hey guys,
recently I had a few cases where the objective was to improve the clients business, for example
1- Increase the profits of a product
2- increase the number of people getting vaccinated in a city
3- Improve output of the R&D department
I kind of struggled in their structuring, im not into frameworks alot but sometimes they guide you in approaching a case. So my question is, how would you guys approach such type of cases? what areas will you look at? thanks!
Hi there,
You just asked for the entire framework/approach to 3 entirely different cases!
We can't adequately provide you an answer to this Q that will actually teach you enough. I highly advise you to keep progressing your casing skills, and recognize that it's a long journey! If you're looking to really learn the best way to case, I highly recommend a coach!
How do I use frameworks in a case?
If there's anything to remember in this process, is that cases don't exist just because. They have come about because of a real need to simulate the world you will be in when you are hopefully hired. As such, remember that they are a simplified version of what we do, and they test you in those areas.
As such, remember that a framework is a guide, not a mandate. In the real-world, we do not go into a client and say "right, we have a framework that says we need to look at x, y, and z and that's exactly what we're going to do". Rather, we come in with a view, a hypothesis, a plan of attack. The moment this view is created, it's wrong! Same with your framework. The point is that it gives us and you a starting point. We can say "right, part 1 of framework is around this. Let's dig around and see if it helps us get to the answer". If it does, great, we go further (but specific elements of it will certainly be wrong). If it doesn't, we move on.
So, in summary, learn your frameworks, use the ones you like, add/remove to them if the specific case calls for it, and always be prepared to be wrong. Focus rather on having a view, refering back to the initial view to see what is still there and where you need to dive into next to solve the problem.
Hey there,
I won't be able to answer all details of your question just in this text, but remember that you don't have to be "into" any framework or such at all. These questions all ask you to first determine the underlying mechanics of the problem at hand. That will automatically give you your "case structure" aka framework. So if the question is about increasing profits... do the following:
1) ask yourself: what determines the profit? On the highest level profit is always the result of revenue minus the costs. 2) before moving any further you would now want to think about the actual product at hand and ask yourself: what's the deal breaker here? Should I focus on costs or revenues first? (The interviewer will expect you to always start with the more important of the two)
3) break down costs or revenues even further applying the same logic of step 1: what are the main determinants?
...
Happy to help you on this with a real case example! Let me know if that was helpful for you.
Best
Torben
