been stable
Me: Okay, so the problem as I see it is that this particular store has been seeing a drop in profits (absolute terms) over the last two years. We need to establish what it is that is causing the fall in profitability and what we can do.
Interview:er Sure go ahead
Me: I’m going to take a minute to structure how I want to think about this problem
Interviewer: Sure, go ahead V: Profitability = (P-VC)*Q – FC
Me: Broke down each leg of the equation into variables that would affect them.
Interviewer: Great I like the structure. Proceed V: Here’s where I got stumped. For the next 5 mins I made the mistake of not following my structure and asking some general questions about cost. I learnt that cost was RM was 60% of COGS, 20% labor and 10% Fixed Cost allocation. After probing I found out that costs were stable and that was no further potential to reduce the costs further. Then I touched on price and found that they had not touched ‘list price’ for a long time. Based on my questions I also learnt that volumes were actually increasing. That’s when I hit a wall. I was thinking to myself. Costs are stable. Price is stable. Quantity is increasing. How the hell is profitability falling? All the while
Interviewer is stone faced.
Me: I think I am pushing myself into a corner. Do you think there is something I am missing. KK: I think your structure was fine. Implicitly I sensed he was telling me to get back to my structure and ask him questions.
Me: I started with Price and was about to ask the first question when he said
Interviewer: Do you know what the revenue trends are like. Just thought you may want to know what revenue is like before you proceed.
Me: Sure, Can you tell me what their revenue trends have been.
Interviewer: Revenue has been falling
Interviewer: Okay. Just before we proceed I want to know whether you understand the relationship between COGS and revenue.
Me: Sure. As you sell more your COGS should increase proportionately assuming no significant changes in goods supplied, labour etc Now we are saying revenue is decreasing despite increasing COGS (absolute terms). This could mean one of two things since revenue is: Revenue = P*Q Quantity sold is falling. But we already established that volumes have been increasing evenly across the board or That effective price at which I am selling to the customer (effective being net of discounts, mark downs etc) is actually lower than the list price
Interviewer: He smiles (The first in over 20 minutes and I know I am on the right track). Great. I just wanted to establish that you understood the relationship. I think it is the latter. Proceed.
Me: Okay. So we know that a substantial part of the problem is that store managers are actually selling the products much below the list price.
Interviewer: Exactly. Why do you think this is the case?
Me: At this point I clarified whether he wanted me to finish the unasked questions in my structure and he said, “No. I think we have isolated the problem”.
Me: Since this was effectively a new problem, I asked for a minute to articulate what the potential causes could be. This is critical whenever a new question emerges in your problem. Do not answer off the cuff or it will seem like you are shooting arrows in the dark.
Me: I see three potential reasons: 1. Incentives: Retail store managers incentives are aligned to sales and not profitability and therefore he is cutting prices to increase volume 2. Buyer behavior: Customers have become more price sensitive. [On hindsight that did not make sense as this would have affected all department stores in the area] 3. Competition: Has there been any change in the competitive landscape.
Interviewer: Good points. So the store manager’s incentives are aligned to individual store performance. However let us ignore the case of manipulation. As far as your third point is concerned. Yes. Wal-Mart has opened a store recently next to this particular retail store and the store manager is being forced to compete with Wal-Mart’s ....
Me: I smile and say “Everyday low prices” [Thank you Prof. Rajiv Banker. We did a case on Wal-Mart twice with Prof. Banker]
Interviewer: Smiles right back and says yes. Whenever you are looking at a decision see the influence of your 4 Cs. Customer, Channel, Cost and Competition.
Me: Would you like me to explore potential solutions.
Interviewer: No. That’s fine. Let’s proceed to the next part of the question.
Interviewer: A software product company approaches the store manager with customer relationship management software that will enable the store to run a promotions and loyalty program. The store manager wants to know whether he should make the investment.
Me: Clarificatory questions. 1. Over what time frame are we evaluating this decision – 1 year 2. Are we considering only the acquisition cost in the decision or do we have to include operating expenses and training costs etc – Only acquisition cost. Assume it to be a onetime flat fee.
Me: We need to do break-even analysis and see whether we are likely to generate additional sales over the next year that will cover the acquisition cost.
Me: BEV Sales (units) = Acquisition cost/P-VC
Me: We need to compare this number with our expected increase in sales over the next year on account of this investment and see whether there is consistency.
Tips: Interviewer likes standard frameworks/equations. Don’t water down your structure with variations like the Internal vs. External factors.

Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)

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Consultant Interview Questions & Answers

BCG user image Neha Kalra

posted on 21 Dec 2015

I applied via Walk-in

Interview Questionnaire 

7 Questions

  • Q1. Girls on the manufacturing floor”
  • Q2. Manufacturing as a career
  • Ans. 

    Manufacturing offers diverse career opportunities in various industries.

    • Manufacturing provides a wide range of job roles, from production line workers to engineers and managers.

    • It offers opportunities to work in different industries such as automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and more.

    • Manufacturing careers often involve problem-solving, innovation, and continuous improvement.

    • There are various specializations with...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Why MBA?
  • Ans. 

    An MBA will provide me with the necessary skills, knowledge, and network to excel in the business world.

    • Acquire essential business knowledge and skills such as finance, marketing, and strategy

    • Develop leadership and management abilities through practical projects and case studies

    • Expand professional network through interactions with classmates, alumni, and industry professionals

    • Enhance career opportunities and earning po

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. Why ISB?
  • Ans. 

    ISB offers a diverse and rigorous curriculum, top-notch faculty, strong alumni network, and excellent career opportunities.

    • ISB's diverse student body and faculty bring a global perspective to the learning experience.

    • The school's rigorous curriculum ensures students are well-prepared for the challenges of the business world.

    • ISB's strong alumni network provides valuable connections and support for career advancement.

    • The ...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. “there is a company in the telecom sector and has a product “X” – this X is a necessity in telecom and the company has been making good profits for the last 4 years – like 40% gross margin.. and now sudden...
  • Ans. 

    The CEO should diversify the company's product portfolio and explore new markets to overcome the stagnant revenue and profits in the telecom sector.

    • Diversify the product portfolio to reduce reliance on a single product

    • Explore new markets and industries where the product can be applicable

    • Invest in research and development to innovate and create new products

    • Improve marketing and sales strategies to reach a wider customer...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q6. “”Our client is in telecom, profitability is at 10% and they want 25%.. what should they do? ”
  • Ans. 

    To increase profitability from 10% to 25%, the telecom client should focus on cost reduction, revenue growth, and operational efficiency.

    • Identify and reduce unnecessary costs and expenses

    • Increase pricing or introduce new revenue streams

    • Improve customer retention and acquisition

    • Optimize operational processes and streamline workflows

    • Invest in technology and innovation to drive efficiency

    • Explore partnerships or mergers to...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q7. “Tata is coming with nano, what do you think it’s a threat or an opportunity for other players in the market..”
  • Ans. 

    The Tata Nano can be seen as both a threat and an opportunity for other players in the market.

    • Threat: The Tata Nano's low price and affordability may attract customers away from other players in the market.

    • Opportunity: The introduction of the Tata Nano may stimulate overall demand for small, affordable cars, benefiting all players in the market.

    • Threat: Other players may need to lower their prices or introduce competiti...

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: I asked him about the product X? and how important it is for the telecom service providers? is it a big part of their costs ? – he said some arbit stuff – this was a hint that it was a bigger overall strategy case and not into details – so I defined the case as – the CEO wants to know, what to do to increase the profits both in short and long term – he said yes - I immediately moved to the standard profit loss framework and started looking at revenue first - he said OK – I said profit = Price* Quantity and went to pricing... he had said that the telecom service providers were not very sensitive to pricing in the business.. so I dint come to reducing the pricing... I asked about the competitive landscape – our client is 35% business... it went on and on an on ..... could not reach anywhere.. so we went to costs... discussed everything.. excess capacity.. joint ventures.. MnA,..still nothing..so he said.(the discussion was a very intelligent substance discussion.. not general profit loss cases.). – we had a great discussion on both prices and quantity,, why don’t u see decreasing the price – I said.. “ooooooo I thot of it, but then u said that the players are insensitive to price “ - he said “ they WERE, the whole industry as I told u is seeing some problems” – PICK UP THE HINTS... -- once he said this I went to the cost structure of the firm again – I said that our client can play price war only if a) his variable costs are lower than competitors variable costs and he is playing on high investment low variable cost model (reliance model) – he said YES it is exactly this way – I said OK , then let him price X above his variable cost but below the others variable costs and drive the competition away. – I also said, to speeden this up he should in fact price it lower than his variable costs also (extremely low and he can afford it because he has cash with him as he has been on 40% profits for the last 4 – 5 years.. so there should not be an issue on the working capital side – he sair “great” .. he wanted to stop and asked me to summarize the case.. – I summarized the case, and also gave some more ideas like .. seeing the cost and benefit of doing away with excess capacity rite now and adding again when the market is doing good, buying high fixed cost players in the sector.. etcc etc.. a lot more.. – he patiently listened to everything Then he asked me if I had anything to ask him? I asked similar question as I asked in Mck – “ has India become a net contributor to the knowledge base..- he told me about low cost Indian manufacturing.. I said cool... and he said super cool!
Tips: a) work on your resume b) Make the resume in such a way that irrespective of whatever – the you are able to guide the interviewer to THE thing you want to talk about – link all answers to that DO NOT OVERPREPARE – DON’T LOOSE YOUR NATURAL SELF

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Upfront questions – where in the value chain? – ans.. they make towers and maintain them .. and into providing services too.—so I asked details on the portfolio of services and portfolio of work of tower etc. – he gave me everything including margins.. so margins in tower making etc were low – I asked him if he is sure that its not just an accounting issue.—he appreciated the point and said .. no, they do ABC and might be small accounting issues but not really one—I said ok.. and moved on to profitability framework .. revenue – costs --- so I said we will look at the tower making etc.. (pareto) – he said perfect.. – went to revenue... he hinted therez nothing there , I said great! Jumped to costs (didn’t waste time at all) - asked him costs heads .. he gave the following .. – a) Tower making, b) people c) administration (I don’t remember the terminology correctly but the remember the discussion) Discussion on tower making – I said “ so Navneet, what does it include” – he said making and servicing and maintaining and some back office work – so I said following can be wrong (BE CREATIVE, I started throwing solutions/ideas) (i) are the people skilled? Know how much material are they using (extra material = extra cost) (ii) is the quality of material too high (more than required quality increases the costs) (iii) is there rework happening? – are people good?(iv) What kind of designs are there – he said there are various different types of designs – I asked why? – he said no one knows – I said .. are they required? – he said , no – I said then standardize the design! He looked happy – so I started throwing more ! – he said no, lets move on to other ones Discussion on people – people cost = wage * numbera) are outsourced people expensive – yes they are – are they doing some specialized job? – not really, they can be replaced – then replace them b) can we multiskill people – yeah we can – then do that! c) Can we move our service centers to low cost destinations – yes we can d) Can we reallocate people to reduce number of people – yes we can – but can we fire them? – are they unionized? – yes they are and he appreciated the point that I touched upon the fact that the unions are tough to handle ( learning : know your industry, small things can make you win the case Discussion on administration a) planning happening ok? – no – so scheduling, audits have to be done again and again (I did not come up with this point alone. It was a result of a thorough discussion .

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: i said – its an opportunity (no structure , we were taking a walk after all) because it opens up a full market – he said ‘ what shud the competitors do” – I kept on saying a lot of things... - they should lobby with government to stop this .. bla bla bla bla – the discussion was round and round and round.. I was tired with my high heels—then suddenly I said – Arvind can you tell me if I am on the right track ? , am little tired – he smiled and said, ok I again ask you “ what can they do to stop the nano or get ready for the market” – this statement gave me clarity and I said “ ok we can stop nano from coming, or do some other stuff” – he said great , so lets discuss both one by one – (remember that once you asked for clarity then you have to crack the rest of the case, else you are dead) –so I picked up stopping nano to hit the market discussion on stopping Nano to hit the market –
(i) demand side hit – lobby with the activists and say that the infrastructure isn’t ready and hence nano should not be allowed ( he liked it)
(ii) demand side hit -Increase the advertisements on how “Indians have to be sensitive about infrastructure” ( he liked it)
(iii) supply side hit – can we buy out the suppliers? – can we promise them some other meat? – like get them under long term agreements etc
(iv) Supply side hit – can we buy out the low cost suppliers to tatas ( I told them, that my thinking was to stop providing necessary materil that gets into nana
(v) Supply side – can we buy their engineers
(vi) And some more discussion, I don’t quite remember .but ya on similar lines What else they can do till they develop their own low cost (i) can they give fire to second hand car market ( as this is the immediate competition to nano) (ii) he kept on probing me on public transport till I said – why cant they collaborate with the government and make the public transport so easy and good and safe that people don’t need nano! BINGO.. ( he loved it- tho he only got that in my head – amazing guide he is) he still looked dissatisfied and asked me there is something else that is missing.. – something that is a real threat to the competitors of tatas. – we kept on discussing, till I suddenly remembered the team that made the engine is of 30 years average age (READ THE CURRENT ISSUES, IT HELPS BUILD PERSPECTIVE) – so I said “ they have the engineering skills, which can be used to enter other segments (like they can make cheaper engines for indigo .. or come up with new car in ford Ikon category etc).. and this resource is just too good! – BINGO
Tips: a) Be genuine b) Be grounded c) Be yourself d) Be confident e) Be transparent f) Be blunt (but carry it ) g) Connect with the interviewer – genuinely h) Be aware of the current issues

Skills: Case Solving Ability, Case Analysis
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
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