SPR & CO Interview Questions, Process, and Tips

Q1. Why Consulting?
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Q2. Why Kearney?
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Q3. Some questions about where I stay, background (schooling, college, and internships) and quizzing achievements.
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Your client is a global company looking to acquire an Indian publisher of legal books used by lawyers, students, professionals like CA, CS etc. Help us estimate the market size and key risks for the business.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Asked some clarifying questions with respect to the problem statement.

I: Estimate market size for all kinds of legal books in India (Company Law, criminal law etc.)

C: Can I take a minute to think about the problem?

I: Sure.

C: We can estimate the market size on the basis of three factors, namely- the no. of people buying legal books * Frequency of purchase i.e., No. of books bought by a person* Average price of a book. Should I proceed ahead?

I: Yes.

C: The main customers for our products would be students, Practicing lawyers/legal departments and CAs, CS. Is there any customer segment I should think of?

I: No, you can proceed ahead with estimating the no. of students.

C: The students that would be interested in buying legal books would mainly be students with a background in law, commerce, or management. I would like to estimate the no. of students undergoing a law degree since they would be forming the bulk of the legal books demand in India.

I: Why estimate only the no. of law students?

C: Students with a background in commerce, management or otherwise might require these books for the purpose of 1-2 subjects as part of their course, however law students will be studying more extensively from these books. Hence, I believe that a good amount of the legal books would be demanded by law students in India.

I: Okay, go ahead.

C: As per my knowledge, law is usually a five-year course. So, we can assume that law students would mainly be in the age group of 18-25 years. India has a population of 1.3 B with a median age of 25. Hence, we can assume that 20% of the population i.e., 260 Mn would be in this age group.

I: Fair assumption, go ahead.

C: Mentioned other reduction factors like higher education enrolment in India (30%), different streams of education like arts, commerce, engineering etc. (low enrolment in arts), students who would be going for law within the arts stream etc.

I: Okay, how would you approach estimating the no. of practicing lawyers and CAs?

C: Told.

I: Understood, why do not you tell me the key risks for the business.

C: Increasing digitization can affect the business prospects. Legal books can be used for learning and for the purpose of legal precedents. Some people especially the younger generation may be more comfortable with a digital mode of learning. In addition, digital books may have a search option which will make it easy to find legal references. Plus, it is possible that e-books would be cheaper. In addition, information is getting widely and easily available on the internet so we will have to provide more insightful information in the books we publish.

I: Okay thank you for your time, I would like to close the case in the interest of time. Do you have any questions for me?

C: No Sir. Thank you!

You are a management consultant and you have been appointed by the Ministry of Sports to formulate a strategy to improve the international competitiveness of the Indian Football team within the next 10 years.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Asked some clarifying questions with respect to the problem statement and scope.

C: To improve the international competitiveness of the Indian Football team within the next 10 years, we will have to look at the different stakeholders like the Sports Ministry, student base, families and parents, football associations in India at the national and state level, Sports leagues like ISl, domestic clubs and some foreign leagues and clubs that would be interested in setting up base in India to expand their international base considering the growing market. We can break down the 10-year period into two 5-year plans to improve Indian Football Team's international competitiveness. We can have a broad review of the goals achieved at the end of the first five-year plan so that necessary actions can be taken to achieve our goal. Should I proceed ahead?

I: Can you mention some other stakeholders that would be important in achieving this process?

C: We can also look at the coaching and teaching staff that would be involved in developing talent in the next 10 years. This could be through better training or collaboration with international leagues and clubs. Infrastructure and necessary sports facilities are also important factors to improve Indian Football Team's international competitiveness.

We can look at football schools where children are trained from an early age and their education is taken care of by the clubs that finance these schools Football players, celebrities and other influencers would also be important in improving the football awareness in India. We can also look at providing support/incentives to people whose career involve around football so that they do not have to look at other avenues of employment to support themselves/their families.

I: Okay, in the interest of time let us end the case here. A couple of factors that you mentioned in bits and pieces but missed out on were the corporates that would be sponsoring the football activities and International associations like FIFA, AFC etc.

Your client is a global PE Firm that is looking at investing in a bus operator based out of Australia. You have been hired to look at ways through which the main operating costs can be decreased and come up with recommendations for the same (data-heavy case with an excel screen shared as well).
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Asked about the case, PE Firm, bus operator, area of operations, business model etc.

I: So, what do you think are the main cost heads for this business.

C: The main costs can be:
1. Fuel
2. Maintenance
3. Employee Costs (Drivers, other employees etc.)
4. Parking Fees/ Insurance / Tolls etc.

I: Okay you are broadly correct. There might be other costs as well as registration fees, highway access, etc. (An excel tab was screen shared with major cost heads) So as you can see the fuel cost is 12% of the total costs. Can you help us take care of the fuel costs?

C: So, the main determinants of the fuel cost would be Fuel efficiency*distance travelled*Fuel Costs.

I: (shows an excel table showing fuel efficiency according to the place of operation, bus model used, and some other headers like the month of recording, min. and max. fuel efficiency, fleet size etc.) So, can you tell us why is there a difference in the fuel efficiency for different places like Perth, Melbourne etc.?

C: It could be due to the place-specific factors like weather conditions, road conditions, maintenance crew and processes etc.

I: Okay look at the model XYZ used in place A & B (do not remember the exact model or place). Even after taking into consideration the factors you mentioned there is a difference in the fuel efficiency of the same bus model in these two places. Can you tell me the reason for the same?

C: So, before I proceed ahead can you tell me the significance of the month mentioned for these data points?

I: This is the time period during which the fuel efficiency was recorded.

C: So, the difference could be due to the weather conditions in Australia, the early parts of the year will generally be warmer since Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere. Because of that there might be differences in the fuel efficiency in different months. In case it snows in the reason, the bus might need more fuel to cover the same distance. Another reason could be the way drivers are driving. More braking and constant gear changes might result in decreased fuel efficiency for the buses in questions.

I: So, fuel efficiency is low in January due to the use of AC during the summer season in Australia. And as you had mentioned, the other reason is due to the driver behavior. Can you come up with recommendation to optimize our costs?

C: We can use the bus model with the best fuel efficiency to standardize our fuel efficiency. We can also look at using modern technology to come up with the best path to reach our location in the lowest possible time and distance. In case we have different vendors for our fuel requirements, we can enter into a long-term contract with a national vendor to negotiate lower costs and better terms. We can also undertake training for our employees like drivers and maintenance crew to improve their performance and improve fuel efficiency across the board.

Q1. Introduce yourself.
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Q2. What are you passionate about?
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Q3. Why consulting?
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Q4. Describe your role at Microsoft and their business model.
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Q5. Follow-up questions on work experience.
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Sales, marketing, distribution strategy for low-cost water purifier. This statement was related to my CV, had mentioned a water purification project as part of social initiatives in CV.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

I: Sales, marketing, distribution strategy for low-cost water purifier.

C: I asked clarifying questions on the company, the geography the client is planning to launch in, the cost of the purifier, competition in market, and any target customers. I then understood about the functioning of the purifier to check on constraints like the need of electricity etc.

I: There is 1 competitor in the market. Which all customers will you target?

C: I kept access to electricity and lower income group while deciding target audience to come up with distribution strategy involving government, NGOs etc. Then, I identified promotional strategy, included CSR initiatives for villages.

Sales for a candy company has dropped in past 4-5 months. Help the client with the same.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: I began with clarifying the problem statement and asked questions around the company, candy variants, price, competition etc. I also included the distribution channel in my scoping questions.

I: The distribution channel is from company to wholesale to retail shops. Regarding competition, 1 competitor is gaining market share.

C: I talked about how candies are commoditized. The next step was to structure the problem into supply-demand and identified the issue from the demand side. Through probing questions identified, that the distributors are the same for various candy companies. Enquired about distributor margins etc. They were the same. I then mapped the customer journey and identified retail shop owner as the major decision maker while handing candies to customers. As next step, I asked questions about the margins for retailers and figured out that the competitor was offering double the margin as the client.

If I want to introduce calligraphy as a course in Delhi University, what factors should be considered? Had mentioned Calligraphy as a hobby.
Enrollment in a course can depend on - future job options, nearby institutes/academies offering such courses.

I mentioned that in DU course fees are less, but the total cost incurred in terms of materials etc. should be factored in.

Q1. Tell me something about yourself.
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Q2. Asked about learnings from High School and Undergraduate College. How is it different from B-school?
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Q3. Why consulting and specifically why Kearney?
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Q4. Asked about my learnings from Term I of B-school and if the rigorous schedule actually helps?
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Q5. Why did not you not join Hong Kong University even after getting 50% scholarship?
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Q6. What is one thing that excites you most about Consulting?
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Q7. Walk me through your CV.
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Q8. Asked some questions from Internship and Scholarships.
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Your client is a Spice Manufacturer and Seller. They have been facing stagnant revenues from past 3 years and looking to expand their business. Help them out through all possible ways.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate] 

C: (Asked some clarifying questions to know about the problem and understand the objective of the company) To understand the client in a better way, could you tell me where is the client located and since how many years they have been in business?

I: The client is located in the northern part of India; they have been in business for past 15 years.

C: Have they experienced any decline in price of their products?

I: No, they have not seen a decrease in price, it’s just they are having constant sales from past 3 years.

C: What is their product line, different modes of distribution? Who are their customers?

I: They sell home-made variety of spices. They manufacture spices and sell it directly to retail outlets, outlets in Mall (like Big Bazaar, Spencer's). Can you think of any other channel?

C: Do they have some online presence? Do they export spices to other countries?

I: No, they are not currently online. They are well established in Northern India.

C: Do we have some information about the other players in the market? What market share do we hold?

I: There are 3-4 big players in the market, we have a market share of almost 8%.

C: Can we say that we are focused on increasing the current market share through increasing our existing revenue or exploring other options?

I: Yes, you can say that.

C: What is the average price of our products? Is it competitive with the other players?

I: It is very similar to other players, and we cannot look for ways to decrease the prices as that option has already been explored.

C: Now that I have got fair bit of idea about the client, I would like to look for ways to increase their revenues. I would majorly focus on exploring the current market of the company as well as if can taper into new markets as well.

I: Sounds like a good approach, lets proceed.

C: There could be two ways to increase our market share in the existing.

Firstly, through exploring more distribution channels and bringing more retail stores on board to strengthen our presence.

Secondly, we can introduce some other SKUs of current product line or launch some new spices/ flavors from other parts of country to the market.

I: Sounds good. Can you also explore some other ways to increase sales?

C: Definitely. As I mentioned we can also explore to look for ways to taper into newer markets outside north India. Also, we can directly launch some new products into new markets but that can be a risky option as we would be more confident about our old products which has previously worked in Northern market.

I: Okay. Can you tell me what other channels we can explore for increasing our market share?

C: We can collaborate with restaurants, other product manufacturers where spices are required in bulk quantity. We can also get listed on online platforms to increase our visibility.

For newer products we can look to launch a different segment which focuses on bringing spices from different regions of the country like Northeastern Dalle spice and other popular flavors.

I: I think you have covered all the aspects where we can look at it. Can you quickly summarize the case for me?

C: Sure. (Summarized- covered both sides of market)

Your client is into Construction business. They have currently experienced increase in their expenses, help them figure out where is the issue and give recommendations.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate] 

C: (Asked some clarifying questions to know about the problem and understand the objective of the company) What all construction businesses is the client involved in like constructing buildings, roads etc. and since when they have been in business?

I: The client is majorly involved in constructing buildings.

C: Who are the competitors and where do we stand in the industry? Have they also been experiencing the same problem?

I: There are 3 other big players in the industry, and we have 10% share in the industry. They are not experiencing any increase in their costs.

C: I would like to understand more about the client’s business, how do they sell flats which they build?

Do they sell it directly to people or they have some contracts with other parties?

I: They majorly work on contractual basis and other third parties sell it finally to people. What are you looking to figure out with this information?

C: I am trying to figure out which could be the major cost driver for the client. Keeping in mind this is a company specific problem I think the major costs would be labor cost and commissions for getting the contracts.

I: Yes, labor costs could be looked at further. What do you think could be the problem with the client?

C: There could be three components to it. First it could be that our labors are demanding more wages now but generally wages are set on industry standards. Second could be that more we are hiring more labors for our work. Third could be that the training costs which is incurred in training new labors is higher for our company.

I: Okay. We are hiring more but our revenues are also increasing in proportion, but our training costs are higher and that’s where the problem is. What do you think can be done?

C: We can look to create efficient batches for training so that whenever training of labor takes place, it is for a larger set of people. If we are spending more on training it's clear that we are not hiring experienced and trained labor, do we have some information on why are we not doing that?

I: That’s a good observation. We have tried hiring experienced civil engineers, but we are not able to match their pay-scale, or they are choosing other career fields. That is why we are hiring inexperienced labor or engineers and training them for the work.

I: Keeping time constraints in mind, you can suggest some recommendations on how to solve the issue at hand.

C: We can look at collaborating with some colleges for regular hiring from them. We can look to outsource training facilities for our labor. We can also look for launching some courses in colleges to incentivize them to join the company by highlighting the perks as well.

I: Okay. Don’t you think we can also look to open up a college specifically for Civil Engineers so that we can have trained quality engineers in our company?

C: Certainly, we can also explore that situation. Although I just thought that the amount required to set up a college will be comparatively higher than other options.

Q1. Introduce yourself.
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Q2. Run me through your CV.
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Q3. I was enquired about the P&G Emerging leaders Program, and asked if I have an offer from P&G. I was then asked which firm I will choose.
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P&G's leading detergent's market share is falling. They need your help.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate] 

C: Reiterated the problem statement to understand if I am being asked to identify the problem or come up with ideas to solve it.

(Although identifying the genesis of the problem is of utmost importance to solve it, knowing the interviewer’s expectations is very important as final interviews were scheduled for only 12-15 minutes.)

I would want to start with some preliminary questions to scope out the problem. For how long the problem has existed and what is the quantum of decline.

We have been facing this issue since the past 1 year and have witnessed a 25% decline.

C: Are we talking about covid or pre-covid times?

I: Covid times.

C: Is the decline concentrated to a particular geography or any particular product or the entire detergent line.

I: No, evenly spread across.

C: Enquired about the competitive landscape, more details about the detergent (premium category or regular), and our consumers.

I: Detergent market in India is highly competitive, with premium brand from P&G and HUL regular brand from Ghadi and Nirma and competition from local brands as well. We deal in premium category.

C: So, I would like to view the problem from 2 sides, demand and supply. For demand side, I will analyze the journey of a typical detergent consumer, and for supply side, I would analyze the value chain.

For demand side, I will step into the shoes of a consumer and map his/her entire journey. Starting with if the consumer needs our product in the same quantity as he/she used to in pre covid times. During covid washing load was substantially lesser.

Following this, is the consumer even aware of all are offerings, for which I would want to analyze the marketing budget and efficiency by analyzing outreach and different mediums used.

Post which, I will analyze if the consumer has accessibility for the product. Here I would analyze both online and offline channels. For offline channels, I would also analyze factors such as product placement, ease of product identification, retailer's push and commissions etc.

After this, I would analyze if the consumer had the purchasing power to buy the product, as covid caused a substantial decline in discretionary disposable income.

Then I would analyze the experience of a consumer using the detergent. Here, I would also see if P&G or the competitors have made any significant change to the product and packaging.

I: You seem to be well-versed with the sector. Just list down the supply side factors quickly.

C: For supply side, I would analyze the value chain, starting from raw material procurement (which could be a major issue due to covid), payment terms with suppliers, inbound logistics (since crossing borders across states was an issue), production related issues especially related to labor and covid norms as stipulated by the government.

Q1. Tell me about yourself.
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Q2. Why Kearney?
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Q3. Give me 2 reasons why you wouldn't want to venture into consultancy. How will you overcome these?
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Q4. You come from a joint family. Do you think you will be able to cope with the life of a consultant?
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Q5. Walk me through your CV.
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