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Request for cases that focus on operations for energy and natural resources companies

1st round MBB
New answer on Feb 29, 2024
7 Answers
293 Views
Anonymous A asked on Jan 11, 2024

Hi all, had a first round interview with one of the MBBs a couple of days ago and got a case about a company that is in the energy industry which i'm not too familiar of due to MBA casebooks rarely having operations type of cases for energy companies.

Wondering if anybody has some cases to share?

Thanks!

Best Regards

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Gero
Expert
replied on Jan 11, 2024
Ex-BCG │200+ Interviews & Interview Coachings @ BCG │ 20+ candidates coached into MBB │WHU/LSE/Nova │ Teacher & Trainer

Hi there,

You made an interesting observation: ops cases are indeed somehow underrepresented.

I do have an energy ops case based on actual project experience. Happy to help out; please DM.

Best,

Gero

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Anonymous B on Jan 11, 2024

I am interested in the ops case as well! I will send a DM right away :)

Florian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 11, 2024
Highest-rated McKinsey coach (ratings, offers, sessions) | 500+ offers | Author of The 1% & Consulting Career Secrets

Hey there,

In general, operations cases (regardless of the industry) often focus on concepts such as

Capacity issues

  • Increase / decrease capacity or move capacity from a less profitable product to a more profitable product
  • Analysis of bottlenecks

Classic profitability issues

  • Profit = Revenue - Cost :-)

Optimization problems

  • Optimize utilization of production machines
  • Optimize product mix to max out profitability

Stock issues

  • Calculation of safety stock
  • Optimization of stock

Value chain issues

  • Break down the value chain in its constituent profits and figure out where the issue is

Regarding the latter, you should be able to map out a process in an operations case, especially when you are not familiar with a certain task or system of interactions. When laying out what constitutes a certain issue, you will be able to understand it by breaking it down into its constituent parts.

This helps you to think deeper about the issue. It can also help you to get 'unstuck' if you don’t understand the situation. In sum, problem or process mapping forces you to deconstruct the interactions and increases your odds to find the segment or area in which the issue is buried in.

For instance, you might want to investigate chronological sequences. Process mapping can be used to make a chain of interactions visible and see all parts involved that produce a certain outcome. You can use it when you look into temporal events or when you want to find out which part of the process is most crucial, etc.

Shoot me a message and I am happy to share some cases.

Cheers,

Florian

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
updated an answer on Jan 11, 2024
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hmmmm….

That should not have really been your learning/takeaway.

You're playing soccer and defending the goal. A player shoots and scores from 2 meters inside midfield from the left hand side. Your reaction: Hmmm, I need to learn/practice getting shot on from 2 meters inside midfield from the left hand side

Shouldn't your takeaway be to learn HOW to react to ANY shot from ANY distance and ANY angle?

What if your next case/industry is settling MArs, or what if the next one is about vaccination programs, or what if the next one is about  SAAS BMPS IT solutions, or what if the next one is about the reverse repo mortgage market?

Are you supposed to learn all of these? Nope! You're supposed to learn how to see an industry you don't know and figure it out - PLEASE practice this!

Note: Yes, I have about 10 energy cases to share + an energy AND an oil & gas industry deep-dive. Feel free to message if you'd like them.

(edited)

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Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 29, 2024
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

  • First of all, while seeking such specific cases can seem like a good strategy, it's important to remember that focusing too narrowly on certain case types might limit your ability to adapt to different case types and firms. The variety in case interviews is vast, and each one tests different skills and approaches.
  • Moreover, however, I'd be happy to share some case studies in a DM if you want to.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

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Cristian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 11, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Hi there!

Feel free to reach out and I can share a library of cases for practice.

All the best,
Cristian

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Alberto
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 11, 2024
Ex-McKinsey Associate Partner | +15 years in consulting | +200 McKinsey 1st & 2nd round interviews

Hi there,

Happy to share some cases. Just send me a message.

Best,

Alberto

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

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Nikita
Expert
replied on Jan 13, 2024
MBB & Tier2 preparation | 85+ offers | 7 years coaching | 2000+ sessions | PDF reviews attached

Hey,

I've got such cases in my library, feel free to DM and book a session. The first one is 50% off.

Though I completely agree with Ian here: you need to practice all types of cases, not just the ones you've already had in an interview.

Good luck!
Nick

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Gero gave the best answer

Gero

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