case study and framework

Hacking the Case Interview

Case interview frameworks or consulting frameworks are arguably the most critical component of a case interview. Outstanding case frameworks   set you up for success for the case while poor frameworks make the case difficult to solve.

Struggling on how to use frameworks in your case interviews? Unsure of which frameworks to use?

Don't worry because we have you covered! We'll teach you step-by-step, how to craft tailored and unique frameworks for any case interview situation.

By the end of this article, you will learn four different strategies on how to create unique and tailored frameworks for any case interview.

Strategy #1: Creating Frameworks from Scratch

• Strategy #2: Memorizing 8 – 10 Broad Business Areas
• Strategy #3: Breaking Down Stakeholders
• Strategy #4: Breaking Down Processes
• Strategy #5: Two-Part MECE Frameworks

You will apply these strategies to learn how to create case frameworks for the six most common types of case interviews.

Profitability Framework

Market entry framework, merger and acquisition framework, pricing framework, new product framework, market sizing framework.

You will also learn six consulting frameworks that nearly every consultant knows.

Porter’s Five Forces Framework

Swot framework, 4 p’s framework, 3 c’s / business situation framework, bcg 2x2 matrix framework, mckinsey 7s framework.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

What is a Case Interview Framework?

A case interview framework is simply a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into simpler, smaller components. Think of a framework as brainstorming different ideas and organizing them into different categories.

Let’s look at an example: Coca-Cola is a large manufacturer and retailer of non-alcoholic beverages, such as sodas, juices, sports drinks, and teas. They are looking to grow and are considering entering the beer market in the United States. Should they enter?

In order for you to decide whether Coca-Cola should enter the beer market, you likely have many different questions you’d like to ask:

• Does Coca-Cola know how to produce beer?
• Would people buy beer made by Coca-Cola?
• Where would Coca-Cola sell its beer?
• How much would it cost to enter the beer market?
• Will Coca-Cola be profitable from selling beer?
• How would Coca-Cola outcompete competitors?
• What is the size of the beer market in the United States?

This is not a very structured way of thinking through the case. The questions are listed in no particular order. Additionally, many of the questions are similar to one another and could be grouped together.

A case framework would provide a structure to organize these ideas and questions in a way that is easy to understand.

A framework for this case might look like the following.

Notice that we have simplified the list of questions we had into four main categories. These broad categories are frequently called framework “buckets.” Also notice that we have grouped similar questions together under each framework bucket.

This case framework tells us what areas we need to explore in order to make a recommendation to Coca-Cola. It also clearly shows what questions we need to answer under each area.

This is the power of a case interview framework. It simplifies a complex business problem into smaller and separate components that we can tackle one at a time.

So how do you develop a case framework? The next section will reveal four robust strategies for creating unique and tailored consulting frameworks for any case interview.

Case Interview Framework Strategies

There are four case interview framework strategies you should have in your toolkit:  

When given a case interview, you will need to decide which framework strategy you want to use. Some framework strategies will be more effective than others depending on what type of case interview you get.

Therefore, choose the case framework strategy that is easiest for you given the type of case that you get.

This case framework strategy can be used for any type of case. This is the most time-consuming strategy, but yields case frameworks that are the most tailored and unique for the given case interview.

To create a framework from scratch, ask yourself what 3 – 4 statements must be true for you to be 100% confident in your recommendation. These 3 – 4 areas will become the buckets in your framework.

Once you have your framework buckets, brainstorm a few questions for each bucket that you need answers to.

Let’s return to the Coca-Cola case example in which we are asked to determine whether or not they should enter the beer market. What 3 – 4 statements must be true for us to recommend that Coca-Cola should enter the beer market?

The four major statements that must be true are:

• The beer market is an attractive market
• Competitors in the market are weak
• Coca-Cola has the capabilities to produce outstanding beer
• Coca-Cola will be highly profitable from entering the beer market

These will be the major areas or buckets in our framework.

Next, let’s add a few bullet points under each area to add more detail to our case framework.

To determine whether the beer market is attractive, we would need to know the market size, the market growth rate, and the average profit margins in the market.

To assess whether the market is competitive, we would need to know who the competitors are, how much market share they have, and if they have any differentiation or competitive advantages.

To decide whether Coca-Cola has the capabilities to produce beer, we need to know if there are any capability gaps or if there are significant synergies that Coca-Cola can leverage.

Finally, to determine the expected profitability of entering the market, we would need to know what expected revenues are, what expected costs are, and how long it would take Coca-Cola to break even.

This gives us our case framework.

You can repeat this process for any case interview that you get to create an outstanding case framework.

Strategy #2: Memorizing 8 – 10 Broad Business Areas to Make a Framework

Creating case frameworks from scratch can be quite time-consuming. Because of this, many interview candidates make the mistake of using memorized frameworks for case interviews.

Candidates will either use a single memorized framework for every case or memorize a different framework for every type of case interview.

The issue with using memorized frameworks is that they aren’t tailored to the specific case you are solving for. When given an atypical business problem, your framework areas or buckets will not be entirely relevant.

A poor framework makes the case interview significantly more difficult to solve.

Additionally, Interviewers can easily tell that you are regurgitating memorized information and not thinking critically.

Instead of creating frameworks from scratch each time, this second case framework strategy provides a method to speed up the process while still creating frameworks that are unique and tailored to the case. Additionally, you won’t need to memorize multiple different frameworks.

First, memorize a list of 8 - 10 broad business areas, such as the following:

When given a case, mentally run through this list and pick the 3 - 5 areas that are most relevant to the case.

This will be your framework.

If the list does not give you enough areas for your framework, brainstorm and add your own ideas as areas to your framework.

Finally, add a few bullet points under each area to add more detail to your case framework.

This strategy guarantees that your framework elements are relevant to the case. It also demonstrates that you can create unique, tailored frameworks for every business problem.

Let’s return to the Coca-Cola case example in which we are asked to determine whether or not they should enter the beer market.

Running through our list of memorized framework areas, the following six areas would be relevant:

• Market attractiveness : Is the beer market attractive?
• Competitive landscape : How tough is competition?
• Company capabilities : Does Coca-Cola have the capabilities to enter the market?
• Profitability : Will Coca-Cola be profitable from entering the market?
• Risks : What are the risks of entering the market?
• Strategic alternatives : Are there other more attractive markets Coca-Cola should enter?

You can pick 3 – 5 of these areas as the basis for your framework.

This strategy is a shortcut for creating unique and tailored frameworks for every business problem. Even if you and a friend used this same strategy, you both may end up with different frameworks.

That is completely fine. As long as the buckets in your framework are major areas and are relevant to the case, your case framework will be significantly better than most candidates’ frameworks.

You do not need to develop a framework entirely from scratch every time to create outstanding case frameworks. This case framework strategy can be applied to over 90% of case interviews.

For the remaining 10% of case interviews, you will need to learn and use the next two case interview framework strategies.

Strategy #3: Breaking Down Stakeholders to Make a Framework

The first two case framework strategies can be applied to over 90% of cases. However, some cases may require you to identify and focus on various stakeholders that are involved in running or operating a business.

For these cases, the primary areas of your case framework will be these major stakeholders.

Let’s take a look at an example: Your client is a non-profit blood bank. They have volunteer nurses that go to schools and companies to collect blood from donors. They then sell this blood to hospitals, which use this blood for emergency situations when a blood transfusion is required. Currently, Hearts4Lives is not profitable because they are not able to collect enough blood to sell to their hospital partners. What can they do to fix this?

This case involves many different stakeholders:

• Volunteer nurses
• Blood donors
• Schools and companies

For cases in which many different stakeholders are involved, it will be useful to look at each stakeholder and determine what each could do to address the problem.

One potential framework could look like the following:

Strategy #4: Breaking Down Processes to make a Framework

Similar to the previous case framework strategy, some cases may require you to focus on improving or optimizing a particular process.

For these cases, the primary areas of your case framework will be each major step of the process.

Let’s take a look at an example: Your client is a waste disposal company that manages a fleet of drivers and garbage trucks that go to residential homes, collect garbage, and then dump the garbage in city landfills. They have an obligation to collect each home’s garbage once a week. Recently, they have been failing to meet this requirement and are backed up with garbage disposal requests. What is causing this issue and what should they do to fix it?

For cases involving processes and efficiencies, it can be helpful to look at the different components or steps in the process.

We can think about the process of collecting and disposing of garbage in the following steps:

• Get in a garbage truck
• Drive along a designated route
• Collect garbage at each stop
• Dispose of the garbage in the landfill

Using these steps as the primary areas of our framework, we can create the following case framework:

Once you have systematically listed all of the steps in a process, you can identify the pain points or bottlenecks that are causing the issue and determine ways to improve the process.

Strategy #5: Two-part MECE Frameworks

An easy way to make a 100% MECE framework is to use a two-part MECE framework. For the first step, start with a X and Not X framework. Some examples include:

• Internal / external
• Short-term / long-term
• Economic / non-economic
• Quantitative / qualitative
• Direct / indirect
• Supply-side / demand-side
• Upside / downside
• Benefits / cost

There are probably hundreds more frameworks that follow this pattern.

These frameworks are by definition 100% MECE. Since all of these frameworks are X or Not-X, they are mutually exclusive. There is no redundancy or overlap between X and Not-X.

Together, X and Not-X are also completely exhaustive. They cover the universe of all ideas and possibilities.

The X and Not-X framework by itself is good enough for a lot of the questions you could get asked in a case interview.

If you’re asked to brainstorm ways to decrease costs, you can create a framework consisting of decreasing variable costs and decreasing non-variable costs, also known as fixed costs.

If you’re asked to brainstorm barriers to entry, you can create a framework consisting of economic barriers to entry, such as cash and equipment, and non-economic barriers to entry, such as brand name or distribution channels.

However, to take your framework to the next level and truly impress your interviewer, we have the option of doing step two.

Step two involves adding another layer of X and Not X into your framework. What do we mean by this?

Let’s say you are trying to help a city decide whether they should host the upcoming summer Olympics. You start off with a framework consisting of benefits and costs. You can take this framework to the next level by adding another layer, such as adding in short-term and long-term.

With this additional layer, your framework now has four categories: short-term benefits, long-term benefits, short-term costs, and long-term costs. This is a 100% MECE framework that enables you to think through all possible considerations in deciding whether a city should host the Olympics.

Let’s look at another example. Suppose you are trying to figure out how to reduce a company’s costs. You start with a framework consisting of variable costs and fixed costs. You can take this framework to the next level by adding another layer, such as direct and indirect.

With this additional layer, your framework now has four categories: ways to directly reduce variable costs, ways to indirectly reduce variable costs, ways to directly reduce fixed costs, and ways to indirectly reduce fixed costs. This is another 100% MECE framework.

Case Frameworks: The 6 Most Common Frameworks

There are six common case frameworks in consulting case interviews.  

Profitability frameworks are the most common types of frameworks you’ll likely use in consulting first round interviews.

A profitability case might look like this: “An electric car manufacturer has recently been experiencing a decline in profits. What should they do?”

There are two steps to solving a profitability case.

First, you need to understand quantitatively, what is the driver causing the decline in profits?

You should know the following basic profit formulas.

Is the decline in profitability due to a decline in revenue, an increase in costs, or both?

On the revenue side, what is causing the decline? Is it from a decrease in quantity of units sold? If so, is the decrease concentrated in a particular product line, geography, or customer segment?

Or is the decline due to a decrease in price? Are we selling products at a lower price? Is there a sales mix change? In other words, are we selling more low-priced products and fewer high-priced products?

On the cost side, what is causing the increase in costs? Is it from an increase in variable costs? If so, which cost elements have gone up?

Or is the increase in costs due to an increase in fixed costs? If so, which fixed costs have gone up?

Next, you need to understand qualitatively, what factors are driving the decline in profitability that you identified in the previous step.

Looking at customers, have customer needs or preferences changed? Have their purchasing habits or behaviors changed? Have their perceptions of the company changed?

Looking at competitors, have new players entered the market? Have existing competitors made any recent strategic moves? Are competitors also experiencing a decline in profitability?

Looking at the market, are there any market trends that we should be aware of? For example, are there new technology or regulatory changes? How do these trends impact profitability?

Putting all of this together, we get the following profitability framework.

Once you have gone through this profitability framework and understand both quantitatively what is causing the decline in profits and qualitatively why this is happening, you can begin brainstorming ideas to address the profitability issue.

Among the ideas that you brainstorm, you can prioritize which recommendations to focus on based on the level of impact and ease of implementation.

See the video below for an example of how to solve a profitability case using this profitability framework.

Market entry frameworks are the second most common types of frameworks you’ll likely use in consulting first round interviews.

A market entry case might look like this: “Coca-Cola is considering entering the beer market in the United States. Should they enter?”

To create a market entry framework, there are typically four statements that need to be true in order for you to recommend entering the market:

• The market is attractive
• Competition is weak
• The company has the capabilities to enter
• The company will be highly profitable from entering the market

These statements form the foundation of our market entry framework.

Note the logical order of the buckets in the framework.

We first want to determine whether the market is attractive. Then, we need to check if competition is weak and if there is an opportunity to capture meaningful market share.

If these two conditions are true, then we need to confirm that the company actually has the capabilities to enter the market.

Finally, even if the company has the capabilities to enter the market, we need to verify that they will be profitable from entering.

This is a logical progression that your market entry framework will take you through to develop a recommendation for market entry cases.

Merger and acquisition frameworks are also common frameworks you’ll use in consulting interviews.

There are two common business situations.

The first situation is a company looking to acquire another company in order to access a new market, access new customers, or to grow its revenues and profits.

Another situation is a private equity company looking to acquire a company as an investment. Their goal is to then grow the business using their operational expertise and then sell the company years later for a high return on investment.

In either of these situations, mergers and acquisition cases typically involve acquiring an attractive, successful company.

It is rare to get a case in which a company or private equity firm is looking to acquire a poorly performing company to purchase at a discount. Nevertheless, you can always clarify the goal of the merger or acquisition with the interviewer before beginning the case.

In order to recommend making an acquisition, four statements need to be true.  

• The market that the acquisition target is in is attractive
• The acquisition target is an attractive company
• The acquisition generates meaningful synergies
• The acquisition target is at a great price and will generate high returns on investment

These statements become the basis of our merger and acquisition framework.

Synergies is an area that should absolutely be included in any merger or acquisition framework. A merger or acquisition can lead to revenue synergies and cost synergies.

Revenue synergies include:

• Having access to new customer segments
• Having access to new markets
• Having access to new distribution channels
• Cross-selling opportunities
• Up-selling opportunities

Cost synergies include:

• Eliminating cost redundancies
• Consolidating functions or groups
• Increasing buying power with suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, or retailers

Pricing frameworks are used in cases involving the pricing of a product or service. To develop a pricing framework, you should be familiar with the three different ways to price a product or service.

• Pricing based on costs : set a price by applying a profit margin on the total costs to produce or deliver the product or service
• Pricing based on competition : set a price based on what competitors are charging for products similar to yours
• Pricing based on value added : set a price by quantifying the benefits that the product provides customers

Your answer to pricing cases will likely involve a mix of all three of these pricing strategies.

Your pricing framework will look something like the following.

Pricing based on costs will determine the minimum price you can realistically set. Pricing based on value added will determine the maximum possible price. Pricing based on competition will determine which price in between these two price points you should set.

In order to get customers to purchase your product, the difference between your price point and the customer’s maximum willingness to pay must be greater than or equal to the difference between your competitor’s price point and the customer’s maximum willingness to pay for their product.

New product frameworks are used to help a company decide whether or not to launch a product or service.

New product frameworks share many similarities with market entry frameworks. In order to recommend launching a new product, the following statements would need to be true:

• The product targets an attractive market segment
• The product meets customer needs and is superior to competitor products
• The company has the capabilities to successfully launch the product
• Launching the product will be highly profitable

Expanding on these areas, your new product framework could look like the following:

A comprehensive guide to market sizing questions and market sizing frameworks can be found in our comprehensive market sizing article. You can also watch the video below:

As a summary, market sizing or estimation questions ask you to determine the size of a particular market or to estimate a particular figure.

There are two different market sizing frameworks or approaches:

• Top-down approach : start with a large number and then refine and break down the number until you get your answer
• Bottom-up approach : start with a small number and then build up and increase the number until you get your answer

To create your market sizing framework, simply write out in bullet points, the exact steps you would take to calculate the requested market size or estimation figure.

Consulting Frameworks Every Consultant Knows

There are six consulting frameworks that nearly every consultant knows.

I would not recommend using these exact frameworks during a case interview because the interviewer may think you are just regurgitating memorized information instead of thinking critically about the case.

Instead use the four framework strategies that we covered earlier in this article to create tailored and unique frameworks for each case.

Nevertheless, it is helpful to review these common consulting frameworks in order to understand the fundamental concepts and business principles behind them.

Porter’s Five Forces framework was developed by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. This framework is used to analyze the attractiveness of a particular industry.

There are five forces that determine whether an industry is attractive or unattractive.

Competitive rivalry:  How competitive is the industry?

The more competitive an industry is in terms of number and strength of competitors, the less attractive the industry is. The less competitive an industry is, the more attractive the industry is.

Supplier power:  How much power do suppliers have?

Suppliers are companies that provide the raw materials for your company to produce goods or services. The fewer suppliers there are, the more bargaining power suppliers have in setting prices. The more suppliers there are, the weaker bargaining power suppliers have in setting prices.

Therefore, high supplier power makes the industry less attractive while low supplier power makes the industry more attractive.   

Buyer power:  How much power do buyers have?

Buyers are customers or companies that purchase your company’s product. The more buyers there are, the weaker bargaining power buyers have in setting prices. The fewer buyers there are, the more bargaining power buyers have in setting prices.

Therefore, high buyer power makes the industry less attractive while low buyer power makes the industry more attractive.   

Threat of substitution:  How difficult is it for customers to find and use substitutes over your product?

The availability of many substitutes makes the industry less attractive while a lack of substitutes makes the industry more attractive

Threat of new entry:  How difficult is it for new players to enter the market?

If barriers to entry are high, then it is difficult for new players to enter the market and it is easier for existing players to maintain their market share.

If barriers to entry are low, then it is easy for new players to enter the market and more difficult for existing players to maintain their market share.

A low threat of new entrants makes the market more attractive while a high threat of new entrants makes the market less attractive.

A SWOT framework is used to assess a company’s strategic position. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Strengths : What does the company do well? What qualities separate them from competitors?

Weaknesses : What does the company do poorly? What are the things that competitors do better?

Opportunities : Where are the company’s opportunities for growth or improvement?

Threats : Who are the most threatening competitors? What are the major risks to the company’s business?

The 4 P’s framework is used to develop a marketing strategy for a product. The 4 P’s in this framework are: product, place, promotion, and price.

Product : If there are multiple products or different versions of a product, you will need to decide which product to market. To do this, you will need to fully understand the benefits and points of differentiation of each product.

Select the product that best fits customer needs for the customer segment you are focusing on.

Place : You will need to decide where the product will be sold to customers. Different customer segments have different purchasing habits and behaviors. Therefore, some distribution channels will be more effective than others.

Should the product be sold directly to the customer online? Should the product be sold in the company’s stores? Should the product be sold through retail partners instead?

Promotion : You will need to decide how to spread information about the product to customers. Different customer segments have different media consumption habits and preferences. Therefore, some promotional strategies will be more effective than others.

Promotional techniques and strategies include advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing, video marketing, and public relations. Select the strategies and techniques that will be the most effective.

Price : You will need to decide how to price the product. Pricing is important because it determines the profits and the quantity of units sold. Pricing can also communicate information on the quality or value of the product.

If you price the product too high, you may be pricing the product above your customer segment’s willingness to pay. This would lead to lost sales.

If you price the product too low, you may be losing potential profit from customers who were willing to pay a higher price. You may also be losing profits from customers who perceive the product as low-quality due to a low price point.

In deciding on a price, you can consider the costs to produce the product, the prices of other similar products, and the value that you are providing to customers.

The 3 C’s framework is used to develop a business strategy for a company. 3 C’s stands for customers, competition, and company.

The business situation framework was developed by a former McKinsey consultant, Victor Cheng, who added a fourth component to this framework, product.

Both of these frameworks are used to develop a business strategy for a company in a variety of situations, such as market entry, new product launch, and acquisition.

There is another similar framework called the 4C framework that expands upon the 3 C's. The 4C framework stands for customer, competition, capabilities, and cost.

The BCG 2x2 Matrix Framework was developed by BCG founder Bruce Hendersen. It is used to examine all of the different businesses of a company to determine which businesses the company should invest in and focus on.

The BCG 2x2 Matrix has two different dimensions:

• Market growth : How quickly is the market growing?
• Relative market share : How much market share does the company have compared to competitors?

Each business of the company can be assessed on these two dimensions on a scale of low to high. This is what creates the 2x2 Matrix because it creates four different quadrants.

Each quadrant has a recommended strategy.

• Stars : These are businesses that have high market growth rate and high relative market share. These businesses should be heavily invested in so they can continue to grow.
• Cows :   These are businesses that have low market growth rate, but high relative market share. These businesses should be maintained since they are stable, profitable businesses.
• Dogs :   These are businesses that have low market growth rate and low relative market share. These businesses should not be invested in and should possibly even be divested to free up cash for other businesses.
• Unknown : These are businesses that have high market growth rate and low relative market share. The strategy for these businesses is not clear. With enough investment, these businesses could become stars. However, these businesses could also become dogs if the market growth slows or declines.

The McKinsey 7S Framework was developed by two former McKinsey consultants, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. The 7S Framework identifies seven elements that a company needs to align on in order to be successful.

These elements are:

• Strategy : The company’s plan to grow and outcompete competitors
• Structure : The organization of the company
• Systems : The company’s daily activities and processes
• Shared values : The core beliefs, values, or mission of the company
• Style : The style of leadership or management used
• Staff : The employees that are hired
• Skills : The capabilities of the company’s employees

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Top 7 case interview frameworks (and how to create your own)

Today we're going to cover the top case interview frameworks, as well as how you can create your own custom frameworks. 

Understanding frameworks has always been critical for the 8,000+ candidates who we've helped with consulting interview preparation. 

And one of the first things you'll want to know is that you should AVOID using pre-made frameworks, like those recommended in Case in Point and in Victor Cheng's LOMS programme. But more on that later. 

Let's start with the list of top frameworks.

Top 7 frameworks for case interviews

• 1. Profitability
• 3. Porter's 5-forces
• 5. Market entry
• 7. Merger and acquisition

Don't reuse pre-existing frameworks

How to create custom frameworks, click here to practise 1-on-1 with mbb ex-interviewers, 1. profitability framework.

The   profitability framework   is the most basic framework in business analysis. It simply breaks down profit into its basic revenue and cost components and is commonly used to identify the root cause of profitability issues.

• Revenue   can simply be broken down into the Number of Units Sold x Price Per Unit.
• Costs   can be broken down into Variable and Fixed Costs. And Variable Costs can be further broken down into the Number of Units Produced x Cost Per Unit.

2. The 4Ps framework

The   4Ps framework   is widely used by company executives to design their marketing strategy. There are different variations of this framework, which is also sometimes referred to as the “Marketing mix” framework, but the 4Ps is the most common one.

This framework is commonly used when launching a new product or when reviewing the positioning of an existing product.

• Product : What are the key characteristics of the product sold? Key elements of the product definition could include: customer need fulfilled by product, product usage (E.g. who, where, how, etc.), good vs. service, product lifecycle (new vs. established), competing products and substitutes, etc.
• Price : At what price should the product be sold? Different considerations need to be taken into account here: the customer perceived value of the product, the price of competitive products, the customer price sensitivity, the cost of producing the product, etc.
• Promotion : Which promotion strategies should be used to sell the product? Key elements to consider include: promotion messages, media type (E.g. TV, social media, radio, etc.), best time to promote, competitors’ strategies, etc.
• Place : Through which channels should the product be distributed? Key elements to consider include: possible channels to distribute the product (E.g. in store, web, mail-to-order, etc.), customer expectations in terms of channel, requirement of a sales team or not, competitors’ strategies, etc.

3. Porter's 5 forces

Porter’s 5 forces  is a framework commonly used by CEOs to explore the competitive dynamics of industries. Indeed not all industries are structured the same way.

Some industries are really hard to get into (E.g. banking) while others have very low barriers to entry (E.g. newspapers).

Suppliers have strong bargaining power in some industries (E.g. high-end medical equipment) but little power in others (E.g. small milk producer), etc.

Understanding these dynamics is extremely important when you're considering entering a new industry or when assessing the competitive dynamics of the industry a company is already in.

• Bargaining power of customers : How much bargaining power do customers have? If there is only one buyer but multiple suppliers, then that buyer will be at a strong advantage. Key elements to consider here include: customer concentration (percentage of industry revenues from Top 3 buyers), customer price sensitivity, customer information availability, etc.
• Bargaining power of suppliers : How much bargaining power do suppliers have? Similarly to the previous point, if there is only one supplier but multiple buyers, then that supplier will be at a strong advantage. Key elements to consider include: concentration of suppliers (percentage of industry revenues to Top 3 suppliers), difficulty of switching from one supplier to another, differentiation between suppliers, etc.
• Threat of substitutes : What are the substitutes for the product and are they increasingly popular? As a reminder, water is a substitute for Coke while Pepsi is a competitive product for Coke. Key elements to consider here include: potential new substitutes, ease of substitution, evolution of customer propensity to substitute, etc.
• Threat of new entrants : How difficult is it to enter the industry for potential new players? Key elements to consider here include: regulation authorisations, capital requirements, economies of scale, network effects, etc.
• Existing rivals : How competitive are existing rivals in the industry? Key elements to consider include: number of competitors and their market shares, similarity between their products and products of the firm analysed, financial health of competitors, etc.

4. 3Cs framework

The   3Cs framework   is also commonly used to put together strategies for companies. As you will notice below, a lot of its components overlap with the Porter’s 5 forces.

• Customers : Who is the customer? Key elements to consider include: customer demographics (E.g. age, sex, income, etc.), customer needs, customer segments' size and growth rates, customer willingness to pay and price sensitivity, etc.
• Competition : What are the competitive dynamics? Key elements to consider include: competitors’ value proposition and brand, competitors’ market share and growth, competitors’ financial health, etc.
• Company : What defines the company? Key elements to consider include: product offering, profitability, core competencies, unique selling point, financial performance and resources, etc.

5. Market entry framework

The   market entry framework   is commonly used to make decisions on whether a company should enter a new market or not.

For instance, you could use it to decide if Starbucks should enter the Chinese market, or if Nike should enter the sports broadcasting business.

• Market : What are the characteristics of the market we are trying to enter? Key elements to consider include:   market size  and profitability, products already available in the market, intensity of the competition, heaviness of the regulation, etc.
• Client capabilities : Does the client have the right capabilities to enter that new market? Key elements to consider include: differences between the client's current market and the new one they are now targeting, number of times client has entered new markets and achieved success, other companies already in the new market, etc.
• Financials : Does it make financial sense to enter the new market? Key elements to consider include: current financial situation of the client, cost to enter the new market, ongoing costs once the market is entered, expected revenues and return on investment, etc.
• Entry strategy : How should the client go about entering the new market? Key elements to consider include: timing of market entry (now vs. delay), speed of market entry (test region vs. whole country), opportunity to buy competitor or do a JV, management approach (control from HQ vs. decentralise), etc.

6. Pricing case framework

Companies always face a difficult issue when launching a new product or service. What should its price be? The   pricing framework   is extremely helpful for answering that question.

• Cost-based : What price do we need to set to cover all our costs? Key elements to consider include: fixed costs and their allocation across products, variable costs and number of units produced / sold, profitability targeted, etc.
• Value-based : How much are customers willing to pay for our product? Key elements to consider include: price of the next best alternative to our product, features that make our product better than the next best alternative, value of these features, etc.
• Competitor-based : What is the competition charging for similar products? Key elements to consider include: available substitute products from the competition, price of these substitute products, value of our product vs. substitutes, etc.
• Overall strategy : Given the elements above, what should our pricing strategy be? Key elements to consider include: objective of the pricing strategy (E.g. high profitability or high market share), opportunities for upsell / cross-sell that should be taken into account (E.g. Kindle and ebooks), possibility to sell different versions of the same product (E.g. iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro), etc.

7. Merger and acquisition framework

Finally, the   merger and acquisition framework   is used when companies are looking to acquire or merge with competitors.

These situations are not very frequent in a CEO's life, but they are highly stressful, which is one reason why consultants are often asked to support such initiatives.

• The market : What are the characteristics of the target company's market? Key elements to consider include:   market size  and growth, market profitability and intensity of the competition, market regulation, etc.
• The target : How attractive is the target to be acquired? Key elements to consider include: current and future financial position of the target, important assets or capabilities owned by the target, quality of the target's management team, target / buyer culture fit, etc.
• The buyer : What's driving the buyer to make the acquisition? Key elements to consider include: acquisition rationale (E.g. target undervalued, etc.), acquisition financing, buyer's acquisition experience, acquisition timing, etc.
• Synergies and risks : What are the acquisition synergies and risks? Key elements to consider include: value of individual and combined entities, cost synergies, revenue synergies, biggest risks of failure, etc.

Once you are generally familiar with frameworks, the question becomes: how do you actually use frameworks in case interviews?

There are a lot of opinions about how you should do this on the Internet. But the two main schools of thought are   Marc Cosentino’s Case In Point   and   Victor Cheng’s LOMS .

But both of these methods share the same flaw: they try to force pre-defined frameworks onto cases. In our experience, this is bound to produce average results because all cases are unique.

Not convinced? Let's cover each of these two popular methods in more detail. 

Why NOT to use the Case In Point frameworks

In Case In Point, Marc Cosentino attempts to classify case interviews into 10+ categories and then suggests that candidates should memorise a specific framework for each of them.

This is an interesting exercise as it exposes you to a range of business problems and helps you think about them in different ways. However, in our experience, learning 10+ frameworks is difficult and time consuming.

More importantly, in live case interviews, trying to recognise one of the 10+ case categories and then remembering the associated framework is a real nightmare!

Instead of focusing on solving the problem at hand, you end up trying to remember a framework that will not even perfectly fit the case you are solving. In our experience, the best candidates avoid this strategy.

Why NOT to use Victor Cheng's LOMS frameworks

In his LOMS programme, Victor Cheng advocates for a much simpler method and suggests you should only learn two frameworks: the profit framework for profitability cases, and a general framework for all other cases (Product, Consumer, Company, Competition).

The benefit of this approach is its simplicity. It gives you a starting point that’s easy to remember when you are putting a framework together.

However, in our experience, this approach has a fatal drawback. In practice, there aren’t that many profitability cases, and you basically always end up using the general framework.

Even if you adapt this general framework, it won't be perfectly tailored to the case you are trying to solve. More importantly, your interviewer will quickly realise that you are using a pre-made framework and that will reflect negatively on you.

Why to create custom frameworks instead

A good framework is a bit like a tailor-made suit: it is adapted to the problem you are trying to solve, the company, the industry, and it is also as   MECE   as possible.

If you use pre-existing frameworks, you run the risk of missing important elements of the specific problem you are trying to solve. In real life, consultants rarely use pre-defined frameworks. They are familiar with them, but they do not directly re-use them as-is on projects.

Instead, they create a customised framework or   issue tree  that addresses the specific details of each case.  To do so, they rely on conversations with their client as well as past experiences.

This might sound intimidating, but the good news is that creating custom frameworks is actually much simpler than you might think. 

Now, let's turn our attention to HOW you can create your own custom frameworks during case interviews. 

Here's a brief summary of the steps you'll need to take:

Summary - IGotAnOffer method (framework development questions)

• Step 1: Ask for time to gather your thoughts
• Step 2: Create the framework
• Extract the main elements from the case question
• Break down the main elements into components
• Step 3: Communicate the framework

Spin your paper around

• Begin with an overview

Highlight 3-5 considerations for each branch

Summarise your points, prioritise next steps.

Now let's cover these steps in more detail. We'll also be digging into a real case example below, in order to illustrate the framework creation process.

1. Ask for time to gather your thoughts

Regardless of the case you get, you should always ask your interviewer for some time to gather your thoughts, before you begin to develop the framework. 

This is a normal part of the interview process. Your interviewers will expect you to ask, and they'll almost always give you this time. 

But don't get carried away! 

For reference, you should only take 30-60 seconds to quietly think-through your framework. We recommend that you also sketch out your framework on a piece of paper during this time, as that will help you to organise your thoughts more clearly. 

Without practise, it's really difficult to estimate how long 30-60 seconds actually is, so we highly recommend that you practice this process with a stopwatch. This exercise will help you get a clear idea of how much time you're actually using. 

2. Create the framework

During that 30-60 second time window, you'll need to do the real work of crafting your framework. 

The essence of framework creation is actually quite simple. A framework takes the business situation presented in the case, and breaks it into smaller "bite size" pieces. 

By isolating the various components of a case, you'll be able to better identify the root cause of an issue, or find the best opportunities for improving the underlying business. 

And the best way to develop your framework creation skills is with practice on realistic case problems, so let's walk through an example together. 

Star Production case example

In this case we need to analyse the short-term profitability of a movie production company. So, you would begin crafting your framework by thinking about the different factors that would contribute to the company's overall profits.

The first two components of this framework are fairly straightforward: revenues and costs. That's because the profitability of any company is determined by a combination of their revenues and costs.

Then, we can further deconstruct both revenues and costs based on our knowledge (or perhaps some assumptions) of the movie production business. And as you break down the components further, it's important to consider the concept of MECE, which stands for Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive.

In simple terms, MECE means that you should aim to have a framework where the branches do NOT overlap with each other, and where the framework is comprehensive (i.e. no branches are missing). You can learn more about this in our separate   MECE guide . 

Now here's an example of what your draft framework might look like for the Star Production case: 

As you can see in the example above, we've broken down the revenues and costs into specific components that would make sense for a movie production business.

And we've used bullet points to highlight the information we would need in order to determine how each individual item contributes to the overall revenues or costs of the business.

For example, we would need to know the expected ticket sales, the average ticket price, and the share of the ticket revenue that Star Production would be entitled to, in order to calculate the total ticket revenue. 

Once you've drawn out a rough framework like the above example, your next task will be to explain your framework to your interviewer. 

3. Communicate the framework

Even if you created the world's best framework, it won't get you an offer if you're not able to explain it in a clear and structured way. 

Here's how we'd recommend you communicate your framework during your interviews:

Start by showing your interviewer the framework that you've drawn on paper. Having this visual structure will make it much easier to explain (and understand). 

Start with an overview

Before jumping into the details of your framework, you should start with an overview of the framework.

In our example above, you could simply explain that the profitability of Star Production will be determined by the expected revenues and costs of the business, which can be broken down into more specific categories. 

You should also tell your interviewer the order in which you plan to walk through each individual branch, so they'll know what to expect.  

Next, go through each branch of your framework and mention several considerations that came to mind while you were drafting the framework. 

For example, for the "upfront costs" branch of the Star Production case, you could explain that you'd want to find out what costs the company would incur before it can start releasing movies, like filming equipment, studio space, and post production expenses. 

And throughout your explanation of the framework, you should pause periodically to summarise your key points, and to check in with your interviewer. 

You're likely going to be covering a lot of ground in your framework, and you want to make sure that your logic doesn't get foggy in the details. 

For example, you could summarise the most important considerations that impact the revenues of Star Production, after you've walked through each individual sub-branch under revenues. 

Finally, after walking through your full framework, you should tell your interviewer the 2-3 next steps you would recommend, in priority order. 

There's a variety of ways you could rank next steps, but three good options would be based on importance, ease, or speed. 

Returning to the Star Production example, you could recommend the following next steps in priority order:

• Identify the biggest cost drivers.   Star Production's business model is focused on producing a high volume of low cost movies, so controlling costs will be essential to the profitability of the company. 
• Develop a production process that minimises costs.  Once the primary cost drivers are identified, we should develop a production process that keeps those costs as low as possible. 
• Look for opportunities to increase the hit rate.   Star Production is counting on a few box office hits to drive revenues. As a result, increasing the percentage of movies that succeed could be a big win.

Get MBB offers by mastering frameworks

To succeed in case interviews, you MUST be able to create and apply frameworks effectively. And i f you really want the best possible preparation for your case interview, you'll want to practise doing this in an interview situation, ideally with an expert consultant giving you feedback.

The IGotAnOffer team

Photo: Roberto Taddeo / IM

Top 10 Case Interview Frameworks: Beginner Mistakes

“Which framework to use?” is probably among the most common questions popping up in a candidate’s mind when confronting a case.

This definitive guide will not only answer that question by introducing a few common frameworks, but also tell you HOW to use those frameworks more effectively during case interviews , and what pitfalls you should be aware of.

Table of Contents

Case interview frameworks – Overview

What are case interview frameworks.

Case interview frameworks are templates used to break down and solve business problems in case interviews. A framework can be off-the-shelf or highly customized for specific cases; it can also be tailored for certain functions/industries, or versatile enough for general problem-solving.

Common case interview frameworks include:

• Profitability Framework
• Business Situation Framework
• McKinsey M&A Framework
• 4P and 7P Frameworks
• Porter Five Forces Model

External vs Internal

Qualitative vs quantitative.

• Cost vs Benefits
• 2×2 Matrix (e.g.: BCG Growth-Share Matrix)

SWOT Analysis

All of these frameworks will be discussed later in this article.

During a case interview, you use consulting frameworks to break down the problem into smaller pieces through an issue tree and test each branch to see if the root-cause is in there. If a branch indeed contains the root-cause, you break it down further. Rinse and repeat until the root-cause is identified.

The big part of problem solving is about breaking down the problem in almost every step of the case.

What should I keep in mind when using consulting frameworks?

Templates should be treated as guidelines, and not strict rules . The same applies to case interview frameworks.

In the past, case interviews were much more predictable, and frameworks were more applicable. However, nowadays, case interviews are more similar to real business problems, where frameworks need a lot of customizations (you’ll see this word repeated a lot in this article) to be useful.

In fact, the whole consulting industry exists on the basis that consultants can customize theory to real, difficult business situations and produce positive results; nobody pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for them to recite a textbook – any college freshman can do as much.

That’s why in my Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program , I don’t teach candidates to use frameworks – instead, the focus in on the fundamentals of case interview (problem-solving and business intuition) as well as the tips and techniques for instant performance improvement.

How can I use consulting frameworks effectively?

Here’s a problem with case interview beginners – they tend to go straight for the frameworks, before even knowing the basic mechanisms and principles of case interviews.

If you are one of those beginners, you must first grasp the basics of case interviews – the fundamentals of case interview problem-solving, the issue tree, and the MECE principle. I have written extensive, separate guides on these topics, but for starters, I advice you to read this Case Interview 101 comprehensive guide. 

Busting case interview framework myths

Myth 1: “the more frameworks i know, the better”.

Before we proceed with the popular frameworks in consulting and case interviews, here are four huge myths about frameworks you should steer clear of.

Spend your time learning to draw customized frameworks/ issue trees instead. Case interviews are getting progressively more realistic and less conforming to specific frameworks, so trying to memorize dozens of frameworks is of no use.

Additionally, you should attend to the qualitative side of things, to deeply absorb each framework and its use; skimming the surface will come back to bite you later.

Myth 2: “There must be a framework out there that fits this case”

Ready-made frameworks CANNOT cover all kinds of situations. Even regarding the ones covered, existing frameworks are often “okay-fit”, but not perfectly fit.

Just create a framework/issue tree yourself. Nobody deducts your points for not using a ready-made tool, they even give you points if you can customize it.

Myth 3: “The fancier the framework, the more impressed the interviewer”

You are definitely not wooing anyone by being fancy-schmancy here. Nobody cares about your shiny frame if it does not fit with the picture.

Consultants are very practical and result-oriented people ; what impresses them are candidates who really know what they are talking about, and actually produce good results.

What’s worse is that you also run the risk of appearing superficial; it’s not difficult for consultants with years of experience in the field to fully expose your bluffing. If that happens you may as well say goodbye to your chance of getting hired.

Myth 4: “Knowledge of frameworks is irrelevant in interviewer-led cases”

The assumption underlying this myth is that in interviewer-led cases , the candidate is not the driver of the case, so he or she does not need to actively break down the problem.

This cannot be further from the truth. Many questions in interviewer-led cases are about frameworks/issue trees (“What factors would you consider to solve this problem?”).

Even with other question types you still need to structure answers like a mini-case. Appropriate knowledge of frameworks, as such, is still a MUST.

Five common case interview frameworks

Profitability framework.

Profitability is the most common problem type in case interviews – that means the Profitability Framework is the first one to master for every prospective consultant. You have to absolutely nail it every time, there’s no way around it.

In case interviews, the Profitability Framework is used to mathematically break down the problem, before switching to more qualitative frameworks to devise solutions.

Most of the time, the framework looks like this:

What’s so good about it?

• Firstly, the Profitability Framework is a surefire way to draw a structured issue tree , as the framework is fundamentally MECE.
• Secondly, this framework is grounded in a simple mathematical basis – there’s no confusing qualitative concept to get lost in; heck, “revenues minus costs equal profits” is common sense. That’s why the Profitability Framework may as well be the easiest framework ever devised by humankind (or consultant-kind).

Are there any shortcomings I should be aware of?

• The Profitability Framework is generic; it may not reflect the nuances within the business enough to draw insightful conclusions. In businesses with wide price ranges, for example, just the total sales volume and average unit price do not tell you much.
• To extract more insightful information, either drill down quantitatively by introducing revenue/cost components not expressed in the basic framework (e.g.: revenue by product), or combine it with a qualitative framework.

Business situation framework

This is an extremely versatile template you can use in nearly every case, so make sure to learn it well. It’s not even a “should”, but a “must”.

In my video , I referred to the Business Situation Framework by the more tell-tale “3C & P”, based on it being derived from the famous 3C Framework. These four letters stand for “Company, Customers, Competitors, Products” – areas that the framework analyzes to yield solutions.

• The one big advantage of the Business Situation Framework is its comprehensiveness – covering four crucial internal and external factors in business strategy.
• This framework is quite flexible – you can use it as a template to draw customized issue trees for all kinds of cases. In our video, I demonstrated this by applying it to solve an HR problem.
• The very same comprehensiveness making the Business Situation Framework flexible, also makes it generic, hence the need for extensive modifications; in many cases (the one in our video, for example), not all four components are relevant.
• It is not a beginner-friendly framework – it does not explicitly state which factors to consider under each main branch; newbies often end up in awkward situations, not knowing what to do next and thinking in a bottom-up manner.

How do you avoid that situation then? I’m inclined to say “practice”, but that much is obvious. A less obvious solution is to equip yourself with some “ninja tips” by learning how each C and P is usually segmented, although again I have to emphasize that it’s vital to maintain a flexible mindset.

McKinsey M&A framework

I absolutely love this one because it works in almost every single M&A case.

There isn’t an official name for this framework, but since it is used by McKinsey consultants when confronting an M&A issue, I’d just call it the “McKinsey M&A Framework”.

The framework assesses a proposed M&A on three dimensions: the stand-alone value of each involving companies (values, strengths, weaknesses, etc.); their synergy, i.e. will the two companies combined be greater than the sum of its parts; and other factors, such as feasibility, culture, legal issues, etc.

• Firstly, the segmentation of stand-alone values and synergy is intrinsically MECE , helping the candidate cover all possibilities – every value of each company must fall into one of these categories.
• Secondly, the framework prompts the user to actively look for “Other factors”, increasing its suitability in unique circumstances.

Are there any shortcomings I should be aware of? 

• The framework does not tell you what to look for in each branch, especially in the “Other factors” branch; this ambiguity shouldn’t be too much of an issue for experienced consultants, but might prove troublesome for candidates.
• Again, as with the previous Business Situation Framework, having a few ninja tricks up your sleeves should help you avoid getting stuck, just don’t rely on them too much.

4P / 7P Marketing Mix

This one is perhaps the single most popular framework in marketing. In case interviews , the 4P/7P Framework is used to formulate and implement marketing strategies for the supposed client, such as in competitive situation or market entry cases.

The original Marketing Mix covers four aspects – Product, Price, Place, and Promotion – thus, “4P”; note that “Place” does not pertain to any physical location, but the channel used by the company to deliver its products to its customers.

When services are involved, the mix becomes 7P; the new additions are: People – those performing the services; Process – how those services are delivered to the customers; and Physical Evidence – the visible, physical clues about the services (think of decorations inside a restaurant).

• The best thing about this framework is its sole focus on marketing, making it very efficient for situations where marketing is the primary/only concern.
• Both the 4P and 7P variants are inherently narrow in scope; candidates must always be mindful that they are not covering the big picture with this framework. Only use them to develop marketing solutions.
• The 4P Marketing Mix, specifically, is not even comprehensive enough for some tangible products, such as high-end fashion, where People, Process and Physical Evidence make huge differences.

Porter’s five forces model

Porter’s Five Forces Model is best used when candidates ask for the case context surrounding the client company; this framework helps them know what to ask.

Michael Porter’s model analyzes how a company’s Competitors, Suppliers, Customers interact with it, as well as how New Entrants and Substitute Products might threaten its place in the industry; it produces a snapshot of the relative power the business holds over its industry environment.

• The model’s coverage of the industry landscape is extensive, giving the candidate a vivid picture of the industry surrounding and interacting with the client in the case.
• This framework doesn’t give a clear answer as to what to do – that is its primary drawback; Porter’s model is not “deep” enough to answer such questions.
• The framework is not comprehensive enough for certain industries where political and legal issues, as well as complementary products, are major factors.
• Another thing to keep in mind: Don’t ever analyze a company with the Five Forces Model – the Five Forces Model describes the industry around that business, not the business itself.

Five mini-frameworks – All-purpose tools

These powerful mini-frameworks are probably the most under-appreciated problem-solving tools ever existed.

Mini-frameworks, like the larger frameworks, are also templates to break down information in a top-down, organized fashion.

Unlike their big cousins, however, these are almost never a primary or upper-most component of an issue tree. Furthermore, while common case interview frameworks are, to varying degrees, business-oriented, mini-frameworks are universal.

In this section, I’ll introduce you to five mini-frameworks I find most helpful in consulting case interviews. They feature prominently as supplements for larger frameworks in candidate-led cases , or stand-alone templates to answer questions in interviewer-led cases.

This is a quick and easy method to segment information about a particular entity. The internal branch concerns the inside of the said entity, such as functions within a company; the external branch describes anything outside that entity.

Here’s an example of this mini-framework as an adjunct to the Profitability Framework:

South Sea – a company specializing in bottled sauces – has found its profits going down badly for the past few years. They want you to find out what’s causing the problem.

You split their profits into revenues and costs; from the data provided, it seems like a revenue problem so you’re going into that branch first. How do you proceed?

Here, a quick check can be performed by splitting the factors causing the decline into two groups – external and internal, then ask the interview if the declining profits are also experienced by other American airlines; “yes” suggests an external root cause while “no” suggests an internal one.

This method of segmentation is primarily used in evaluations. By dividing items into two MECE groups, it reduces confusion and minimizes the risk of missing an important item.

For illustration, we again look at the packaged food company in the previous example:

Turns out, South Sea has quite a few internal problems, in both their production and sales functions. Coincidentally, Wilhelm International is looking to acquire South Sea. Wilhelm controls an extensive distribution network, so the South Sea management is quite interested in the deal.

It’s your task to assess whether South Sea should accept Wilhelm’s offer of acquisition or not.

For this task, I recommend using the McKinsey M&A Framework to break down the analysis into three branches: (1) South Sea’s stand-alone value, (2) its possible synergy with Wilhelm International, and of course (3) there must be an “Other factors” branch as well.

Within each branch, it’s possible to group items into quantitative (profits, growth rates) and qualitative (brand name, capabilities). This combination makes the analysis more MECE , and easier to work with.

Costs vs Benefits

This decision-making tool is pretty straightforward – if the benefits outweigh the costs, you go with that option. Otherwise, you’d be better off keeping your money under the mattress.

The Costs-and-Benefits analysis is a somewhat-business-centric twist of the omnipotent Pros-and-Cons. Both of these approaches work even better with weights attached to each evaluating criterion to reflect its impact.

Now, let’s check up on South Sea:

The acquisition is proven to be beneficial for both sides. With the sales problem solved, South Sea turns its attention to the production issue. The management considers replacing some technologies to improve product quality, but they are not sure if the investment will pay off.

How do you know if the investment is worthwhile?

A simple Costs-and-Benefits breakdown would suffice.

For benefits you have the financial gains to consider, as well as non-financial benefits such as improved brand image (because surprisingly, people love good food!).

2×2 Matrix

The 2×2 Matrix is a decision-making tool where options are examined using two criteria, each of which forms an axis of the matrix.

How do you apply this matrix in South Sea’s case, then?

Wilhelm International, after acquiring South Sea, is looking to push the sales of South Sea’s products using its distribution chain. However, South Sea’s product portfolio is quite large, and each product line differs greatly in terms of sales, branding, and market growth rate.

You must select which product lines to focus on.

The 2×2 matrix most famous in the business world, and also suitable for this case, is BCG’s Growth-Share Matrix, which uses market growth rate and market share as decision-making criteria. The position of a business on this matrix suggests whether to invest in, maintain, or discard that business.

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.

This mini-framework is seldom used in case interviews and consulting work because it’s very generic; however, for a quick and easy evaluation of a company’s positioning within the industry context, the SWOT analysis works just fine.

In most case interviews, this is where you usually turn to the Marketing Mix or the Business Situation frameworks, but even a SWOT analysis may yield some insights.

Other case interview frameworks

Besides the ones we have covered, there are some other case interview frameworks and mini-frameworks worth looking into:

• Six Forces Model: a variant of Porter’s Five Forces, introducing “Complementary Products” into the analysis.
• Lauterborn’s 4C Framework: a more consumer-oriented variant of the 4Ps, designed for niche marketing.
• McKinsey 7S Framework: a framework used in McKinsey for analyzing organizational effectiveness.
• Ansoff Matrix (Product-Market Grid): a 2×2 matrix, designed for product-market strategizing.

Applying frameworks in case interviews

Here are my five rules to effectively implement frameworks in case interviews; if you follow these rules closely, you will absolutely nail the case.

Of these five rules, the first three are about getting the right framework, while the last two are about looking smart during interviews.

• Getting to know the case: “If you know your case and know your frameworks, you need not fear the result of a hundred case interviews” – always gather as much information as possible before and when you draw your issue tree .
• Bending the frameworks: don’t ever bend reality to your frameworks; bend your frameworks to reality; remove, add, or modify elements if necessary.
• Allying with the interviewer: ask the interviewer to help you break down the problem if you get stuck . How do you get him on your side then? By displaying overwhelming consulting traits .
• 13 Reasons why: “Why do you break down the problem that way?”, “Why do you want this piece of data?” – explain all your questions and decisions as if you stand before the US Congress, and before the interviewer asks you; consultants love accountable people.
• Frameworks-which-must-not-be-named: don’t ever explicitly say the names of the frameworks (“I’m going to use the McKinsey M&A Framework”); you would sound very rigid, bookish, or worse, arrogant; consultants don’t like big words without substance.

I’ll give you a brief case sample to see how these rules work in practice:

Interviewer: Our client today is a restaurant called BurgerQueen, located on US Highway 66. The restaurant has found its profits going down last year, your task is to find out the problem and give them a solution.

Candidate: Thank you for the very interesting case, I’m quite excited to solve it. Now, before we dive in,, I would like to playback the case to make sure that we perceive it the same way, ask a few questions for clarification, then announce my approach. Does that sound good to you?

Interviewer: Okay, carry on.

Candidate: Well, let’s see… Our client is a restaurant, on a highway, specifically, Route 66. Their profits have been going bad. I am to find the cause, and solve the problem. Am I getting it right?

Interviewer: Yes, you’re right.

Candidate: Thank you. Now I’d like to clarify the case, so I have 3 questions:

(1) I assume from the name that our client focuses on burgers, and probably other kinds of fast food. Am I right? (2) Does this restaurant have a specific target customer, like truck drivers? And (3) Is it part of a rest stop?

Interviewer: I’ll answer your questions: they sell burgers, but there are many other dishes as well – although mainly fast food; the restaurant does not have a specific target customer, their customers are drivers and travelers on the highway in general; they are part of a rest stop, but they do not own other facilities in the stop, just the restaurant.

Candidate: Great, thanks for the information. Now that we’re all on the same page, and the case has been clarified, I’d like to inform you of my approach. To eliminate this problem in the long run, I think it’s best to break down the problem using an issue tree, isolate the root cause in one of the branches, and gather information until we can draw an actionable solution. Is that approach okay to you?

Interviewer: That sounds good. Continue.

Candidate: To analyze this problem, I’m breaking it down into two sides: Revenues and Costs. Unless we have information pointing in the other direction, I’ll first hypothesize that the problem comes from the revenue side. May I have some data on the restaurant’s revenue during the past year, to prove this hypothesis?

Interviewer: Well, this year their revenue went down by about 40%, but the monthly revenues followed the same pattern as the previous year.

Candidate: Thank you for the data. It’s quite a sudden decrease. I think we can confirm that at least part of this problem comes from the revenue side; I’ll come back to check on the cost side later, now I’d like to go deeper into this revenue branch. Is that okay to you?

Interviewer: Okay, go on.

Candidate: Usually, revenue is divided into sales volume and unit price, but it wouldn’t make much sense for a restaurant with many different items on the menu. My limited knowledge of the food service industry is not exactly helpful, so to draw a more spot-on issue tree, may I ask how they segment the revenue in this restaurant?

Interviewer: Okay, here’s the answer: another way they segment the revenue in a restaurant is into “number of customers” and “average ticket size”, the latter being the purchase value per customer.

What are the key takeaways here?

You can see the candidate tried to gather information on the case through the playback and clarification steps; as a result, he correctly decided that the Profitability Framework is suitable for this case.

However, he quickly found out that the conventional “revenue = volume x price” isn’t too insightful, so he knew he needed to bend the framework.

Unable to find a good way to segment, he asked for help from the interviewer – note how he showed a relevant purpose for the request, and demonstrated that he at least made an effort – these are what we call “consulting traits”.

You should also notice that throughout this brief opening part, the candidate never explicitly mentioned the name of the Profitability Framework, and he always explained his choices before being asked.

Let's practice!

EXERCISE: Develop a 2-level issue tree for this case

The Megapolis City Council is looking to solve a major problem in the city’s traffic – for the last decade, the number of traffic accidents has been rising steadily.

Which factors would you look at, to tackle this problem?

This question apparently can not be answered using any aforementioned framework. In real life, consultants rarely use pre-defined frameworks to solve their client’s issues. Rather, they create unique frameworks based on the MECE principle specific to their problems.

There are few things you should bear in mind to shortcut the way to your own framework:

• Be as MECE or structural as possible.
• Use the issue tree to sketch your framework.
• Break down your problem in a top-down style.

Practice this step-by-step with any real-life issues.

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Then, to receive personalized practice, you can book a coaching session with our experienced coaches from McKinsey, BCG, or Bain. They will quickly identify your areas of improvement and help you ace your interview.

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Profitability is the most common interview case types in MBB & you will most likely face one. Thus profitability framework is a method to solve profit problems

A case interview is where candidates is asked to solve a business problem. They are used by consulting firms to evaluate problem-solving skill & soft skills

An issue tree is a breakdown method of problems into multiple levels of subsets. It will isolates the root causes and ensures impactful solutions to the problem

Case Interview Frameworks: Important Tools to Ace the Case [2024]

• Last Updated January, 2024

Former McKinsey Engagement Manager

Common Case Interview Frameworks

Commonly Used Frameworks

Why Do Interviewers like them?

The Most Efficient Way to Learn Frameworks?

Frameworks Can Help Your Case Interview

How Should You Use Case Interview Frameworks?

2 Basic Frameworks You Need To Know

A case interview framework is a structured way of thinking about a particular type of business problem. It breaks a business problem into the component parts that need to be analyzed to identify the root cause of the problem and develop a solution.

Case interview frameworks are important because consulting interviewers don’t want a canned solution from the front page of the Wall Street Journal or a business school textbook. They  look for candidates who have a structured process for thinking through the key aspects of a business problem to find its solution.

This structured process is easy to show by using a case interview framework.

In this article we’ll discuss:

• Examples of case interview frameworks,
• Why consulting interviewers like case interview frameworks,
• How frameworks help ensure you’ll solve your case interview,
• 2 Basic frameworks to learn before you interview,
• Commonly used case interview frameworks,
• The most efficient way to learn frameworks, and 
• How you should use frameworks in your consulting interviews. 

Let’s get started!

Multiple different case frameworks exist because companies face many different types of problems. A case framework that will help a company think through the marketing approach needed to support a new product launch is not the same as the one it will use to decide if it wants to cut costs.

Commonly used case interview frameworks include:

• The BCG 2 x 2 Matrix
• The Profitability Formula
• The McKinsey’s 7S Framework
• Porter’s 5 Forces

Case interview frameworks can be tailored to the issues in a consulting case to highlight your structured problem-solving skill and ensure you solve the case.

Why Do Interviewers Like Case Interview Frameworks?

A consultant who has memorized a textbook solution to fixing a business problem will know what to do when they see a client with  that  particular problem.

But all clients—even ones in the same industry—are different. They might have different fixed and variable costs, sell to a market segment with unique requirements, have a different management structure, or use a different technology or production process to manufacture their product.

Because of this, even if they face a similar problem to the one in the textbook, the tools needed to solve the problem might be different.

Because all client problems are different, management consultants don’t memorize answers to business problems. They use a structured process that helps them find the solution, no matter what the client’s problem is.

The prospect of figuring out the solution to a business problem you’ve never seen before might sound intimidating. Luckily, case interview frameworks can help identify the key issues to be addressed. You can think of them as containing the building blocks you can use to solve a case study problem.

Once you’re familiar with common frameworks, you can use them to build your own case interview frameworks to analyze the issues specific to any consulting case you’re given.

Case Frameworks Can Help You Ace Your Interview

A list of commonly used business frameworks can look more like alphabet soup than something that can help you solve a consulting case study problem. Are they really worth learning?

Yes. Frameworks can help you make sure you don’t forget key aspects that need to be considered to address a particular type of business problem. Because of this, they’re valuable tools when you’re doing interview prep. Take one of the simplest business frameworks: Profitability.

If you are given a case study interview question that involves profitability, you’re going to want to be familiar with this formula. 

It’s not important that you use the exact same terms in precisely the same order. What’s important is that you remember the key components of profitability. If you examine each of these 4 key components, you’ll find out where to look more closely to find the answer to the client’s problem. 

If you forget one of these key components of profitability, you could spend the twenty-five minutes you have to solve the case study interview question probing the wrong areas and never find the solution.

Case frameworks are tools that ensure you look at all the key aspects of a business problem. From there, you still need to interpret the information you receive from your interviewer and use your findings to develop a solution.

But getting the key facts you need to solve the case is a critical first step in your consulting interview prep.

2 Basic Case Interview Frameworks to Help You Structure Any Case Question

If this is the first time you’ve even heard of a case interview framework, the best place to start your case interview prep is with 2 basic frameworks you can use to address any business problem. Continue reading this section to learn about them.

If you’ve studied business at the undergraduate or graduate level , the basic frameworks can still help you. But you may want to skip down to Commonly Used Business Frameworks to begin your consulting interview prep.

Profitability Framework

The most basic way of looking at a case is to consider whether it asks you to solve a profit and loss issue, or not. This is the most common case type you will encounter because as management consultants we are paid to grow businesses and growing businesses is measured in profits and revenue.

If the interview question addresses a business’s profits and losses (P&L), you can apply the profitability formula to solve the problem. If the question only addresses one component of profitability — either costs or revenues, you can use the relevant segment of the formula to address it.

As mentioned above, the profitability formula is:

Price – How much does the product sell for?

Units Sold – How many products were sold over the period being considered?

Fixed Costs – Costs that you incur just because you are in business regardless of how many units you sell. Examples: factory rent, equipment depreciation, compensation for salaried employees, and property taxes. A way to think about fixed costs is that a cost that does not change over the short-term, even if a business experiences increases or decreases in its sales volume.

Variable Costs – Costs that only incur when you begin to produce units (if you sell nothing you have no variable costs). Examples: sales commissions, credit card transaction costs, and sales taxes. A way to think about variable costs is that a cost that does change over the short-term. More sales volume will mean more variable costs.

The first thing you want to do in a profitability case study interview question is to understand which component of the profitability formula has the biggest impact on the client’s bottom line over the time period you’re considering. Go through each of the 4 parts of the formula to figure that out.

Next, you’ll want to look beyond the formula. If nothing internal to the client has caused the change in profitability, there must be an external factor affecting it. 

External factors that might affect a company’s profitability include a new product introduction, price change, or promotion made by a competitor. They could also include a change in the regulatory environment or in the level of demand from customers.

Example Using the Profitability Framework in a Case Interview

The manufacturer of fidget turners, a simple toy that allows children to expend their excess energy without getting out of their seat and disrupting their classroom, needs help with a profitability problem. 

While their toys are widely popular, the company is losing money. What is the source of their problem?

The consulting candidate asks questions and finds that:

• Price – There have been no recent changes in the price the fidget turner is sold for.
• Units sold – Demand for the product has risen substantially. It’s popular among children with attention deficit disorder. The market for the fun toy has expanded to other children and even adults.
• Fixed cost – There have been no recent changes in the company’s fixed costs.
• Variable cost – The cost of the underlying materials used to make the product have risen substantially. The product is comprised primarily of plastic and ball bearings. The cost of plastics has increased with an upward trend in the prices of petrochemical products.

As a result of this analysis, the candidate says that the change in the manufacturer’s profitability is driven by a change in their variable costs – specifically plastics. 

She recommends that the company either find a substitute material that it can use to manufacture its products at lower cost or increase the price of fidget turners.

Non-profit Case Framework

A non-profit question might have a charitable organization, an educational institution, or a government agency as the client. They might also have a business client, but address an issue that is not related to profit and loss such as employee retention or branding.

The key to answering a non-profit case study question is to understand the key performance index for the client. The key performance indicator, or KPI, is the measure the client is trying to improve or maximize. For example:

• A public school system might be trying to improve student scores on a state-wide standardized test.
• A government agency might be trying to increase the number of free lunches provided to children of families under a certain income threshold over the summer months.
• A fast-food chain might be trying to reduce employee turnover.

When addressing a non-profit case study interview question, first, determine what the client’s key performance indicator is. Once you’ve determined the KPI, break it down into relevant components that allow you to dive deeper into the problem and understand where the client is performing well and where things have taken a turn for the worse.

For example, if the client is a government agency trying to ensure that low-income children have enough to eat over the summer months when free school lunches aren’t available, the KPI might be the number of qualifying free lunches provided. These lunches could be further broken down geographically, by either town or county.

Because these lunches are often provided by schools, the KPI could also be broken down by the age of the child receiving the lunch (grammar-school-aged, middle-school-aged, and high-school-aged). 

These breakdowns would let you understand whether a decline in lunches was caused by an issue affecting one town, or an issue primarily affecting a particular age group. Or, perhaps the decline in free lunches served was consistent across the entire program area and target population.

As with a profitability case, you also want to consider both factors internal to your client and external factors that affect your client’s KPI. 

Benchmarking your client’s performance relative to similar agencies in other states, or relative to the results of groups that provide different types of assistance to the same target audience in the same geographic region can help.

Example Using the Non-Profitability Framework in a Case Interview

• A state agency that provides free lunches to low-income children found that the number of lunches served over the summer declined substantially from the prior year. The agency wanted to understand the root cause of this decline.

The candidate asked questions about the operations that the agency oversees. He found that:

• Overview – The agency spent 10% less on its summer lunch program this year than in prior years.
• KPI – That the agency’s key performance indicator is the number of lunches provided to low-income children.
• The overall economic health of the state had not changed substantially from the prior year.
• The decline in lunches was focused specifically in a couple of geographic regions – low-income cities where schools were closed over the summer for renovations and where lunches could not be served.

As a result of his analysis, the candidate concluded that while coming in below budget is usually a good thing, for this state agency, it was not. The agency’s KPI was the number of meals served to needy children and the savings came from not being able to provide services in a couple of cities. This meant that children were going hungry.

The candidate recommended that each year, the agency find out in advance if schools that serve the free lunches they fund will be closed over the summer. 

If they will be closed, the agency can look for an alternate location where they can provide lunches for children, such as a community center.

Practice using the profitability and non-profit frameworks to solve case study interview questions until you feel comfortable using them. You can find more about How to Practice Consulting Case Study Questions and find Examples of Consulting Case Study Questions on the My Consulting Offer website.

Commonly Used Case Interview Frameworks that Will Help You Ace Your Case

Once you have mastered the profitability and non-profit frameworks, you can add frameworks that have been developed to analyze specific types of business problems to your case study interview prep tool box.

While it is important to know these frameworks to build out your own business acumen, remember that coming in with a canned framework such as these will likely not get you the offer. So we recommend you become familiar with these frameworks but DON’T MEMORIZE THEM JUST TO USE THEM ON THE INTERVIEW.

Case Prep Tool 1: BCG 2 x 2 Matrix

This framework can be used to identify which business segments the company should continue to invest in, and which should not receive capital or should even be sold off. This framework is called a 2 x 2 it categorizes each segment by 2 different factors:

• Market growth and
• Market share relative to the competition.

This categorization puts each business segment into one of four buckets:

Star – A business segment that has high growth and high market share is often very profitable. These business segments should receive further investment so they can continue to grow.

Cow – A business segment with low growth but high market share is likely to be a stable, profitable business. The profits of this type of business can be reaped over time to invest in other, higher growth business segments.

Dog –  A business segment with low growth and low market share is often not profitable and not likely to improve without substantial investment. The company should consider divesting these business segments to free up cash for more profitable businesses.

? – A business segment with high market growth but low share requires further study. Is further investment likely to result in market share growth, allowing this business segment to become a star? Or is it likely to become a dog over time?

Case Prep Tool 2: SWOT Analysis — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

• Internal or external — Are they something the company has control over or not, and
• Helpful or Harmful.

This categorization puts each factor affecting the business into one of 4 buckets:

Strengths –  A factor that is internal to the organization and helps it to achieve its objectives is a strength that can be leveraged to improve performance over time. Example – strong engineering capabilities.

Weaknesses – A factor that is internal to an organization and harmful is a weakness. This is something the company will need to work to overcome. Example – weak brand awareness in the target market.

Opportunities – A factor that is external to the business that is helpful is an opportunity that can be leveraged to improve profitability. Example – a competitor experiencing production constraints.

Threats – A factor that is external to the business but harmful is something the business should seek to overcome or the limit risk of. Example – new government regulation in their market.

The SWOT Analysis framework can be used to identify actions that a company should take to capitalize on strengths and opportunities and minimize weaknesses and threats.

Case Prep Tool 3: 3 Cs Framework

The Customer – Questions to consider include: Who is the customer? What are their requirements for the product or service? What segments exist in the market? What does each segment look like in terms of growth rates, price sensitivity, etc.?

The Company – Questions to consider include: What is the company’s current product or service offering? How is it differentiated from that of the competition? Does the company have internal capabilities that they can use to create an advantage relative to competitors? What are the company’s current market share and growth rate? How strong is it financially?

The Competitors –  Questions to consider include: What competitive products or services are in the market and how do they compare to the company’s product? This analysis should include not only products that are directly competitive, but also substitutes for the company’s products. 

What internal capabilities do competitors have that could give them an advantage relative to the company’s product?  Are their barriers to entry into the market or is it easy for new competitors enter at any time?

The better a company understands its customers, develops a differentiated product to better serve their customers, and creates barriers that prevent competitors from bringing equivalent products to market, the better strategic position the company is in.

Case Prep Tool 4: 4 Ps Marketing Framework

The 4 Ps framework is a tool used in developing a marketing strategy that will help differentiate a company’s product from competitive products. The 4P framework breaks down the key components of analysis into:

Product – Whether the company is selling a tangible product or a service, they must be clear on what they are offering customers. Is their offering a bare-bones product or does it have a quality level or features that set it apart from alternatives?

Price – The price charged for a product can be set high or low, depending on what it will command in the marketplace. Price has an important impact on sales but also (and inversely) on the company’s bottom line.

Promotion – Potential customers must be made aware that the product exists, understand what distinguishes it from competitive products, and be encouraged to buy it. Promotion includes advertisements, public relations, social media, email marketing, discounts, etc.

Placement – Potential customers need to be able to purchase the product, either at a store or online. Placement can be prominent — at the front of a store or on an endcap — or not. Placement is about making the product easy to find and convenient to buy.

What Is the Most Efficient Way to Learn Frameworks?

The most efficient way to learn case interview frameworks is to first focus on the 2 that can help you analyze any case study interview question— the profitability and non-profit frameworks.  

You do not need a degree in business to be able to use these tools. Once you feel comfortable using the profitability and non-profit frameworks, you can add other business frameworks to your consulting interview prep.

Tailor Your Own Case Interview Frameworks

The most important thing to remember about frameworks is that no one expects you to present one straight from a business textbook and use it in a case interview. 

In fact, consultants prefer candidates to create their own case interview frameworks for analyzing a case rather than to use an off-the-shelf framework. 

Creating your own case interview frameworks shows that you’ve taken the time to consider the specific client problem you’ve been asked to address and have the capability to come up with the key elements of analysis on your own.

This is the secret to how many of our clients are able to gain their offers. They begin their consulting interview prep by learning what a framework is, then mastering the profitability and non-profitability frameworks, and finally learning to build their own case interview frameworks.

Congratulations on making it to the end of our crash course on case interview frameworks! 

We’ve covered:

• What case interview frameworks are,
• Why consulting interviewers love case interview frameworks,
• How to use frameworks help ensure you’ll solve your case,
• The 2 Basic frameworks to learn today,
• Commonly used frameworks,
• How to best use frameworks in your consulting interviews. 

Still have questions?

If you still have questions on how to develop your own case interview frameworks, leave them in the comments below. We’ll ask our My Consulting Offer coaches and get back to you with answers.

Also, we have tons of other articles diving into the things you need to know to get an offer from a top consulting firm, including:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep ,
• MECE – Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhausting , and
• Tips on Case Interview Practice .

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Case Interview Prep – Useful Tips and Frameworks

Without case interview prep, you have no chance of getting a job offer from a consulting firm . And since preparing for case interviews is very different from preparing for a normal job interview, we've put together a detailed guide that takes you step-by-step through your case interview preparation. You can find the 9 ultimate case interview prep tips , different frameworks you can apply to the most common cases, and helpful expert tips from our case coaches. We have also provided a pdf with 5 case studies for you to download for free .

If you have not read the case interview guide and firstly need some more general information on case interviews, make sure to read it first and then come back here to get more detailed tips on how to prepare for the actual case interview and solve it with confidence in front of your interviewer !

• 1. Case Interview Preparation: 9 Tips for a Successful Case Prep
• 1.1 Learn the Theory

By reading this article, you have already taken the  first step  of getting to know what case interviews are all about. Well done! You can now proceed by learning the theory you need to know to solve them.  In general, you should learn how to:

• Identify your case type (e.g.  Market sizing ,  Market entry ,  Profitability ,  Growth )
• Structure your thoughts (e.g.  Issue tree ,  MECE ,  Pyramid principle )
• Use business analysis tools (e.g.  ABC analysis ,  Breakeven ,  Benchmarking )
• Define common terms of business (e.g.  NPV ,  CAGR ,  Fixed and variable cost )

In our  Case Interview Basics , you can find all the necessary basics.

• 1.2 Gradually Develop your Business Intuition

As you need to have  good business sense  to successfully pass your case interview, you should dedicate some time before gradually building up your business intuition. The earlier you start doing this, the easier it will come to you. All you have to do is make it a  habit of regularly reading business publications  or magazines. You can choose new insights from  McKinsey ,  Bain , and  BCG  or find other sources that appeal to you. While you do that, try to develop a  basic knowledge of business, strategy, and industries , such as retail, airlines, telecom, banking, natural resources, and tech.

• 1.3 Bring your Mental Math up to Speed

All case interviews involve doing math without a calculator which is why brushing up your math skills should be a constant part of your  daily prep plan . Practice until you are a  hundred percent comfortable  doing basic additions, subtractions, divisions, multiplications, and growth rate calculations in your head. Read our article on  Fast Math  and make use of our  mental math tool  in order to practice your efficiency. This will greatly  ease the pressure  if confronted with a math problem in your interview.

Knowing the shortcuts for a wide range of calculations will help you simplify math problems. For example,  break down complex math problems  into multiple smaller operations:

= (100 - 3) x (50 + 3)

= 5000 + 300 - 150 - 9

• 1.4 Practice Makes Perfect 

Take a look at our vast  Case Library  with which you’ll be prepared for all possible case types. Our  case collection  includes cases that have been used in case interviews in the past. Solving cases on your own can give you a first feeling for them, but the only way to  improve the skills you need to pass your interview  is to put yourself in a case interview situation. Find a few outstanding candidates you can practice with and  practice cases on a regular basis . The more perspectives you can get, the better. Feedback will help you improve. 

On PrepLounge, the world’s largest case interview community awaits you. Simply schedule or accept a  mock interview  with another candidate on our  Meeting Board ! Here is how it works:

• Schedule:  After you and your case partner have confirmed the mock interview on the Meeting Board, your meeting is set and should be visible on your dashboard.
• Communication:  We recommend you directly get in touch with your case partner to confirm your method of communication during the interview (e.g. Skype) and case preferences.
• Interview:  During the back-to-back meeting you will take turns with your case partner in order to play both interviewer and interviewee roles.  Don’t neglect the part of the session where you play the interviewer role . It will help you notice points of importance and adapt your approach accordingly.
• Case:  There will be two PrepLounge cases randomly selected by default, but you can also change them and pick one of our other 190+ cases or use your own case.
• Feedback:  This is the most important part of your mock interview as it helps you to improve your case performance. Please give valuable feedback to your case partner. You would want them to do the same!
• 1.5 Get Support from Experts 

To make your case interview preparation as effective as possible, we recommend you also  invest in coaching sessions  with experienced top consultants. Our experience shows that this will be worth it, as it significantly increases your chance of getting your dream job offer (by four to be exact). Our experts know exactly what interviewers want and can  work with you on every aspect of your case performance , whether it is structure, personal fit, confidence, or communication. They can even give you  valuable networking tips  and help you get a referral.

We offer you a  transparent  list of coaches , including their professional and educational backgrounds, top skills, individual approaches, reviews, and recommendation rates. This allows you to individually choose the  perfect experts for your coaching sessions . You may also benefit from our  C oachingPlus Package  that comes with an overall discount.

• 1.6 Learn and Keep Track of your Progress 

You can do as many cases as you like, but if you do not learn from them, you will not going to  improve your case performance . This is why you should do the following: At the end of each case that you solve, whether it is on your own, with a case partner or expert,  write down in your own words what mistakes you have made and what you learned.  After a few days, redo the case and apply your learnings to ensure that you are making progress. Keeping track of your improvements will  keep you motivated and make sure that you don’t repeat the same mistakes .

• 1.7 Don’t Forget About the Personal Fit

It doesn’t matter how much you ace the case, but if you are not a  personal fit  for the company, you will not get the job offer. After all,  consulting is a people’s business , that includes teamwork and spending a lot of time with your colleagues. In order to ace the personal fit part of the interview, it is important that you understand  what   an interviewer is looking for in a candidate  to decide that he or she is a personal fit. Typically, the interviewer has  three key questions  in mind.

Then, you have to learn how to convey to the interviewer that you comply with what he or she is looking for.  Practice your answers  to personal fit questions with other candidates or experts:

• Why management consulting ?
• Why company x?
• Why should we hire you?
• Tell me about yourself!
• Give me an example of a time that you have led a group to achieve a difficult goal!
• Find more Stress Questions
• 1.8 Practice Confidence

The more you practice, the more confident you will automatically feel. However, feeling confident is not equal to seeming confident. Sometimes you can  come across as insecure without even noticing  and this can be due to minor communication style habits. Therefore, you should ask your PrepLounge case partner or expert to take your verbal and non-verbal communication into account and to give you  feedback on your level of confidence or insecurity . Try to focus on the following aspects during your practice:

• Sound of your voice.  A monotone voice or speaking too fast gives an impression of insecurity and a poor communication style. To avoid that, you can listen to podcasts with great speakers for about 30 minutes to one hour per day. After a couple of days, you will start to speak in a similar manner, as you will absorb their communication style.
• Smile.  Smiling can be a powerful element to show that you enjoy the interview (and interviewer) and are not afraid. You can force smiles (obviously not too much) in case you get feedback that you seem too serious.
• Eye contact.  You should do not need to constantly look the interviewer in the eyes, but you should not look away when he or she asks you something and you should not stare, either.
• Ability to break the ice.  Confident people are not afraid to start small talks with interviewers from the beginning. Keeping silent creates less connection and may be considered a sign of lack of confidence.
• Posture.  You should try to keep straight in the chair most of the time. Leaning too much towards the interviewer can be seen as a lack of confidence.
• 1.9 Take Breaks

In total you should prepare for  well over 50 hours  in up to a  6-week time period , practicing on a daily basis. This can be exhausting, and we know that a lot of candidates struggle with a  lack of motivation and focus , especially after an intense period of case prep. This is usually because they  forgot to implement regular breaks  in their prep plan. Professional athletes will always take time to rest to give their muscles time to regenerate, and so should you for your brain muscle. A good strategy is to  develop an evening and morning routine  that gives you time to relax and maximizes your energy level for the prep during the day. Here are some  examples  of what you can do:

• 15-20 minutes of  exercise  in the morning or evening
• A cold  shower  in the morning
• Meditation  or writing a journal
• Define  three important things to do  for the next day and allocate the time for all activities while doing the most important ones first
• No social media  one hour after you wake up and before you go to sleep
• Get enough sleep  (at least 7 hours)
• Take breaks between each case  or intense case practice session and do something totally different (e.g. workout, play video games)
• 2. Case Interview Frameworks

There is no magic formula that can be applied to every case but there are frameworks and methods that can be learned; with practice, you can ensure you are able to answer any case that you come up against.​

Anyone that has started delving into case interviews will likely have come across the frameworks designed by Victor Cheng. These are effective frameworks that have been adapted from widely published frameworks such as porters five forces . These can generally be applied to most case studies and learning them should definitely feature in your preparation. ​

Most firms are wise to these frameworks now and will even mark you down for applying one blindly . They want to see you think on your feet rather than apply a learned response. Using these frameworks is a great foundation that you can build upon, sometimes just changing the headings is enough to show you are able to create a bespoke solution.​

• 2.1 Types of Frameworks ​

There are three key framework types that can help tackle the toughest of case interviews . Whilst it is possible to learn particular frameworks prior to interviews, using frameworks from memory can result in being penalized by the interviewer. Deploying one of the following framework types with bespoke parameters is all that is required to develop an exceptional answer.​

The three framework types are; bucket, issue tree, and matrix. All three allow for a methodical approach but are more effective when used to answer different types of questions.​

Issue tree: Great for profitability questions and any market sizing elements. Each ‘root’ of the tree allows for the isolation of the problem and clear analysis. Often this is used in conjunction with a bucket framework.​

Matrix: Usually taking the form of a table but sometimes a pair of the axis (BCG matrix). This framework is great when having to draw comparisons such as in competitor analysis or M&A suitability. The key is to use only the minimum necessary parameters in order to make a clean and simple comparison.​

Bucket: The most commonly used framework, it is very good for finding the root cause and developing a good idea of the bigger picture. Laying this framework out at the start also provides a checklist to work through which should prevent any unexpected mental blocks.​​

• 2.2 Five Key Frameworks ​
• 2.2.1 Profitability Framework​

This framework takes the form of an issue tree (sometimes referred to as a logic tree), it isolates the clients' profitability problem into its key components. Following its branches, it is easy to identify where the issue lies and visualize where it fits into the bigger picture. The branches of this issue tree satisfy the MECE principle and therefore if followed correctly, it should lead you to the cause.​

Often a case will require you to identify the root cause of an issue and then subsequently recommend solutions. In this scenario, it is likely that a bucket framework will be required for the solution section.​

A profitability question will normally contain a sentence such as “PepsiCo has experienced declining profits” and therefore should be easily recognizable. Any case involving profits or one of its components (revenues and costs) will require a profitability framework.

Three equations to learn:​

1.     Profits = revenue – costs

2.     Revenue = units x price

3.     Costs = Variable costs + Fixed costs​

Profits = revenue – costs ​

This is the overarching equation that you are looking at but as always you must dig deeper into each component of the equation to find the crux of the issue.​

Revenue = units x price ​

Units can be increased by increasing the number of customers buying the current products (usually sales & marketing) or by increasing the number of products purchased by the current customer base (upselling).​

Increasing the price of a product is usually the quickest way to increase profits but this will affect the number of units that can be sold at that price, the magnitude of the effect will depend on the elasticity of demand and alternatives available to the consumer. ​

Costs = variable costs + fixed costs ​

To increase profits variable costs can be reduced by reducing the costs of inputs per unit. Increasing buying power or increasing efficiency on a per unit basis, such as automating steps of the manufacturing process, are ways of achieving this.​

Fixed costs can be reduced by removing unnecessary costs or by maximizing the efficiency of current resources. Relocating the office to a cheaper location is an example of reducing fixed costs directly and increasing manufacturing production to 100% from 80% capacity would reduce the fixed cost per unit.​

• 2.2.2 General Framework​

Developed on a framework made popular by Victor Cheng, this general-purpose framework is capable of being adapted to the majority of case interview questions. This framework can be an alternative to the growth and market entry frameworks below if you are short of preparation time and cannot learn all the suggested frameworks.​

This case interview framework primarily serves as a checklist to ensure you cover all the relevant elements in the case. It is still important to remain disciplined and methodical by exhausting each point before moving on to the next.

a) Consumer:​

Useful mnemonic: Whales Wave With Police Constables​

Who – the demographic of the customer base e.g age, gender, individuals, businesses, etc.

What – the products they are buying and reason for buying this product e.g stapler to help organize paperwork

Where – the location of the customer base e.g UK, Europe, global

Price – the prices that customers have been paying

Consumer risk – how concentrated are these customers, what effect will lose certain customers have on total revenues? (Usually fewer customers = higher risk)​

b) Client:​

Useful mnemonic: Every Dog Is Four​

Expertise – What the client is capable of and where their limitations are e.g great at manufacturing clothes cheaply but bad at luxury design?

Distribution channels – How is the client getting their product in front of customers? e.g wholesale, retail, direct to consumer, e-commerce, etc.

Intangibles – does the client possess anything intangible that may affect the strategic decision? such as strong brand recognition or intellectual property.

Financial Situation – what financial resources does the client have to make the necessary investments or absorb the cost if the project fails?

c) Product:​

Useful mnemonic: Why Eight Children Started Laughing​

What – the details of the product the client sells

The elasticity of demand – how much of a necessity is the product to consumers? For example, petrol has a high elasticity of demand for those with petrol cars it’s a necessity.

Compliments – are there any existing compliments to the product? e.g a phone case compliments a phone

Substitutes – are there any indirect competitors (especially emerging ones) such as tablets were to the laptop market (different products competing for the same consumers).

Lifecycle – how long does the product last? When will consumers be purchasing again? E.g a sandwich may have a lifecycle of 24 hours but a car is more like 5 years.

d) Market:​

Useful mnemonic: My Children Tried Saying Rebellious​

Market share – the breakdown of competitors and their respective market shares of the target market.

Competitor observations – the competitor's response to the same situation or anything notable in how they differ from the client.

The threat of new entrants – what is going to prevent another entrant to the market and what effect would this have?

Supplier risk – how concentrated are the suppliers, what effect would lose the current supplier have? (usually few suppliers = higher risk)

Regulations – are there any regulations that have or will have an effect on the client?​​

• 2.2.3 Pricing Framework​

Whilst pricing cases are less common it's sensible to know at least the basics of pricing strategies. Without the basics, it would be easy to flunk the case unnecessarily. The three common pricing strategies are cost-based, value-based, and competitor-based.​

Cost-based pricing: The addition of a target profit margin to the full unit cost.

Value-based pricing: The value that the product provides to the consumer. Usually worked out via a cost-saving, additional benefits over and above existing products or similar.

Competitor-based pricing: Taken from what competitors are charging and what this product offers in comparison.

• 2.2.4 Market Entry Framework​

This market entry case interview framework is a development of the general framework, it places more emphasis on the strategy of understanding the target market and market capture. It is still possible to answer these questions with the general framework but it is likely to convey a lack of originality to the interviewer.​

Market entry questions usually explicitly state the intentions to enter a new market such as “Bosch is looking to enter the South American market”, making them easily recognizable.

a) Market:​

Useful mnemonic: Small Childish People Prefer Marrying Red-heads​

Size – what is the size of the target market?

Customers - who are the customers and what are their needs and preferences?

Product types – what products is the market receptive to? Do changes need to be made to existing products?

Profitability – are the current players in the market profitable and by how much?

Market share – what is the current market structure of its participants?

Regulations – are there any regulations that could affect the client from successfully entering?

b) Financials:​

Useful mnemonic: Fighting Is Overly Exuberant​

Financial situation – what financial resources does the client have to make the necessary investments or absorb the cost if the project fails.

Investment required – to enter the market what initial costs are there? E.g building manufacturing facilities.

Ongoing costs – what costs will be incurred following the initial investment of entering?

Expected revenue & ROI – what is the expected return from entering the market?

c) Client capabilities:​

Useful mnemonic: Children Eat Children Maltesers​

Expertise – what the client is capable of and where are their limitations? e.g great at manufacturing clothes cheaply but bad at luxury design.

Entry experience – has the client entered a market before?

Market entrants – has anyone entered the market before? If so, does the client have the same capabilities? ​

d) Entry strategy:​

Useful mnemonic: Tall People Try Oranges​

Timing – when is the best time to enter?

Pilot – will a pilot be used (99% yes) and what size will it be? Who will participate?

Type – how will the expansion be executed? Self-built, M&A, Joint venture?

Operation location – will the new operation be run from head office or the new location?

• 2.2.5 Growth Strategy Framework​

This growth framework is an alternative to using a combination of profitability and general frameworks. It simplifies the question of growth nicely by segmenting the problem into internal and external factors.​

During a growth strategy case, it is important to remain pragmatic. It is easy to get carried away with elaborate ideas such as ‘build an app’ but hard to offer sensible ideas with real potential for the client and their current operations. This isn’t to say you should not offer all of the ideas in the beginning but then choose which ones you would recommend they explore further based on the situation in front of you. This is a good chance to show good business acumen.

a) Internal​​

Current situation - what is the financial health, growth and profitability of the company today?

Drivers of financial performance - for this particular company what impacts profitability the most?

b) External​

Industry - what is going on in the industry? (market share, growth rates, new entrants)

Customers - who are the customers and what have their historical buying trends been?

Competitors - who are they and what have they been doing? How have they grown themselves

• 2.3 The Best Frameworks When Solving Cases

A framework may help you to solve the business problem  in your case interview in a more structured and concise way. You should know the most common types of cases in order to determine which might be a suitable framework you can apply. Our coaches Guennael and Vlad explain their approaches:

What does a framework really have to do? Basically, 3 things :

First, be MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive); Second, help you go through the case in a structured and methodical way to not only allow you find the best answer; Third, convince your interviewer that your success is repeatable and that you will crack this case and the next and the next.

Back when I was prepping for my BCG interview, I ended up falling back on just two frameworks, which I'd then tweak to fit the actual case: First, a version of the profitability model (Profit = Revenue - Cost, and Revenue = Price x Quantity); Second, a basic version of (Product, Price, Client, Competition, Company). Are these 2 frameworks optimal in every instance? No, they are not. Did they do the trick? I have used them in the 10+ practice cases with former BCGers, as well as in my 5 BCG cases... and I got in, so there's that :) I would even argue that every case can be solved by using either or both of these frameworks. Learn them, keep them in your back pocket, and be ready to use them. If you find a better one, great! But I'd rather you started with an "ok" framework and focused on solving the problem than spending 30 seconds at the beginning of the case to find the "perfect" framework , failed, and found yourself having to think on the fly as your start the solving process.

There is no one-fits-all structure.  You should have some patterns in mind for specific case types, however, you should change them depending on the:

• Additional details of the case

Below you can find a list of the  most common case types  and some high-level recommendations on structuring:

• Market sizing  - structuring from the supply or demand side. Structuring using a formula or using an issue tree
• Profitability  - basic profitability framework. Remember about different revenue streams and product mix
• Market context  cases (Market Entry, New product, Acquisition, etc). Always start with the big picture "market". Finish with something the specific strategy to answer the objective of the case (e.g. "Entry strategy" - for market entry. "Exit Strategy" for PE case. "Go-to-market strategy" for a new product case). Structure it as if you are defining the work streams for the real project.
• Operational math problem  (e.g. Should we increase the speed of an elevator or just buy a second one? How should we reduce the queues? Etc.) - Structuring as a process/value chain, with inflows, operations, and outflows
• Cost-cutting  - I provided the recommendations on structuring it:

Structuring:

• What is the cost composition and what are the biggest costs
• Benchmarking of the biggest costs to find the improvement potential
• Process improvements to meet the benchmarks
• Costs and benefits of the proposed initiatives

The key concepts  that you have to learn:

• Internal / external benchmarking
• Core processes (usually are optimized) and the supporting processes (usually are cut)
• Math structures (Frequency of operations * time per operation)
• Other useful structures (e.g. people - process - technology)
• Valuation  - Purely financial structure with cash flows, growth rate, WACC / hurdle rate, etc.
• Synergies  - revenue synergies (price, qty, mix) and cost synergies (value chain).
• Social/economics cases  (e.g. How to improve the quality of life in the city? How to increase the revenues of the museum?) - huge variability. Practice 3-5 social cases before the interview

Besides that, there is a bunch of  useful frameworks that you can apply in the middle of the case to find the root cause of a problem . E.g.

• People - Process - Technologies
• Capacity - Utilization - Output rate
• Product - Distribution - Marketing - Price
• Value-based pricing - competitive pricing - cost-based pricing

You will learn these frameworks while solving the cases.  It's useful to have a bunch of them in mind to be able to identify the root cause quickly .

• 2.4 How You Should (Not) Use a Framework

With frameworks, you are structured in every case . They give you a helping hand and guide you like a red thread through your case.  However, you should not be too fixated on specific frameworks. A framework should always be adapted to the respective situation. Our coach Sidi explains why:

You can (and should) get acquainted with all of these frameworks. But you should NOT use them as blueprints to structure your approach towards ANY given case! One big misconception that I, unfortunately, see with many many candidates needs to be called out again and again:

Structure DOES NOT equal frameworks!

The different frameworks that you can find in pertinent case literature provide a very good basic toolbox in terms of which areas to look into for certain types of problems. However,  they are very poor regarding HOW TO APPROACH a case and HOW TO DRAFT A ROADMAP for solving the case.  This approach and roadmap need to be rooted in a  rigorous and specific logic.  Unfortunately, the "framework learning philosophy" brought forward by, e.g., Case in Point, is the very reason why an overwhelming majority of candidates will not get an offer.

By and large, most (or probably all) casebooks on the market are teaching a fundamentally flawed way how to think about business/strategy / organizational problems!  A framework as such is worth nothing  if it is not  embedded into the specific context of the situation!  This means each element that you want to scrutinize ("building blocks" of the framework so to speak) needs to clearly  relate to the question that you want to address! This principle should form the basis of any structure.

This is why you  ALWAYS start from the specific question that you want to answer!  From there, you define the  criterion or criteria  that need to be met to answer this core question in one way or another.

In 95% of cases,  value creation  will be the central element. Ultimately, this is nothing else than profit generation over a specific time frame. You then draw a  driver tree  for profitability to isolate the  numerical drivers  for your solution. And then, only after you have drawn out the driver tree, you can map out the relevant qualitative "framework elements" to the sub-branches.  This approach, visualized by means of a rigorous driver tree, is much much clearer than any framework you will find in any case book.  And, contrary to such frameworks, which are hanging in the air and do not logically relate back to the specific question, this is a bulletproof approach when done rigorously.

The caveat is: this requires time and qualified coaching to internalize. But ultimately, this is how consultants think about problems -  how can we optimize for value creation?

• 2.5 How to Develop Your Own Framework in 4 Steps

In order to address unique issues in case interviews, it is important to develop your own frameworks . Our expert Benjamin gives you tips on how to do it:

1. (almost)  Never use a standard framework taken from the books.  Strategy consulting is about helping clients facing unique issues with a tailored answer. Forcing your approach in a standard framework is unlikely to be relevant

2.  Project yourself in your client's shoes and show empathy for its problems.  By doing so it will be much easier for you to understand what are the key topics to cover to formulate a recommendation and make sure you don't forget anything. I always ask myself "what would I do if this was my business and my own problem? What do I need to know/understand to make a decision ?"

3.  Make sure every topic you want to cover is relevant for the final recommendation.  A simple check is to ask yourself "If I spend time on this specific topic, and get some answers to my questions (ex. market sizing, competition, etc.), will this bring useful element for the final recommendation given my client's problematics"? If the answer is no, then you should drop this sub-issue.

4.  Practice a lot, with any daily case you can set up on your own.  The above tips are taken from my own experience doing my best to build MECE structures, but keep in mind that it takes a lot of practice to achieve a satisfying performance here. I have developed an exercise called structuring drills, that focus your effort on learning to build a structure. This is usually very appreciated by candidates.

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• 3. How to Solve a Case Study in 10 Steps [Infographic]

Step 1: Listen actively and take notes. Write down every piece of information, especially numerical data.

Step 2: Restate the question. Pause, paraphrase and make sure you understand the problem statement by confirming with the interviewer.

Step 3: Clarify the objectives and identify the problem. Ask specific questions and double-check on objectives. Make sure you completely understand the problem.

Step 4: Write out your structure. Ask your interviewer for a minute to prepare your structure and organize your notes. Identify your case type and use an issue tree to customize your structure. The branches of your issue tree should be MECE.

Step 5: State your hypothesis. Now that you have set up the issue tree, your task is to test each branch to see if it is the root cause of the problem. Where to begin? A hypothesis based on an educated guess helps here.  (e.g. "Since you have mentioned that revenues are more or less flat, my hypothesis is that the problem is mostly driven by the cost side of the business. If it is okay with you, I will start by […]")

Step 6: Think out loud. Sharing your thoughts allows the interviewer to interact. Refine or rebuild your hypothesis as you find out more.

Step 7: Gather more data in order to test your hypothesis. Proactively ask for relevant data and always segment it (e.g. using the ABC analysis ). Try to evaluate whether trends have been company-specific or industry-wide.

Step 8: Dig deeper while staying structured ( MECE !) throughout the case. Always refer to the structure you have set up at the beginning of the case but be flexible as the case evolves. If you conclude that your hypothesis is false, eliminate that branch and go to the next one. Summarize findings when switching major branches. If your test confirms your hypothesis, go deeper into that branch, and drill down to the lower levels until you identify all proven root causes.

Step 9: Choose a recommendation and use the Pyramid Principle to structure your conclusion. Ask for a minute to gather your thoughts and then state your recommendation. You need to deliver a one-minute, top-down, concise, structured, clear, and fact-based summary of your findings.

Step 10: Stand by your conclusion. Your interviewer will likely challenge your recommendation (either to see if you can handle pressure or to assess if you really believe in what you are saying).

• 4. PrepLounge: The Key to Your Success

To become the best, you must learn from the best. That is exactly what PrepLounge can offer you. The vast  PrepLounge community  makes it easy to find case partners with the same ambitions and goals as you. Whether you are looking for a professional case coach or other aspiring consultants, you will have no problem finding case partners in the build-up to your interview. Our  PrepLounge coaches  – from Bain to  McKinsey  – are uniquely qualified to provide you with insights into the mastery of a case interview.

Apart from case partners from every imaginable background, PrepLounge provides a colossal collection of  online resources  to give you the best preparation leading up to your case interview. We will provide you with questions and answers to the most important consulting case types and share in-depth knowledge for the best possible case interview preparation. You will be able to find case partners to practice online and always be on top of the  latest insights and news  regarding consulting jobs and  top consulting firms .

As a PrepLounge member, you will receive access to all these perks. PrepLounge will accompany you all the way from your  application through to your contract negotiation . You strongly diminish your chance of success without sufficient preparation. Invest in your future and give yourself the best chance at  acing your case interview ! Exchange your experience with peers from all around the world in our  Consulting Q&A . Join our case interview community today and embark on your journey into consulting!

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McKinsey Case Interview Guide 2024 (by former Interviewers)

Last Updated on March 27, 2024

The McKinsey case interview, also called the Problem-Solving Interview by the firm, is a crucial and defining element of the consulting recruitment process for one of the world’s most prestigious management consulting firms. This unique type of interview assesses a candidate’s analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, as well as their ability to think critically under pressure.

With a reputation for being challenging and rigorous, the McKinsey case interview is often seen as a significant hurdle for aspiring consultants to overcome. Forbes ranked McKinsey’s interview process as the most difficult across all firms globally and the case plays a crucial role in that evaluation, besides the Personal Experience Interview .

Recognizing the importance of thorough preparation, this article aims to become the go-to resource for candidates worldwide who are seeking to excel in the McKinsey case interview and want to kickstart their McKinsey careers. By providing comprehensive insights, practical tips, and concrete examples, our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence required to stand out in the competitive world of management consulting.

As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we have specialized in helping our candidates to effectively tackle this part of the McKinsey assessment. We found that the information on the McKinsey application process and specifically the case interviews is often wrong, outdated, or assumed to be the same as for every other consulting firm, and written by ‘experts’, who have never conducted an interview at McKinsey or even seen a McKinsey office from the inside.

As a consequence, the advice given can be detrimental to your recruiting success with the firm.

In this article, we want to shed some light on this mysterious, often-talked-about, even more often misunderstood interview. For those overcoming McKinsey case interview challenges, our article serves as a comprehensive guide, infused with McKinsey interview tips and tailored strategies that resonate with interviewers.

McKinsey’s Interview Process

Overview of the recruitment process.

Discover advanced techniques for McKinsey case studies and understand the McKinsey interview process, setting a solid foundation for your case interview preparation. The McKinsey recruitment process typically consists of the following stages:

• Application submission: Candidates submit their resume , cover letter , and academic transcripts online.
• Online assessments: Selected candidates may be invited to complete an online assessment, the McKinsey Solve Game (previously known as the Imbellus test, or Problem Solving Game/PSG)
• First-round interviews: Successful candidates progress to first-round interviews, which typically involve two separate interviews, each consisting of a Personal Experience Interview (PEI) and a case interview.
• Final-round interviews: Candidates who excel in the first round are invited to final-round interviews, which usually consist of two to three separate interviews with more senior McKinsey consultants or partners, again featuring a PEI and a case interview in each session.
• Offer decision: Following the final round, the interviewers of the firm decide on whether to extend an offer to the candidate.

The Personal Experience Interview (PEI)

The Personal Experience Interview (PEI) is a critical component of McKinsey’s interview process. During the PEI, the interviewer will ask the candidate to share a specific example from their past experiences that demonstrates one of McKinsey’s core values, such as leadership, personal impact, or the ability to deal with change. Candidates should prepare concise and compelling stories that highlight their achievements, challenges faced, and the lessons learned. The PEI aims to assess the candidate’s interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and overall fit with McKinsey’s culture.

To read more on this part of the interview, follow these links:

McKinsey Personal Experience Interview

McKinsey PEI: Courageous Change

McKinsey PEI: Inclusive Leadership

McKinsey PEI: Personal Impact

The Case Interview (Problem-Solving Interview)

The case interview is the centerpiece of McKinsey’s interview process. In this interview, the candidate is presented with a real-life or hypothetical business problem, which they must analyze and solve. The interviewer will assess the candidate’s ability to structure the problem, analyze data, generate insights, and communicate recommendations effectively.

During the case interview, candidates should exhibit strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills, as well as the ability to think critically under pressure. Preparing for the case interview involves practicing a variety of cases, developing essential skills, and understanding the McKinsey case interview framework (more on that below).

How to prepare for McKinsey case interviews encompasses more than just understanding consulting case frameworks; it involves a deep dive into McKinsey case interview examples and solutions.

McKinsey Interview Video Academy

Look behind the curtains and understand how to ace McKinsey Case and Personal Experience Interviews with our 40-part video academy. Curated by former McKinsey consultants and interviewers with the best track record in the industry.

Understanding the McKinsey Case Interview

What is a case interview.

A case interview is a unique type of job interview that tests a candidate’s ability to analyze, solve, and communicate complex business problems. During a case interview, the interviewer presents a real-life or hypothetical business scenario, and the candidate is expected to analyze the situation, identify the key issues, and propose a strategic solution. The case interview format allows the interviewer to evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving, analytical, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for a successful career in management consulting.

Why does McKinsey use case interviews?

McKinsey & Company uses case interviews as a key component of its recruitment process for several reasons. First, the case interview format closely simulates the work environment and tasks that consultants face daily, providing the firm with a more accurate assessment of a candidate’s potential performance. Second, case interviews allow McKinsey to evaluate a candidate’s ability to think critically, structure complex problems, and communicate effectively under pressure – skills that are crucial for consultants who must deliver high-quality solutions to clients. Lastly, case interviews serve as a consistent and objective measure of a candidate’s capabilities, enabling the firm to compare candidates from diverse backgrounds fairly and accurately.

Regarding the last point, McKinsey invests significantly into creating an objective recruitment procedure with the cases. Interviewers are selected from the top performers of the firm, go through rigorous interviewer training, and shadow other interviewers in live interviews before being allowed to conduct interviews themselves.

Cases are created in a thorough training seminar based on stringent criteria that standardize difficulty levels across the globe. Also, the interviewer-led format allows for a more objective evaluation compared to the candidate-led format employed by most other firms. More on that next.

What is different in McKinsey’s interview format?

The McKinsey Problem Solving Interview is a typical case interview as it is employed by most consulting firms to test the analytical capabilities and communication skills of applicants. However, it comes with a twist. The interview simulates a client situation, where you are tasked to solve a specific business problem that they are facing.

You will have to answer a succession of several questions rather than driving the case yourself as would be the case in other consulting firms. Within the interview, which is a dialogue between you and the interviewer, you need to structure problems, propose concrete ideas, gather information, spot insights in data and charts, solve quantitative problems, and communicate professionally and calmly.

The case is the hardest part for most candidates since it involves several different skills that need to be demonstrated consistently across all questions and multiple cases in succession. Depending on the office, applicants need to go through four to six case interviews before receiving an offer. They need to convince the interviewers in all cases to start their McKinsey careers.

Types of cases you may encounter

During a McKinsey case interview, candidates may encounter a variety of case types that cover different industries, functions, and challenges. The following is just a selection of potential case problems that you would need to solve.

• Market entry: Evaluating the attractiveness of entering a new market or launching a new product or service.
• Growth strategy: Identifying opportunities for a company to grow its revenue, market share, or profitability.
• Mergers and acquisitions: Assessing the feasibility and potential value of merging with or acquiring another company.
• Cost reduction: Identifying areas for cost savings and efficiency improvements in a company’s operations or supply chain.
• Pricing strategy: Determining the optimal pricing structure for a product or service to maximize revenue or profit.
• Organizational restructuring: Evaluating changes to a company’s organizational structure or management processes to improve performance.
• Operational improvements: Figure out and improve operational issues.

While the specifics of each case may differ, the core skills required to tackle these cases – such as structuring, data analysis, and problem-solving – remain consistent across all case types.

On top of that, McKinsey cases have become much more creative over the last couple of years, hence, using memorized and established frameworks will never serve you well . Rather it is important to approach every McKinsey case from a first-principles approach. While you might expect a case in a market entry context, it is almost guaranteed that you will have to create a non-standard case framework.

Consider as a case context an EV manufacturer that wants to enter the Chinese market.

What most candidates expect the framework question to look like: What factors would you look at when deciding whether to enter the Chinese EV market?

How an actual McKinsey framework question could look like: What key product characteristics would you consider and analyze when looking at the Chinese EV market?

No standardized framework would help you in this situation.

For instance, consider another real McKinsey case example.

You are working with an operator of a specific type of machines. They break down at different rates at different locations. What factors can you think of why that would happen? Example of a McKinsey Case Interview Structure Questions

There is not a single memorized framework bucket that would work here.

Let us look at an example answer for this prompt.

Less than 1% of candidates make it through the recruiting filters of McKinsey. You want to provide insights that the interviewer has not heard before and not be just like the other 99% that fail to impress.

Learning how to deconstruct problems is the key to success, not memorizing outdated approaches and frameworks of yesteryear.

What is the Format of the McKinsey Case?

A typical McKinsey case follows the PEI in a one-hour interview session. It lasts for 25 to 30 minutes in an interviewer-led format , meaning that the interviewer takes the lead and guides you through the case. Your role as the interviewee is to answer the questions asked by the interviewer before they move on to the next question. While it is the interviewer’s responsibility to provide hints and move you through the different questions, you should take the lead with each question.

Depending on your performance and speed, you will be asked three to six questions . Question types are:

• Structuring / Initial Case Framework
• Data and Chart Analysis
• Structuring / Brainstorming

Recommendations are usually not part of the evaluation, though they might come up now and then.

Only receiving three questions is a positive sign since the interviewer was happy with your answers to each question. Going above three questions usually happens when the interviewer wants to dig deeper into a specific question type to see if the quality of a previous answer to a similar question was just an outlier or can be confirmed with a second question.

Most candidates need more than three questions to convince the interviewer, so don’t be scared when your case gets a little bit longer and consists of more than three questions.

Some offices also offer a McKinsey phone case interview as a first screening device, which follows the same structure as an in-person interview.

Is the McKinsey Case Interview Different From a BCG or Bain Interview?

While there are many similarities between McKinsey interviews and interviews with other firms, McKinsey interviews are interviewer-led, while other firms employ a candidate-led format .

McKinsey, BCG, and Bain cases have certain things in common:

• The elements of the cases are the same. You will have to structure problems, interpret exhibits, and work through some calculations, come up with recommendations or implications, etc.
• The skills that are assessed are the same. You need to exhibit strong problem-solving skills, creativity, ability to work under pressure, top-down communication, etc.

However, there is one key difference:

• In interviewer-led cases, you take ownership of every question and go into greater detail here, while the interviewer guides you from question to question. In the interviewee-led case, you drive the whole case and have to move along, get the correct information to work with by asking the right questions, and analyze the problem to then deduct a recommendation

In a McKinsey case, the interviewer will guide you through a series of connected questions that you need to answer, synthesize, and develop recommendations from. There are clear directions and a flow of questions, which you need to answer with a hypothesis-driven mindset . These are arguably easier to prepare for and to go through since the flow and types of questions will always be the same.

For McKinsey case interview examples, check the available interviewer-led cases  here .

In a candidate-led BCG case interview or Bain case interview, due to the nature of your role as an investigator, it is much easier to get lost, walk down the wrong branch of the issue tree, and waste a ton of time. While the interviewers will try to influence you to move in the right direction (pay attention to their hints), it is still up to you what elements of the problem you would like to analyze. Each answer should lead to a new question (hypothesis-driven) on your quest to find the root cause of the problem to come up with a recommendation on how to overcome it.

Nonetheless, it is not necessarily easier to convince a McKinsey interviewer, since your answers need to stand out in terms of breadth, depth, and insightfulness. You have more time to develop and discuss each answer but expectations about the quality of your answers are also heightened significantly.

For instance, in an interviewer-led case, candidates are afforded more time to elaborate on their frameworks. This demands not only a comprehensive framework but also one that delves deeper, aiming for three levels of insightful analysis. This depth showcases the candidate’s ability to think critically and provide nuanced insights. The discussion of this framework typically spans 5 to 8 minutes.

Conversely, in candidate-led cases, the strategy shifts. Here, the emphasis is on swiftly identifying and articulating the most critical areas for examination. Candidates must quickly prioritize these areas and then delve into a detailed analysis of the selected issues. This requires a concise yet targeted approach, with the initial framework discussion taking about 2 to 3 minutes. This format tests the candidate’s ability to quickly discern key areas and efficiently manage their analysis under tighter time constraints.

Questions of a McKinsey Case Interview

In the McKinsey interview you will have to answer  three different questions types  – broadly speaking:

• Structuring (includes creating frameworks and brainstorming questions)
• Exhibit Interpretation

Structuring

Structuring includes both the framework creation at the beginning of a case as well as answering brainstorming questions (usually at a later stage of the case).

A case interview structure is used to break the problem you are trying to solve for the client down into smaller problems or components. It is the roadmap you establish at the beginning of the interview that will guide your problem-solving approach throughout the case. A strong initial structure should cover all elements of the situation AND allow you to understand where the problem is coming from. Read more about case interview structure and frameworks here .

A common question would be:

What factors would you look at to understand the problem better? McKinsey framework question

Brainstorming has you come up with specific ideas around a certain topic (in a structured manner). Read more about brainstorming here .

What ideas can you think of that could decrease customer check-out time? McKinsey brainstorming question

Data interpretation

For chart or data interpretation , you are tasked to find the key insights of 1-2 PowerPoint slides and relate them to the case question and the client situation at hand. Read more about exhibit interpretation here .

Case math questions have you analyze a problem mathematically before qualitatively investigating the particular reason for the numerical result or deriving specific recommendations from the outcome. Read more on how to ace case math here .

How to Think About McKinsey Case Questions

Now for  structure and exhibit interpretation , there is no right or wrong answer in a McKinsey interview. Some answers are better than others because they are

• hypothesis-driven
• follow strong communication (MECE, top-down, signposted)

That being said, there is no 100% that you can reach or a one-and-only solution/ answer. Your answers must display the characteristics specified above and are supported well with arguments.

Though numerous strategies exist for tackling a problem, it’s crucial to understand that while there aren’t strictly right or wrong answers, not all approaches are equally effective. The misconception often lies in the belief that there’s a singular correct method, especially when constructing a framework.

In reality, you could employ over ten different strategies to analyze a case or break down a problem, potentially leading to the same analytical results. This versatility and ability to think through various lenses are precisely what McKinsey interviews aim to evaluate.

However, it’s also important to recognize that there are countless ways to miss the mark. This typically happens when your framework is either too narrow or excessively broad, lacks depth, or fails to offer meaningful insights.

As for  math questions , usually, some answers are correct (not always 100% the same since some candidates simplify or round differently – which is ok), and others are wrong, either due to the

• calculation approach
• calculation itself

Now, for the interviewer, the overall picture counts. Mistakes in one area need to be balanced by a strong performance in other areas. McKinsey wants to see spikes in performance in certain areas and a good enough performance in other areas.

The most common example we see almost every day: You can be strong in structure and exhibit, yet make a small mistake in the math section – overall as you might consider 80% – and still pass on to the next round.

Be aware that in 99% of cases, there is no recommendation question in the end. The case just ends with the last case question. This is something many candidates are surprised by when they get out of their McKinsey interviews.

Mastering the McKinsey Case Interview Framework

In the sequence of questions that you receive, you need to demonstrate that you can

• identify the ask;
• structure the problem to investigate it;
• analyze data related to it;
• generate insight and recommendations;
• communicate effectively.

Problem identification

The first step in tackling a McKinsey case interview is to identify the core problem or question that needs to be addressed. Carefully listen to the case prompt and take notes, ensuring that you understand the client’s objectives, the scope of the problem, and any constraints. Clarify any uncertainties with the interviewer before moving forward.

Structuring the problem

Once you have identified the problem, develop a structured approach to address it. Break down the problem into smaller, more manageable components using logical frameworks. Tailor the chosen framework to the specific case, incorporating any unique factors or considerations. Present your structure to the interviewer, explaining your rationale and seeking their input or approval.

Data analysis and interpretation

As you proceed with your structured approach, you may be provided with additional data or information by the interviewer. Analyze the data, using quantitative techniques, such as calculating growth rates, market shares, or breakeven points, to draw meaningful insights. Be prepared to make assumptions or estimates if necessary but ensure they are reasonable and well-justified.

Generating insights and recommendations

Based on your data analysis, develop actionable insights and recommendations that address the client’s objectives. Consider the potential impact, feasibility, and risks associated with each recommendation. Think creatively and strategically, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative factors into your decision-making process.

Synthesis and communication

Finally, synthesize your findings and recommendations into a clear and concise conclusion. Use the “top-down” communication style, starting with your main recommendation, followed by the supporting evidence and insights. Demonstrate strong communication skills by articulating your thought process and recommendations persuasively and confidently. Be prepared to answer any follow-up questions from the interviewer and engage in a discussion to defend or refine your conclusions.

• Pyramid principle communication
• How to communicate in a case interview

In this format, McKinsey assesses in a case interview six skills that you need to demonstrate consistently in every case interview.

Skills Assessed by McKinsey

• Problem-solving: Are you able to derive a MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive) framework, breaking a problem down into smaller problems, and accurately covering all aspects of the problem?
• Analytical rigor and logical thinking: Can you link the structure to creative thinking? Are you using a hypothesis-driven approach to your problem solving, i.e. have a clear picture of where you think the solution of the case is buried most likely? Do you qualify your thinking, follow your structure, tackle (likely) high-impact issues first, lead the interviewer, and ask the right questions?
• Mental math and basic calculus : Are you able to structure quantitative problems and comfortably perform calculations? Can you derive the correct approach to calculate the desired outcome variable? Can you plug in the numbers and perform the calculations, relying on basic pen-and-paper math, shortcuts, and mental math?
• Creativity: Do you think about a problem holistically, offering broad, deep, and insightful perspectives? Are you able to come up with different angles to the problem (breadth) and draft rich descriptions that qualify why these areas are important to investigate (depth)?
• Communication: Are you able to communicate like a consultant? Are you following a top-down communication approach similar to the Pyramid Principle taught by Minto? Do all of your statements add value and do you guide the interviewer through your thinking?
• Maturity and presence: Are you leading the conversation or are merely getting dragged along by the interviewer? Are you confident and mature? Are you comfortable with silence while taking time to structure your thinking?
• Business sense and intuition : Are you able to quickly understand the business and the situation of the client? Can you swiftly interpret data, charts, exhibits, and statements made by the interview? Are you asking the right questions? Are you able to make sense of new information quickly and interpret it properly in the context of the case?

Now, these skills are assessed in a very specific interviewing format, which is not natural for most applicants and needs significant practice to become second nature.

You can download this scoring sheet for your case practice here .

Key Strategies to Excel in a McKinsey Case Interview

Using the mece principle.

MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) is a problem-solving principle that helps ensure your analysis is both comprehensive and well-organized. Apply the MECE principle when structuring your approach to a case by breaking down the problem into distinct, non-overlapping components while ensuring that all relevant aspects are covered. This method allows you to maintain a clear and logical structure throughout the case and reduces the likelihood of overlooking critical factors.

Applying the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle , suggests that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In the context of a case interview, this means focusing on the most critical issues or factors that will have the most significant impact on the client’s objectives. By prioritizing your analysis and recommendations, you can work more efficiently and effectively, demonstrating your ability to identify and address the most pressing concerns for the client.

Hypothesis-driven approach

Using a hypothesis-driven approach means forming an initial hypothesis or educated guess about the potential solution to the problem and then testing it using data and analysis. By starting with a hypothesis, you can guide your problem-solving process more efficiently, focusing your efforts on collecting evidence that supports or refutes your hypothesis. Throughout the case, be prepared to revise or refine your hypothesis as new information emerges.

Incorporating creativity and business intuition

While frameworks and structured approaches are essential, it’s also crucial to demonstrate creativity and business intuition during a McKinsey case interview. This means thinking beyond the standard frameworks and considering innovative solutions or unique factors that may be relevant to the specific case. Use your knowledge of industry trends, best practices, and real-world business challenges to inform your analysis and recommendations. By combining structured thinking with creative problem-solving, you can showcase your ability to deliver well-rounded, impactful solutions for clients.

Preparing for the McKinsey Case Interview

Most candidates prepare using generic frameworks. Alternatively, they are looking for a McKinsey case book PDF or a case study interview questions and answers PDF with the hope that the cases will be the same across interviewers and interviews.

Do not learn case-specific frameworks by heart , expecting them to work for every case you encounter. There is no specific McKinsey case study framework or McKinsey case study book. It is much more important to learn the right approach that will help you tackle all types of cases. This is even more relevant for McKinsey interviews.

What you need to do is to study each question type and the associated skills in a case interview and learn how to approach it, regardless of the client situation, the context of the case, the industry, or the function. Your goal should be to learn how to build issue trees, interpret charts, and perform math no matter the context, industry, or function of the case, and follow our McKinsey case interview tips.

Similarly to the case types and frameworks, many candidates ask if there is a specific McKinsey implementation case interview, McKinsey operation case interview, or McKinsey digital case interview. In fact, the cases are usually a mix of cases in a domain-relevant context as well as cases set in a completely different context to the role you are applying for.

Be aware that frameworks were applicable in the 2000 years, the era of Victor Cheng and Case in Point. McKinsey has long caught up on this and the cases you will get during the interviews are tailored in a way to test your creativity and ability to generate insights on the spot, not remember specific frameworks.

In fact, it will hurt you when you try to use a framework on a case that calls for a completely different approach. Also, it gives a false sense of security that will translate to stress once you figure out how your approach won’t work during the real interview – We have seen this way too often…

Rather, focus on the following:

Developing the right mindset

Success in the McKinsey case interview starts with cultivating the right mindset. Being mentally prepared involves:

• Embracing a growth mindset: Recognize that your skills can improve with consistent practice and effort. Stay open to feedback from coaches and peers and learn from your mistakes.
• Building resilience: Understand that case interviews are challenging, and you may face setbacks during your preparation. Stay persistent and maintain a positive attitude. Use a proper case interview preparation plan .
• Adopting a client-first perspective: Approach each case as if you were a consultant working on a real client engagement, focusing on delivering value and actionable insights.

Learning the essential skills

To excel in the McKinsey case interview, it’s crucial to develop the following skills:

• Problem structuring: Break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components using frameworks and logical structures.
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis: Interpret and analyze data to draw meaningful insights and make informed decisions.
• Hypothesis-driven thinking: Develop and test hypotheses to guide your problem-solving approach efficiently.
• Communication: Clearly articulate your thought process, insights, and recommendations concisely and persuasively.

Our courses and drills are designed to provide you with the precise knowledge you need. Drawing on our experience as former McKinsey interviewers, we understand what matters most and how to ensure you can leverage that to your advantage.

More on that next.

Studying relevant materials and resources

Leverage various resources to enhance your understanding of case interviews and management consulting:

• Books: The most effective and exhaustive case interview preparation book is The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview (shameless plug). It goes much deeper than the usual suspects which are outdated and provide faulty advice on case interviews.
• Websites and blogs : Websites like StrategyCase.com offer the latest case interview tips, practice cases, and industry insights. You can check out more free articles covering consulting applications and interviews here .
• Online courses: Enroll in case interview preparation courses to gain structured guidance and access to a wealth of practice materials. We have created several high-quality courses for all elements of the McKinsey interview (see below)

We are the highest ranked and most successful case coaches on the web and have helped 100s of candidates break into McKinsey. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we have specialized in getting our candidates into the firm. We can help you by

• tailoring your resume and cover letter to meet McKinsey’s standards
• showing you how to pass the McKinsey Imbellus Solve Game
• showing you how to ace McKinsey interviews and the PEI with our video academy
• coaching you in our 1-on-1 sessions to become an excellent case solver and impress with your fit answers (90% success rate after 5 sessions)
• preparing your math to be bulletproof for every McKinsey case interview
• helping you structure creative and complex McKinsey cases
• teaching you how to interpret McKinsey charts and exhibits
• providing you with cheat sheets and overviews for 27 industries .

Reach out to us if you have any questions! We are happy to help and offer a tailored program.

Practicing with case partners

Regular practice with case partners is essential for honing your case interview skills:

• Find practice partners: Connect with fellow candidates through online forums, social media groups, or local consulting clubs.
• Set a practice schedule: Aim to practice at least a few cases per week, gradually increasing the difficulty and variety of cases.
• Seek feedback: After each practice case, discuss your performance with your partner, and identify areas for improvement.
• Alternate roles: Take turns playing the role of the interviewer and the interviewee to develop a deeper understanding of the case interview process.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Common mistakes.

• Insufficient structure: Failing to break down the problem into manageable components can lead to a disorganized analysis and an inability to identify key issues.
• Overlooking the big picture: Becoming too focused on the details and losing sight of the overall objective or client’s needs can hinder the development of effective recommendations.
• Ignoring qualitative factors: Relying solely on quantitative data without considering qualitative aspects may result in an incomplete understanding of the problem.
• Ineffective communication: Struggling to articulate your thought process, insights, or recommendations clearly and persuasively can undermine the value of your analysis.
• Failing to adapt: Sticking to a preconceived framework or hypothesis despite conflicting evidence may indicate a lack of flexibility and critical thinking.

Tips to prevent these mistakes

• Practice structuring: Develop your ability to structure problems effectively by practicing with a wide range of cases and familiarizing yourself with common frameworks.
• Stay focused on the objective: Periodically remind yourself of the client’s goals and priorities, ensuring that your analysis remains aligned with their needs.
• Balance quantitative and qualitative factors: Recognize the importance of both quantitative data and qualitative insights in forming a well-rounded understanding of the problem.
• Hone your communication skills: Practice speaking clearly, concisely, and persuasively, ensuring that your message is easily understood and well-received.
• Embrace adaptability: Be open to revising your approach, framework, or hypothesis in response to new information or feedback, demonstrating your ability to think critically and flexibly.

McKinsey Interview Course

Unlock the Secrets to Acing McKinsey Interviews with Our Comprehensive Training Program

Are you eager to dive deep into mastering the McKinsey interviews? Look no further than our extensive 40-part Ready-for-McKinsey Interview Academy . This exceptional video program features simulated McKinsey-specific case studies and in-depth coverage of all Personal Experience Interview (PEI) dimensions and stories. Our Interview Academy is the ultimate resource to prepare you for success in your McKinsey case interviews.

We take pride in our results: an impressive 9 out of 10 candidates who complete our one-on-one Ready-for-McKinsey Interview Coaching program receive an offer. This track record has earned us consistent recognition as the best McKinsey and MBB coaches on several platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions McKinsey Case Interview

How can candidates best manage their time during the case interview to ensure they cover all necessary aspects of the case without running out of time? Candidates can manage their time effectively by quickly understanding the case prompt, structuring their approach clearly, prioritizing key analyses, staying focused on the most critical issues, and keeping an eye on the time to ensure they cover all necessary aspects without running out of time​ ​. However, keep in mind that it is also the McKinsey interviewer’s responsibility to go through all necessary elements of the case within the allotted time. If you are too slow (problematic) or too exhaustive yet add value to the question (not problematic), they might move the case forward on their own.

What are the most common reasons candidates fail in McKinsey case interviews, and how can these pitfalls be avoided? Common reasons for failure include lack of structure in problem-solving, missing key insights by not delving deep enough into the data, poor communication of thought process, and inability to adapt to new information. These pitfalls can be avoided by practicing structured problem-solving, actively engaging with the data, clearly articulating thought processes, and being flexible to pivot as needed​ ​.

Can you provide examples of unexpected or unconventional case types that have appeared in McKinsey interviews in recent years? Recent McKinsey interviews have featured cases beyond traditional business scenarios, such as identifying the right stakeholders to talk to in a situation or identifying reasons why an app has a low customer retention rate.

How does McKinsey adjust its case interview process for candidates with non-business backgrounds, such as those from engineering or humanities? McKinsey’s case interview process for candidates with non-business backgrounds is the same as for candidates with a business background. All cases focus on problem-solving skills and potential rather than specific business knowledge. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to structure problems, analyze data, and think critically, with the understanding that business-specific knowledge can be learned​ ​. This article not only outlines tips for passing McKinsey consulting interviews but also addresses preparing for McKinsey interviews without a business background, ensuring a holistic approach to your consulting journey.

What specific aspects of a candidate’s performance are McKinsey interviewers most focused on during the case interview? McKinsey interviewers focus on problem-solving skills, the ability to structure and analyze complex issues, creativity in developing solutions, clear and concise communication, and the potential for leadership and impact​ ​. They are looking for candidates with a well-rounded profile that have performance spikes in some areas and a robust performance in others (without clear weaknesses).

How does the difficulty level of McKinsey’s case interviews compare to real consulting projects at McKinsey? The difficulty level of McKinsey’s case interviews is designed to be comparable to the challenges faced in real consulting projects. They simulate the complex, ambiguous problems consultants tackle, testing candidates’ ability to navigate similar challenges effectively​ ​. The main difference is that they are simplified to the extent that it is feasible to go through them in 25 minutes.

Are there any particular industries or business functions that McKinsey is focusing on in its current case interviews due to market trends or strategic priorities of the firm? While McKinsey’s case interviews cover a wide range of industries and functions, there may be a focus on emerging areas of strategic importance such as digital transformation, sustainability, healthcare innovation, and analytics, reflecting broader market trends and the firm’s current priorities​ ​.

How has the transition to more virtual interviews affected the case interview process and candidates’ performance from McKinsey’s perspective? The transition to more virtual interviews has required adjustments in how cases are presented and how candidates engage with the material. While the core evaluation criteria remain unchanged, McKinsey has adapted to ensure a fair assessment, paying close attention to communication and problem-solving skills in a virtual format​ ​.

What advice do former candidates who successfully passed the McKinsey case interview have for future applicants? Former candidates advise practicing as much as possible, understanding the case interview format, focusing on structured problem-solving, developing clear and concise communication skills, being prepared to think on one’s feet, and demonstrating leadership potential and personal impact​ ​.

How can candidates incorporate feedback from practice sessions into improving their performance for the actual McKinsey case interview? Candidates can improve their performance by actively seeking feedback from practice sessions, identifying areas for improvement, working on specific skills such as structuring or analysis, practicing under realistic conditions (e.g., timed), and continuously refining their approach based on feedback​ ​.

In summary, acing the McKinsey case interview requires a deep understanding of the interview process, mastery of essential skills, and the ability to apply effective problem-solving strategies. In this article, we highlighted the key strategies for McKinsey problem-solving interviews, ensuring your preparation aligns with the best practices for McKinsey interview preparation. By embracing the MECE principle, applying the 80/20 rule, adopting a hypothesis-driven approach, and incorporating creativity and business intuition, you will be well-equipped to tackle any case interview challenge.

Remember to invest time in preparing for both the Personal Experience Interview and the case interview itself, using the wealth of resources and practice materials available. Focus on developing a structured approach, honing your analytical and communication skills, and staying adaptable throughout the interview process.

As you embark on your McKinsey case interview journey, stay confident and persistent in your efforts. By applying the tips and strategies shared in this article, you will be one step closer to achieving your consulting career aspirations. We wish you the best of luck in your journey toward success at McKinsey.

We Want to Hear from You!

Your journey to mastering the McKinsey case interview is unique, and you might have lingering questions or insights you’d like to share. Whether you’re curious about specific parts of the McKinsey interview process, seeking further clarification on case interview preparation strategies, or have your own tips for navigating the challenges of consulting interviews, we’re here to engage and assist.

Drop your questions, experiences, or advice in the comments below.

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Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. He started StrategyCase.com to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. He ranks as the most successful consulting case and fit interview coach, generating more than 500 offers with MBB, tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms through direct coaching of his clients over the last 3.5 years. His books “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview” and “Consulting Career Secrets” are available via Amazon.

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Methodology

• What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

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Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

• Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
• Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
• Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
• Open up new directions for future research

TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.

Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

• Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
• Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
• Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

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In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Ecological validity

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

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McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/

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Career in Consulting

11 must-know case interview frameworks

This is a complete guide to case interview frameworks.

In this in-depth guide, you’ll learn:

• 11 must-know consulting frameworks to ace your case interviews
• How to use these frameworks in your case interviews
• And how to create custom frameworks

So, if you want to land an offer from a top consulting firm, this guide is for you.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

Get the latest data about salaries in consulting, what are case interview frameworks.

A case interview framework is a structured way to approach how to solve a problem .

In other words:

Case interview frameworks help Consultants (and aspiring Consultants) brainstorm and organize their ideas to solve complex problems.

For example, a case interview framework is the profitability framework.

Let’s imagine this business problem:

Your client is manufacturing cars. And, for the past 2 years, they have been experiencing declining profits. They hire us to determine the root causes of this business problem.

And to help this company, you should explore the two main profit drivers: revenues and costs.

And explore if revenues decreased (one cause of declining profits).

Or explore if costs increased (another cause of declining profits).

Well… this (simple) example is a business framework.

Related articles

Check also these articles to ace your case interviews:

16 case interview tips

16 case interview mistakes

Ace market sizing questions (incl. 3 market sizing frameworks) 

Case interview preparation

280 case interview examples

Let’s detail the 11 common case interview frameworks you must know to ace your case interviews .

And let’s start with Porter’s five forces.

Case interview framework 1: Porter’s Five Forces

Let’s start with an analysis of external factors.

And one of the most well-known business frameworks is Michael Porter’s Five Forces model.

And it can be found in the book Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors .

Michael Porter’s Five Forces model says the following:

Competitive advantage in an industry is dependent on five primary forces :

• The threat of new entrants
• How much bargaining power do buyers have
• The bargaining power of suppliers
• Threat of substitute products
• Rivalry with competitors

The degree of these threats determines the attractiveness of the market:

• An intense competition allows minimal profit margins.
• Mild competition allows wider profit margins.

Therefore, the goal is to assess whether a company should enter/exit the industry or find a position to defend itself against these forces best or influence them in its favor .

For instance, your market entry framework should include the components of Porter’s Five Forces. 

The threat of new entrants (barriers to entry)

Several factors determine the degree of difficulty in entering an industry:

• Economies of scale

Product differentiation

• Capital requirements vs. switching costs
• Access to distribution channels
• Cost advantages independent of scale
• Proprietary product technology
• Favorable access to raw materials
• Favorable location
• Government subsidies
• Learning curve
• Government policy

Relationship with buyers (buyer power)

• It is concentrated or large purchases volumes relative to the seller’s sales
• The products it purchases front the industry are standard or undifferentiated
• It faces few switching costs
• Buyers pose a credible threat of backward integration
• The industry’s product is unimportant to the quality of the buyer’s products or services
• The buyer has full information
• Purchasing potential
• Growth potential
• Structural position: intrinsic bargaining power and propensity to use it
• Cost of servicing

Relationship with suppliers (supplier power)

A supplier group is powerful if:

• It is not obliged to contend with other substitute products for sales in the industry
• The industry is not an important customer of the supplier group
• The supplier group is an important input to the buyer’s business
• The supplier group’s products are differentiated, or it has built up switching costs
• The supplier group poses a credible threat to forward integration

Key issues in purchasing strategy from a structural standpoint are as follows:

• Stability and competitiveness of the supplier pool
• An optimal degree of vertical integration
• Allocation of purchases among qualified suppliers
• The threat of backward integration

Substitute products

Substitute products that deserve the most attention are those that:

• Compete in price with the industry’s products
• Are produced by industries earning high profits

Rivalry among competitors (competitive analysis)

Now, let’s analyze the competitive landscape.

Rivalry among existing competitors increases if:

• Numerous or equally balanced competitors exist
• Industry growth is slow
• Fixed costs are high
• There is a lack of differentiation (commodity market)
• There are low switching costs
• Production capacity is augmented in large increments

To end this first section about Porter’s Five Forces, you can watch this video made by the channel Business To You.

Case interview framework 2: the 4 P’s

The 4Ps are:

And it’s often seen as a Marketing framework.

The 4Ps framework can help you in your case interviews in one of the following situations :

• A market entry strategy or a product launch strategy
• To understand why sales (or market shares) have decreased

Now, let’s look at the different elements of the 4P framework.

In examining the competitiveness of a company’s product, whether it is a new product being introduced on the market or an existing product manufactured by the company, one must examine the product itself.

The following are some of the questions you might find helpful in assessing a product’s competitiveness :

• Does the product serve a particular market segment? Is it a mass market or a niche product
• Is it differentiated enough to stand out against the competition? If yes, how? If not, what can be done to improve its value perception?
• What features can be added to the product that would add to the perception of value to the consumer?
• What are some of the packaging issues that might present an opportunity or impediment to increased sales?
• Does my packaging reflect the positioning of the product?
• Does the product have patent protection?
• What financial role is the product playing (i.e., cash cow, long-term profit potential, etc.)?
• Are there any other products that can act as substitutes?

Getting the right price for a product is extremely important for the company’s success.

Unfortunately, sometimes the right price is not easy to determine.

Depending on the price elasticity of the product, a 1% increase in price has anywhere from a -20% reduction to a 25% increase in net income.

The most important factor that drives price is the customer’s perceived “value” of the product .

This is also known as the customer’s willingness to pay.

For example, if a company produces shirts with a unit cost of $10, but the market perceives the product as fashionable or has the right brand name, the shirt can be priced to capture any consumer surplus at $50 or even $80 per shirt.

The same manufacturer introduces another shirt at the same cost the following season.

This time, however, the shirt is no longer considered in vogue and thus has little “value.”

This time, the shirt would be priced at $25.

Other factors determining a product’s price are:

• The Cost to Produce COGS : maintain low costs to capture a bigger profit margin.
• The price paid previously – the expected price: if consumers are used to paying a certain price for a product, it is challenging to convince them to pay a $20 premium for the same product. However, if their perceived product value is higher than what they paid in the past, there’s room to capture some consumer surplus.
• The price of substitutes : the price of a product is driven down if the product can be easily substituted by another that serves the same function.

After assessing the product positioning and understanding who your customers are, you need to develop a strategy around which distribution channel to use and where to sell your product .

The distribution channel can be through a third party or an in-house sales force.

And the distribution channel is responsible for transmitting the company’s product to the customer (wholesaler, retailer, end-user).

The selected distribution channel and the outlets at which the product is sold MUST be aligned with the product’s positioning and focused customer segment.

There are many issues to consider when examining the place/channel distribution.

Below are some thoughts to formulate a strategy for delivering the product to market :

• What are the customer preferences regarding distribution?
• Which channels most closely align with the company’s strategy?
• Does the company need to build new channels or eliminate existing ones?
• Does it make more sense to go direct to the end-user or deliver the product through intermediaries?
• What are the economics of the channel?
• What would be the relationship of the company’s sales force in this arrangement?
• How would the company address any potential shifts in power to the channel?
• How do competitors distribute their products?

Promoting and developing a specific brand for the product has many benefits :

It develops a certain perception of the product in consumers’ eyes.

The product’s success will depend on the message conveyed to the consumer and what that consumer ultimately believes about the product.

To maintain a certain perception of exclusivity, traditional advertising (mass or niche), refraining from advertising, word-of-mouth marketing, direct mail, etc., can all be included in promotion and branding.

Here is a list of issues worth analyzing in case interviews:

• How is the marketing strategy different from the competition?
• What message are we trying to communicate? What is the objective?
• Where are we advertising our product (newspapers, TV, radio, Internet, etc.)?
• Pull strategy: (direct at end-user) use of advertising, direct mail, telemarketing, word of mouth, and consumer promotions.
• Push strategy: trade promotions, sales aids, and sales training programs
• How much money is allocated to marketing?
• How are competitors marketing their products?

Ace market sizing questions

Case interview framework 3: the 3 C’s

Knowing the 3C framework and the details upon which the framework is based is crucial to cracking the case .

For instance, the 3C framework is often used to assess the business landscape.

Or by simply defining a growth strategy.

For instance, your market entry framework should include the 3C’s. 

By analyzing the three elements, Consultants can identify the key success factors and create a viable marketing strategy.

DO NOT attempt to tackle a case during the interview by saying, “I would like to use the 3Cs framework…”

Before you even finish your sentence, the interviewer will have decided to reject you.

This point will be emphasized many times during this guide.

A good first step in assessing the business landscape is to examine the customer, the people whose problems the industry is trying to solve.

Below are eight factors to consider when examining the customer.

#1: Customer Identification

Who is the customer?

In trying to identify the customer, remember that the person who makes the purchase decision, the person who pays (the customer), and the end user (the consumer) may all be different people.

For example, a doctor may prescribe medicine that will be paid for by an insurance company (the customer) and ultimately used by a patient (the consumer).

#2: Customer Segmentation

Is it possible to group customers into distinct segments?

Customer segmentation can make it easier to understand customer needs and preferences, the size and growth rate of different revenue streams, and to identify trends.

It may make sense to segment customers by: 1. Age group 2. Gender 3. Income level 4. Employment status 5. Distribution channel 6. Region 7. Product preference 8. Willingness to pay 9. New versus existing customers 10. Large versus small customers.

How big is the market?

How big is each customer segment?

How many customers are there in each segment, and what is the dollar value of those customers?

How fast is the market growing?

What is the growth rate of each customer segment?

#5: Customer Preferences

What do customers want?

Do different customer segments want different things?

Are the needs and preferences of customers changing over time?

#6: Willingness to Pay

How much is each customer segment willing to pay?

How price sensitive is each customer segment?

For example, students will normally be very price sensitive, which means that offering student discounts can increase units sold by enough to increase total revenue.

#7: Bargaining Power

What is the concentration of customers in the market relative to the concentration of firms?

If there is a small number of powerful customers who control the market?

Then it may be necessary to either play by their rules or search for a more favorable market.

Do customers face high switching costs?

If customers face high switching costs, this will reduce their bargaining power and allow firms to charge higher prices than would otherwise be possible.

#8: Distribution

What is the best way to reach customers?

Does each customer segment have a preferred distribution channel?

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Competitors

It is also important to understand the business landscape to understand the competition .

Competition can come from firms within an industry offering similar solutions to the same group of customers (for example, Pepsi and Coca-Cola).

But, competition can also come from firms in other industries who produce substitutes .

Substitutes may have quite different characteristics (for example, petroleum and natural gas).

Still, they represent a form of indirect competition because consumers can use them in place of one another (at least in some circumstances).

For example, petroleum and natural gas might produce heat and energy.

Below are ten factors to consider when examining the competition.

#1: Competitor Identification

Who are the company’s major competitors?

Taking Cadbury as an example, some of its major competitors might include Lindt, Ferrero, Nestlé, Hershey’s, and Mars.

What products and services does the competition offer?

#2: Substitutes

Who are the company’s indirect competitors? That is, which firms are producing substitutes?

Identifying indirect competitors helps to take a broader view of what the company offers.

For example, Cadbury sells chocolate.

But it might be considered a snack food company.

So indirect competitors might include companies like Lays, Cheetos, and Doritos.

#3: Competitor Segmentation

Is it possible to segment competitors in a meaningful way?

The competition might be grouped by distribution channel, region, product line, or customer segment.

#4: Size and Concentration

What are the revenues and market shares of major competitors?

What is the concentration of competitors in the industry?

Are there many small competitors (a low-concentration industry) or a few dominant players (a high-concentration industry)?

Examples of high-concentration industries include oil, tobacco, and soft drinks.

Examples of low-concentration industries include wheat and corn.

#5: Performance

What is the historical performance of the competition?

Relevant performance can be profit margins, net income, and return on investment.

#6: Industry Lifecycle

Where is the industry’s lifecycle (early stage, growth, maturity, or decline)?

#7: Industry Drivers

What drives the industry: brand, product quality, the scale of operations, or technology?

#8: Competitive Advantages

What is the competition good at?

How sustainable are these advantages?

What are the competition’s weaknesses? How easily can these weaknesses be exploited?

#9: Competitive Strategy

What strategy is the competition pursuing?

Is the competition producing products that are low-cost or differentiated?

What customer segments is the competition targeting?

What are the competition’s pricing and distribution strategies?

What is the competition’s growth strategy?

Are they seeking growth by focusing on customer retention, increased sales volume, entering new markets, or launching new products?

#10: Barriers to entry

Key barriers to entry include capital requirements, economies of scale, network effects, product differentiation, proprietary product, technology, government policy, access to suppliers, access to distribution channels, and switching costs. (see Porter’s five forces model).

In assessing the business landscape, it is not enough to understand the customer and the competition.

Understanding the firm from whose perspective you are analyzing the industry is also important .

Below are ten factors to consider when examining the company.

#1: Performance

What is the historical performance of the company?

What is its market share?

If profits are falling, what is the cause of the issue?

#2: Competitive Advantage

What resources and capabilities does the company possess?

Consider tangible assets (property, plant, equipment, inventory, and employees) and intangible assets (brand, patents, copyrights, and specialized knowledge).

How sustainable are the company’s advantages? What are the company’s weaknesses, and can they be remedied?

#3: Competitive Strategy

What is the company’s competitive strategy?

Is the company producing products that are low-cost or differentiated?

Which customer segments does the company target? What are the company’s pricing, distribution, and growth strategies?

#4: Products

What does the company offer, and how does it benefit consumers?

Does the product have any downsides or side effects?

Is the product differentiated?

How does the company’s product offering compare with the competition?

Are there substitutes available?

#5: Finances

If the company is considering a particular course of action, does it have sufficient funds available?

Financing may be secured from various sources, including internal cash reserves, bank loans, shareholder loans, bond issues, or the sale of shares.

How many units will the company need to sell to cover the cost of the project?

Is there sufficient market demand?

#6: Cost Structure

To understand a company’s cost structure, it helps to break each business unit down into the collection of activities performed to produce value for customers.

How each activity is performed, and its economics will determine a firm’s relative cost structure within its industry.

Are costs predominantly fixed or variable?

How does this compare with the competition?

#7: Organisational Cohesiveness

Understanding a firm’s inner workings is important since competitive strategies can fail if they conflict with its culture, systems, and general business.

The organizational aspects of a firm can be examined using the McKinsey 7 S Model.

#8: Marketing

How do customers perceive the company and its products?

How does the company communicate with customers?

#9: Distribution Channels

What distribution channels does the company use to reach customers?

Are there other channels that are more cost-effective or preferred by customers?

#10: Customer Service

Does the company have a customer loyalty program?

How does the company interact with customers and support its customers post-sale?

Are employees empowered to solve problems and delight customers?

Case interview framework 4: PESTEL (or PESTLE)

PESTEL is an acronym for five factors – Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental – that can influence a company’s performance or strategic decisions.

A PESTEL analysis examines these external forces that can have strategic implications for the company .

And conducting a PESTEL analysis can be helpful for three reasons:

Understanding the facts : Understanding the big picture can help a business make informed decisions and avoid incorrect assumptions based on past experience.

Anticipating change : Understanding the macro environment can help a business identify trends and anticipate change, allowing it to take advantage of opportunities and manage potential threats.

Avoiding failure : Understanding the macro environment can help a business (and its investors) to identify projects that are likely to fail due to unfavorable conditions.

Below is a list of some of the general issues the interviewee should consider:

Political forces

• Are there any legal or political restrictions, such as new legislation, that would impede the product’s sale?
• What regulations must be addressed before introducing the product (health regulations/antitrust, etc.)?

Economic factors

• Has the economy’s overall performance impacted the sale of my product? Interest rate? Unemployment figures? Exchange rates? Balance of Payments? Free-Trade Agreements?

Socio-cultural forces

• What norms/cultural practices should be considered when entering a new market?
• Are there any trends in religious practices/traditions/rituals that should be considered?

Technological factors

• What are some of the technological trends in the market that could help/diminish the sale of the product (e.g., paper-based media vs. internet)?
• What R&D advancements were made by the market that would have a long-term impact on the very survival of the company (e.g., pay-per-view video vs. video stores)?

Environmental factors

• How does the business affect the environment?

Legal factors

Finally, the folks from the YT channel Business To You have made a great video about the PESTLE model:

Case interview framework 5: Profitability framework

There’s a good chance that the cases discussed during the interview will often touch on issues of declining profitability .

This framework is very helpful in organizing your thoughts and methodically approaching profitability problems.

According to the Profitability Framework’s opening statement, profit is a function of revenue and costs.

A company’s profitability declines when revenue has dropped, costs have risen, or both.

The goal is to identify the component of the equation that is reducing profitability and determine the best course of action for fixing it.

A quick note:

Variable costs are costs that vary with the units sold.

Fixed costs are costs that do not vary with the units sold.

Case interview framework 6: Unit contribution

The following is a framework you can use to help you understand the economics of the product’s contribution.

This framework is critical when forecasting the overall success of the product .

Case interview framework 7: Break Even

A break-even analysis tells you how many units of a product must be sold to cover the fixed and variable production costs.

For instance, this is important when deciding whether to launch a new product.

Also, a break-even analysis concerns a product’s contribution margin (selling price minus variable costs per unit; see the previous section).

So, the contribution margin is the excess between the selling price of the product and the total variable costs .

For example, if an item sells for $100, the total fixed costs are $25 per unit, and the total variable costs are $60 per unit, the product’s contribution margin is $40 ($100 – $60).

This $40 reflects the revenue collected to cover the remaining fixed costs, which are excluded when figuring the contribution margin.

Case interview framework 8: ROI

ROI is an acronym for Return On Investment.

The ROI is a performance measure that a company can use to evaluate the return from an investment or to compare the returns of several different investments .

For example, if you spent $10,000 and made $15,000, your ROI would be 50%.

[ ( $15,000 – $10,000 ) / $10,000 ] x 100% = 50%

Case interview framework 9: Payback

A payback period is the time needed to recover the cost of an investment.

Simply put, it is the time an investment reaches a breakeven point .

For example, if a company invests $300,000 in a new production line, and the production line then produces a positive cash flow of $100,000 per year, then the payback period is 3 years.

Another example:

You are offered to invest in the project $120K.

The project will bring on average $30K a year in net profit.

Using the payback formula, we get a payback period for capital invested of four years (we divided 120,000 by 30,000).

Case interview framework 10: Value Chain

A Value Chain Analysis is a concept first described and popularised by Michael Porter in his 1985 book, Competitive Advantage .

Value Chain Analysis involves identifying all the important business activities and determining which ones give the company a competitive advantage .

Also, a value chain analysis can be performed to identify potential root causes of a business problem.

For instance, a Value Chain Analysis can be undertaken by following three steps:

• Break down a company into its key activities under each heading in the model.
• Identify activities that contribute to the firm’s competitive advantage by giving it a cost advantage or creating product differentiation.
• Develop strategies around the activities that provide a sustainable competitive advantage.

Cost advantage

A business can achieve a cost advantage over its competitors by understanding the costs associated with each activity.

And then organizing each activity so that it is as efficient as possible.

Porter identified ten cost drivers related to each activity in the value chain : 1. Economies of Scale 2. Learning 3. Capacity utilization 4. Linkages among activities 5. Interrelationships among business units 6. Degree of vertical integration 7. Timing of market entry 8. Firm’s policy on targeting cost or product differentiation 9. Geographic location 10. Institutional factors (regulation, union activity, taxes, etc.)

A firm can develop a cost advantage by controlling these ten cost drivers better than its competitors.

A firm can achieve product differentiation by focusing on its core competencies to perform them better than its competitors .

Product differentiation can be achieved through any part of the value chain.

For example, procurement of unique inputs and not widely available to competitors, providing high levels of product support services, or designing innovative and aesthetically attractive products.

Case interview framework 11: Ansoff Matrix

The Product/Market Expansion Matrix (or “Ansoff Matrix” as it is sometimes called) was developed by a Russian-American mathematician named Igor Ansoff.

And it was first explained in his 1957 Harvard Business Review article entitled Strategies for Diversification.

The Product/Market Expansion Matrix can help a firm define a product-market growth strategy by focusing on four growth alternatives :

1. Market Penetration; 2. Market Development; 3. Product Development; and 4. Diversification.

The four alternative growth strategies are:

Market Penetration : A strategy to increase sales without departing from the original product-market strategy. This involves increasing sales to existing customers and finding new customers for existing products.

Market Development : A strategy to sell existing products to new markets (normally with some modifications). Ansoff described this as a strategy “to adapt [the] present product line … to new missions.” For example, Boeing might adapt a passenger aircraft model for cargo transportation.

Product Development : A strategy to sell new products, with new or altered features, to existing markets. Ansoff described this as a strategy to develop products with “new and different characteristics such as will improve the performance of the [existing] mission.” For example, Boeing might develop a new aircraft design with improved fuel economy.

Diversification : A strategy to develop new products for new markets, which can be related to the current business (e.g., vertical integration or horizontal diversification) or unrelated (e.g., conglomerate diversification).

Learn how to create custom case interview frameworks

The question then becomes, “How do you use business frameworks in consulting interviews?”.

On the Internet, numerous suggestions exist for how you ought to proceed.

However, the two main schools of thought are Victor Cheng’s frameworks and Marc Cosentino’s Case In Point.

However, these two approaches have one thing in common: they both attempt to impose pre defined frameworks on cases .

For instance:

For a market entry case, those resources tell you the market entry framework you should use.

And for an M&A case, those resources tell you exactly the merger and acquisition framework you should use.

They push you to adapt the problem to your tools .

Since every case is different, this will inevitably result in average outcomes and rejections.

For instance, 10 different M&A cases should have 10 different merger and acquisition frameworks. 

Another example: 10 different market entry cases should have 10 different market entry frameworks. 

So, you have to learn how to create custom case interview frameworks.

You must create your own unique frameworks using First Principle Thinking .

Those case interview frameworks must be MECE .

To do so, I’ve created free training to help you in that journey .

You can sign up for free with the link below.

Case interview frameworks: Final words

I hope you enjoyed this updated guide to business frameworks.

Those consulting frameworks will help you join a top consulting firm.

Now, I’d like to hear from you:

Which frameworks from today’s guide do you use the most?

Or which frameworks are new to you?

Has this guide helped you develop your business acumen?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment below right now.

To your success,

P.S. Need help with your case interview preparation?

Check whether our coaching program is a good fit. 

Do you know?

We have a unique coaching model and deliver amazing results .

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How to Write a Case Study: Bookmarkable Guide & Template

Published: November 30, 2023

Earning the trust of prospective customers can be a struggle. Before you can even begin to expect to earn their business, you need to demonstrate your ability to deliver on what your product or service promises.

Sure, you could say that you're great at X or that you're way ahead of the competition when it comes to Y. But at the end of the day, what you really need to win new business is cold, hard proof.

One of the best ways to prove your worth is through a compelling case study. In fact, HubSpot’s 2020 State of Marketing report found that case studies are so compelling that they are the fifth most commonly used type of content used by marketers.

Below, I'll walk you through what a case study is, how to prepare for writing one, what you need to include in it, and how it can be an effective tactic. To jump to different areas of this post, click on the links below to automatically scroll.

Case Study Definition

Case study templates, how to write a case study.

• How to Format a Case Study

Business Case Study Examples

A case study is a specific challenge a business has faced, and the solution they've chosen to solve it. Case studies can vary greatly in length and focus on several details related to the initial challenge and applied solution, and can be presented in various forms like a video, white paper, blog post, etc.

In professional settings, it's common for a case study to tell the story of a successful business partnership between a vendor and a client. Perhaps the success you're highlighting is in the number of leads your client generated, customers closed, or revenue gained. Any one of these key performance indicators (KPIs) are examples of your company's services in action.

When done correctly, these examples of your work can chronicle the positive impact your business has on existing or previous customers and help you attract new clients.

Free Case Study Templates

Showcase your company's success using these three free case study templates.

• Data-Driven Case Study Template
• Product-Specific Case Study Template
• General Case Study Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Why write a case study? 

I know, you’re thinking “ Okay, but why do I need to write one of these? ” The truth is that while case studies are a huge undertaking, they are powerful marketing tools that allow you to demonstrate the value of your product to potential customers using real-world examples. Here are a few reasons why you should write case studies. 

1. Explain Complex Topics or Concepts

Case studies give you the space to break down complex concepts, ideas, and strategies and show how they can be applied in a practical way. You can use real-world examples, like an existing client, and use their story to create a compelling narrative that shows how your product solved their issue and how those strategies can be repeated to help other customers get similar successful results.  

2. Show Expertise

Case studies are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise on a given topic or industry. This is where you get the opportunity to show off your problem-solving skills and how you’ve generated successful outcomes for clients you’ve worked with. 

3. Build Trust and Credibility

In addition to showing off the attributes above, case studies are an excellent way to build credibility. They’re often filled with data and thoroughly researched, which shows readers you’ve done your homework. They can have confidence in the solutions you’ve presented because they’ve read through as you’ve explained the problem and outlined step-by-step what it took to solve it. All of these elements working together enable you to build trust with potential customers.

4. Create Social Proof

Using existing clients that have seen success working with your brand builds social proof . People are more likely to choose your brand if they know that others have found success working with you. Case studies do just that — putting your success on display for potential customers to see. 

All of these attributes work together to help you gain more clients. Plus you can even use quotes from customers featured in these studies and repurpose them in other marketing content. Now that you know more about the benefits of producing a case study, let’s check out how long these documents should be. 

How long should a case study be?

The length of a case study will vary depending on the complexity of the project or topic discussed. However, as a general guideline, case studies typically range from 500 to 1,500 words. 

Whatever length you choose, it should provide a clear understanding of the challenge, the solution you implemented, and the results achieved. This may be easier said than done, but it's important to strike a balance between providing enough detail to make the case study informative and concise enough to keep the reader's interest.

The primary goal here is to effectively communicate the key points and takeaways of the case study. It’s worth noting that this shouldn’t be a wall of text. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, charts, and other graphics to break up the content and make it more scannable for readers. We’ve also seen brands incorporate video elements into case studies listed on their site for a more engaging experience. 

Ultimately, the length of your case study should be determined by the amount of information necessary to convey the story and its impact without becoming too long. Next, let’s look at some templates to take the guesswork out of creating one. 

To help you arm your prospects with information they can trust, we've put together a step-by-step guide on how to create effective case studies for your business with free case study templates for creating your own.

Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today:

And to give you more options, we’ll highlight some useful templates that serve different needs. But remember, there are endless possibilities when it comes to demonstrating the work your business has done.

1. General Case Study Template

Do you have a specific product or service that you’re trying to sell, but not enough reviews or success stories? This Product Specific case study template will help.

This template relies less on metrics, and more on highlighting the customer’s experience and satisfaction. As you follow the template instructions, you’ll be prompted to speak more about the benefits of the specific product, rather than your team’s process for working with the customer.

4. Bold Social Media Business Case Study Template

You can find templates that represent different niches, industries, or strategies that your business has found success in — like a bold social media business case study template.

In this template, you can tell the story of how your social media marketing strategy has helped you or your client through collaboration or sale of your service. Customize it to reflect the different marketing channels used in your business and show off how well your business has been able to boost traffic, engagement, follows, and more.

5. Lead Generation Business Case Study Template

It’s important to note that not every case study has to be the product of a sale or customer story, sometimes they can be informative lessons that your own business has experienced. A great example of this is the Lead Generation Business case study template.

If you’re looking to share operational successes regarding how your team has improved processes or content, you should include the stories of different team members involved, how the solution was found, and how it has made a difference in the work your business does.

Now that we’ve discussed different templates and ideas for how to use them, let’s break down how to create your own case study with one.

• Get started with case study templates.
• Determine the case study's objective.
• Establish a case study medium.
• Find the right case study candidate.
• Contact your candidate for permission to write about them.
• Ensure you have all the resources you need to proceed once you get a response.
• Download a case study email template.
• Define the process you want to follow with the client.
• Ensure you're asking the right questions.
• Layout your case study format.
• Publish and promote your case study.

1. Get started with case study templates.

Telling your customer's story is a delicate process — you need to highlight their success while naturally incorporating your business into their story.

If you're just getting started with case studies, we recommend you download HubSpot's Case Study Templates we mentioned before to kickstart the process.

2. Determine the case study's objective.

All business case studies are designed to demonstrate the value of your services, but they can focus on several different client objectives.

Your first step when writing a case study is to determine the objective or goal of the subject you're featuring. In other words, what will the client have succeeded in doing by the end of the piece?

The client objective you focus on will depend on what you want to prove to your future customers as a result of publishing this case study.

Your case study can focus on one of the following client objectives:

• Complying with government regulation
• Lowering business costs
• Becoming profitable
• Generating more leads
• Closing on more customers
• Generating more revenue
• Expanding into a new market
• Becoming more sustainable or energy-efficient

3. Establish a case study medium.

Next, you'll determine the medium in which you'll create the case study. In other words, how will you tell this story?

Case studies don't have to be simple, written one-pagers. Using different media in your case study can allow you to promote your final piece on different channels. For example, while a written case study might just live on your website and get featured in a Facebook post, you can post an infographic case study on Pinterest and a video case study on your YouTube channel.

Here are some different case study mediums to consider:

Written Case Study

Consider writing this case study in the form of an ebook and converting it to a downloadable PDF. Then, gate the PDF behind a landing page and form for readers to fill out before downloading the piece, allowing this case study to generate leads for your business.

Video Case Study

Plan on meeting with the client and shooting an interview. Seeing the subject, in person, talk about the service you provided them can go a long way in the eyes of your potential customers.

Infographic Case Study

Use the long, vertical format of an infographic to tell your success story from top to bottom. As you progress down the infographic, emphasize major KPIs using bigger text and charts that show the successes your client has had since working with you.

Podcast Case Study

Podcasts are a platform for you to have a candid conversation with your client. This type of case study can sound more real and human to your audience — they'll know the partnership between you and your client was a genuine success.

4. Find the right case study candidate.

Writing about your previous projects requires more than picking a client and telling a story. You need permission, quotes, and a plan. To start, here are a few things to look for in potential candidates.

Product Knowledge

It helps to select a customer who's well-versed in the logistics of your product or service. That way, he or she can better speak to the value of what you offer in a way that makes sense for future customers.

Remarkable Results

Clients that have seen the best results are going to make the strongest case studies. If their own businesses have seen an exemplary ROI from your product or service, they're more likely to convey the enthusiasm that you want prospects to feel, too.

One part of this step is to choose clients who have experienced unexpected success from your product or service. When you've provided non-traditional customers — in industries that you don't usually work with, for example — with positive results, it can help to remove doubts from prospects.

Recognizable Names

While small companies can have powerful stories, bigger or more notable brands tend to lend credibility to your own. In fact, 89% of consumers say they'll buy from a brand they already recognize over a competitor, especially if they already follow them on social media.

Customers that came to you after working with a competitor help highlight your competitive advantage and might even sway decisions in your favor.

5. Contact your candidate for permission to write about them.

To get the case study candidate involved, you have to set the stage for clear and open communication. That means outlining expectations and a timeline right away — not having those is one of the biggest culprits in delayed case study creation.

Most importantly at this point, however, is getting your subject's approval. When first reaching out to your case study candidate, provide them with the case study's objective and format — both of which you will have come up with in the first two steps above.

To get this initial permission from your subject, put yourself in their shoes — what would they want out of this case study? Although you're writing this for your own company's benefit, your subject is far more interested in the benefit it has for them.

Benefits to Offer Your Case Study Candidate

Here are four potential benefits you can promise your case study candidate to gain their approval.

Brand Exposure

Explain to your subject to whom this case study will be exposed, and how this exposure can help increase their brand awareness both in and beyond their own industry. In the B2B sector, brand awareness can be hard to collect outside one's own market, making case studies particularly useful to a client looking to expand their name's reach.

Employee Exposure

Allow your subject to provide quotes with credits back to specific employees. When this is an option for them, their brand isn't the only thing expanding its reach — their employees can get their name out there, too. This presents your subject with networking and career development opportunities they might not have otherwise.

Product Discount

This is a more tangible incentive you can offer your case study candidate, especially if they're a current customer of yours. If they agree to be your subject, offer them a product discount — or a free trial of another product — as a thank-you for their help creating your case study.

Backlinks and Website Traffic

Here's a benefit that is sure to resonate with your subject's marketing team: If you publish your case study on your website, and your study links back to your subject's website — known as a "backlink" — this small gesture can give them website traffic from visitors who click through to your subject's website.

Additionally, a backlink from you increases your subject's page authority in the eyes of Google. This helps them rank more highly in search engine results and collect traffic from readers who are already looking for information about their industry.

6. Ensure you have all the resources you need to proceed once you get a response.

So you know what you’re going to offer your candidate, it’s time that you prepare the resources needed for if and when they agree to participate, like a case study release form and success story letter.

Let's break those two down.

Case Study Release Form

This document can vary, depending on factors like the size of your business, the nature of your work, and what you intend to do with the case studies once they are completed. That said, you should typically aim to include the following in the Case Study Release Form:

• A clear explanation of why you are creating this case study and how it will be used.
• A statement defining the information and potentially trademarked information you expect to include about the company — things like names, logos, job titles, and pictures.
• An explanation of what you expect from the participant, beyond the completion of the case study. For example, is this customer willing to act as a reference or share feedback, and do you have permission to pass contact information along for these purposes?
• A note about compensation.

Success Story Letter

As noted in the sample email, this document serves as an outline for the entire case study process. Other than a brief explanation of how the customer will benefit from case study participation, you'll want to be sure to define the following steps in the Success Story Letter.

7. Download a case study email template.

While you gathered your resources, your candidate has gotten time to read over the proposal. When your candidate approves of your case study, it's time to send them a release form.

A case study release form tells you what you'll need from your chosen subject, like permission to use any brand names and share the project information publicly. Kick-off this process with an email that runs through exactly what they can expect from you, as well as what you need from them. To give you an idea of what that might look like, check out this sample email:

8. Define the process you want to follow with the client.

Before you can begin the case study, you have to have a clear outline of the case study process with your client. An example of an effective outline would include the following information.

The Acceptance

First, you'll need to receive internal approval from the company's marketing team. Once approved, the Release Form should be signed and returned to you. It's also a good time to determine a timeline that meets the needs and capabilities of both teams.

The Questionnaire

To ensure that you have a productive interview — which is one of the best ways to collect information for the case study — you'll want to ask the participant to complete a questionnaire before this conversation. That will provide your team with the necessary foundation to organize the interview, and get the most out of it.

The Interview

Once the questionnaire is completed, someone on your team should reach out to the participant to schedule a 30- to 60-minute interview, which should include a series of custom questions related to the customer's experience with your product or service.

The Draft Review

After the case study is composed, you'll want to send a draft to the customer, allowing an opportunity to give you feedback and edits.

The Final Approval

Once any necessary edits are completed, send a revised copy of the case study to the customer for final approval.

Once the case study goes live — on your website or elsewhere — it's best to contact the customer with a link to the page where the case study lives. Don't be afraid to ask your participants to share these links with their own networks, as it not only demonstrates your ability to deliver positive results and impressive growth, as well.

9. Ensure you're asking the right questions.

Before you execute the questionnaire and actual interview, make sure you're setting yourself up for success. A strong case study results from being prepared to ask the right questions. What do those look like? Here are a few examples to get you started:

• What are your goals?
• What challenges were you experiencing before purchasing our product or service?
• What made our product or service stand out against our competitors?
• What did your decision-making process look like?
• How have you benefited from using our product or service? (Where applicable, always ask for data.)

Keep in mind that the questionnaire is designed to help you gain insights into what sort of strong, success-focused questions to ask during the actual interview. And once you get to that stage, we recommend that you follow the "Golden Rule of Interviewing." Sounds fancy, right? It's actually quite simple — ask open-ended questions.

If you're looking to craft a compelling story, "yes" or "no" answers won't provide the details you need. Focus on questions that invite elaboration, such as, "Can you describe ...?" or, "Tell me about ..."

In terms of the interview structure, we recommend categorizing the questions and flowing them into six specific sections that will mirror a successful case study format. Combined, they'll allow you to gather enough information to put together a rich, comprehensive study.

Open with the customer's business.

The goal of this section is to generate a better understanding of the company's current challenges and goals, and how they fit into the landscape of their industry. Sample questions might include:

• How long have you been in business?
• How many employees do you have?
• What are some of the objectives of your department at this time?

Cite a problem or pain point.

To tell a compelling story, you need context. That helps match the customer's need with your solution. Sample questions might include:

• What challenges and objectives led you to look for a solution?
• What might have happened if you did not identify a solution?
• Did you explore other solutions before this that did not work out? If so, what happened?

Discuss the decision process.

Exploring how the customer decided to work with you helps to guide potential customers through their own decision-making processes. Sample questions might include:

• How did you hear about our product or service?
• Who was involved in the selection process?
• What was most important to you when evaluating your options?

Explain how a solution was implemented.

The focus here should be placed on the customer's experience during the onboarding process. Sample questions might include:

• How long did it take to get up and running?
• Did that meet your expectations?
• Who was involved in the process?

Explain how the solution works.

The goal of this section is to better understand how the customer is using your product or service. Sample questions might include:

• Is there a particular aspect of the product or service that you rely on most?
• Who is using the product or service?

End with the results.

In this section, you want to uncover impressive measurable outcomes — the more numbers, the better. Sample questions might include:

• How is the product or service helping you save time and increase productivity?
• In what ways does that enhance your competitive advantage?
• How much have you increased metrics X, Y, and Z?

10. Lay out your case study format.

When it comes time to take all of the information you've collected and actually turn it into something, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Where should you start? What should you include? What's the best way to structure it?

To help you get a handle on this step, it's important to first understand that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the ways you can present a case study. They can be very visual, which you'll see in some of the examples we've included below, and can sometimes be communicated mostly through video or photos, with a bit of accompanying text.

Here are the sections we suggest, which we'll cover in more detail down below:

• Title: Keep it short. Develop a succinct but interesting project name you can give the work you did with your subject.
• Subtitle: Use this copy to briefly elaborate on the accomplishment. What was done? The case study itself will explain how you got there.
• Executive Summary : A 2-4 sentence summary of the entire story. You'll want to follow it with 2-3 bullet points that display metrics showcasing success.
• About the Subject: An introduction to the person or company you served, which can be pulled from a LinkedIn Business profile or client website.
• Challenges and Objectives: A 2-3 paragraph description of the customer's challenges, before using your product or service. This section should also include the goals or objectives the customer set out to achieve.
• How Product/Service Helped: A 2-3 paragraph section that describes how your product or service provided a solution to their problem.
• Results: A 2-3 paragraph testimonial that proves how your product or service specifically benefited the person or company and helped achieve its goals. Include numbers to quantify your contributions.
• Supporting Visuals or Quotes: Pick one or two powerful quotes that you would feature at the bottom of the sections above, as well as a visual that supports the story you are telling.
• Future Plans: Everyone likes an epilogue. Comment on what's ahead for your case study subject, whether or not those plans involve you.
• Call to Action (CTA): Not every case study needs a CTA, but putting a passive one at the end of your case study can encourage your readers to take an action on your website after learning about the work you've done.

When laying out your case study, focus on conveying the information you've gathered in the most clear and concise way possible. Make it easy to scan and comprehend, and be sure to provide an attractive call-to-action at the bottom — that should provide readers an opportunity to learn more about your product or service.

11. Publish and promote your case study.

Once you've completed your case study, it's time to publish and promote it. Some case study formats have pretty obvious promotional outlets — a video case study can go on YouTube, just as an infographic case study can go on Pinterest.

But there are still other ways to publish and promote your case study. Here are a couple of ideas:

Lead Gen in a Blog Post

As stated earlier in this article, written case studies make terrific lead-generators if you convert them into a downloadable format, like a PDF. To generate leads from your case study, consider writing a blog post that tells an abbreviated story of your client's success and asking readers to fill out a form with their name and email address if they'd like to read the rest in your PDF.

Then, promote this blog post on social media, through a Facebook post or a tweet.

Published as a Page on Your Website

As a growing business, you might need to display your case study out in the open to gain the trust of your target audience.

Rather than gating it behind a landing page, publish your case study to its own page on your website, and direct people here from your homepage with a "Case Studies" or "Testimonials" button along your homepage's top navigation bar.

Format for a Case Study

The traditional case study format includes the following parts: a title and subtitle, a client profile, a summary of the customer’s challenges and objectives, an account of how your solution helped, and a description of the results. You might also want to include supporting visuals and quotes, future plans, and calls-to-action.

Image Source

The title is one of the most important parts of your case study. It should draw readers in while succinctly describing the potential benefits of working with your company. To that end, your title should:

• State the name of your custome r. Right away, the reader must learn which company used your products and services. This is especially important if your customer has a recognizable brand. If you work with individuals and not companies, you may omit the name and go with professional titles: “A Marketer…”, “A CFO…”, and so forth.
• State which product your customer used . Even if you only offer one product or service, or if your company name is the same as your product name, you should still include the name of your solution. That way, readers who are not familiar with your business can become aware of what you sell.
• Allude to the results achieved . You don’t necessarily need to provide hard numbers, but the title needs to represent the benefits, quickly. That way, if a reader doesn’t stay to read, they can walk away with the most essential information: Your product works.

The example above, “Crunch Fitness Increases Leads and Signups With HubSpot,” achieves all three — without being wordy. Keeping your title short and sweet is also essential.

2. Subtitle

Your subtitle is another essential part of your case study — don’t skip it, even if you think you’ve done the work with the title. In this section, include a brief summary of the challenges your customer was facing before they began to use your products and services. Then, drive the point home by reiterating the benefits your customer experienced by working with you.

The above example reads:

“Crunch Fitness was franchising rapidly when COVID-19 forced fitness clubs around the world to close their doors. But the company stayed agile by using HubSpot to increase leads and free trial signups.”

We like that the case study team expressed the urgency of the problem — opening more locations in the midst of a pandemic — and placed the focus on the customer’s ability to stay agile.

3. Executive Summary

The executive summary should provide a snapshot of your customer, their challenges, and the benefits they enjoyed from working with you. Think it’s too much? Think again — the purpose of the case study is to emphasize, again and again, how well your product works.

The good news is that depending on your design, the executive summary can be mixed with the subtitle or with the “About the Company” section. Many times, this section doesn’t need an explicit “Executive Summary” subheading. You do need, however, to provide a convenient snapshot for readers to scan.

In the above example, ADP included information about its customer in a scannable bullet-point format, then provided two sections: “Business Challenge” and “How ADP Helped.” We love how simple and easy the format is to follow for those who are unfamiliar with ADP or its typical customer.

4. About the Company

Readers need to know and understand who your customer is. This is important for several reasons: It helps your reader potentially relate to your customer, it defines your ideal client profile (which is essential to deter poor-fit prospects who might have reached out without knowing they were a poor fit), and it gives your customer an indirect boon by subtly promoting their products and services.

Feel free to keep this section as simple as possible. You can simply copy and paste information from the company’s LinkedIn, use a quote directly from your customer, or take a more creative storytelling approach.

In the above example, HubSpot included one paragraph of description for Crunch Fitness and a few bullet points. Below, ADP tells the story of its customer using an engaging, personable technique that effectively draws readers in.

5. Challenges and Objectives

The challenges and objectives section of your case study is the place to lay out, in detail, the difficulties your customer faced prior to working with you — and what they hoped to achieve when they enlisted your help.

In this section, you can be as brief or as descriptive as you’d like, but remember: Stress the urgency of the situation. Don’t understate how much your customer needed your solution (but don’t exaggerate and lie, either). Provide contextual information as necessary. For instance, the pandemic and societal factors may have contributed to the urgency of the need.

Take the above example from design consultancy IDEO:

“Educational opportunities for adults have become difficult to access in the United States, just when they’re needed most. To counter this trend, IDEO helped the city of South Bend and the Drucker Institute launch Bendable, a community-powered platform that connects people with opportunities to learn with and from each other.”

We love how IDEO mentions the difficulties the United States faces at large, the efforts its customer is taking to address these issues, and the steps IDEO took to help.

6. How Product/Service Helped

This is where you get your product or service to shine. Cover the specific benefits that your customer enjoyed and the features they gleaned the most use out of. You can also go into detail about how you worked with and for your customer. Maybe you met several times before choosing the right solution, or you consulted with external agencies to create the best package for them.

Whatever the case may be, try to illustrate how easy and pain-free it is to work with the representatives at your company. After all, potential customers aren’t looking to just purchase a product. They’re looking for a dependable provider that will strive to exceed their expectations.

In the above example, IDEO describes how it partnered with research institutes and spoke with learners to create Bendable, a free educational platform. We love how it shows its proactivity and thoroughness. It makes potential customers feel that IDEO might do something similar for them.

The results are essential, and the best part is that you don’t need to write the entirety of the case study before sharing them. Like HubSpot, IDEO, and ADP, you can include the results right below the subtitle or executive summary. Use data and numbers to substantiate the success of your efforts, but if you don’t have numbers, you can provide quotes from your customers.

We can’t overstate the importance of the results. In fact, if you wanted to create a short case study, you could include your title, challenge, solution (how your product helped), and result.

8. Supporting Visuals or Quotes

Let your customer speak for themselves by including quotes from the representatives who directly interfaced with your company.

Visuals can also help, even if they’re stock images. On one side, they can help you convey your customer’s industry, and on the other, they can indirectly convey your successes. For instance, a picture of a happy professional — even if they’re not your customer — will communicate that your product can lead to a happy client.

In this example from IDEO, we see a man standing in a boat. IDEO’s customer is neither the man pictured nor the manufacturer of the boat, but rather Conservation International, an environmental organization. This imagery provides a visually pleasing pattern interrupt to the page, while still conveying what the case study is about.

9. Future Plans

This is optional, but including future plans can help you close on a more positive, personable note than if you were to simply include a quote or the results. In this space, you can show that your product will remain in your customer’s tech stack for years to come, or that your services will continue to be instrumental to your customer’s success.

Alternatively, if you work only on time-bound projects, you can allude to the positive impact your customer will continue to see, even after years of the end of the contract.

10. Call to Action (CTA)

Not every case study needs a CTA, but we’d still encourage it. Putting one at the end of your case study will encourage your readers to take an action on your website after learning about the work you've done.

It will also make it easier for them to reach out, if they’re ready to start immediately. You don’t want to lose business just because they have to scroll all the way back up to reach out to your team.

To help you visualize this case study outline, check out the case study template below, which can also be downloaded here .

You drove the results, made the connection, set the expectations, used the questionnaire to conduct a successful interview, and boiled down your findings into a compelling story. And after all of that, you're left with a little piece of sales enabling gold — a case study.

To show you what a well-executed final product looks like, have a look at some of these marketing case study examples.

1. "Shopify Uses HubSpot CRM to Transform High Volume Sales Organization," by HubSpot

What's interesting about this case study is the way it leads with the customer. This reflects a major HubSpot value, which is to always solve for the customer first. The copy leads with a brief description of why Shopify uses HubSpot and is accompanied by a short video and some basic statistics on the company.

Notice that this case study uses mixed media. Yes, there is a short video, but it's elaborated upon in the additional text on the page. So, while case studies can use one or the other, don't be afraid to combine written copy with visuals to emphasize the project's success.

2. "New England Journal of Medicine," by Corey McPherson Nash

When branding and design studio Corey McPherson Nash showcases its work, it makes sense for it to be visual — after all, that's what they do. So in building the case study for the studio's work on the New England Journal of Medicine's integrated advertising campaign — a project that included the goal of promoting the client's digital presence — Corey McPherson Nash showed its audience what it did, rather than purely telling it.

Notice that the case study does include some light written copy — which includes the major points we've suggested — but lets the visuals do the talking, allowing users to really absorb the studio's services.

3. "Designing the Future of Urban Farming," by IDEO

Here's a design company that knows how to lead with simplicity in its case studies. As soon as the visitor arrives at the page, he or she is greeted with a big, bold photo, and two very simple columns of text — "The Challenge" and "The Outcome."

Immediately, IDEO has communicated two of the case study's major pillars. And while that's great — the company created a solution for vertical farming startup INFARM's challenge — it doesn't stop there. As the user scrolls down, those pillars are elaborated upon with comprehensive (but not overwhelming) copy that outlines what that process looked like, replete with quotes and additional visuals.

4. "Secure Wi-Fi Wins Big for Tournament," by WatchGuard

Then, there are the cases when visuals can tell almost the entire story — when executed correctly. Network security provider WatchGuard can do that through this video, which tells the story of how its services enhanced the attendee and vendor experience at the Windmill Ultimate Frisbee tournament.

5. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Boosts Social Media Engagement and Brand Awareness with HubSpot

In the case study above , HubSpot uses photos, videos, screenshots, and helpful stats to tell the story of how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame used the bot, CRM, and social media tools to gain brand awareness.

6. Small Desk Plant Business Ups Sales by 30% With Trello

This case study from Trello is straightforward and easy to understand. It begins by explaining the background of the company that decided to use it, what its goals were, and how it planned to use Trello to help them.

It then goes on to discuss how the software was implemented and what tasks and teams benefited from it. Towards the end, it explains the sales results that came from implementing the software and includes quotes from decision-makers at the company that implemented it.

7. Facebook's Mercedes Benz Success Story

Facebook's Success Stories page hosts a number of well-designed and easy-to-understand case studies that visually and editorially get to the bottom line quickly.

Each study begins with key stats that draw the reader in. Then it's organized by highlighting a problem or goal in the introduction, the process the company took to reach its goals, and the results. Then, in the end, Facebook notes the tools used in the case study.

Showcasing Your Work

You work hard at what you do. Now, it's time to show it to the world — and, perhaps more important, to potential customers. Before you show off the projects that make you the proudest, we hope you follow these important steps that will help you effectively communicate that work and leave all parties feeling good about it.

Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published in February 2017 but was updated for comprehensiveness and freshness in July 2021.

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Do Your Students Know How to Analyze a Case—Really?

Explore more.

• Case Teaching
• Student Engagement

J ust as actors, athletes, and musicians spend thousands of hours practicing their craft, business students benefit from practicing their critical-thinking and decision-making skills. Students, however, often have limited exposure to real-world problem-solving scenarios; they need more opportunities to practice tackling tough business problems and deciding on—and executing—the best solutions.

To ensure students have ample opportunity to develop these critical-thinking and decision-making skills, we believe business faculty should shift from teaching mostly principles and ideas to mostly applications and practices. And in doing so, they should emphasize the case method, which simulates real-world management challenges and opportunities for students.

To help educators facilitate this shift and help students get the most out of case-based learning, we have developed a framework for analyzing cases. We call it PACADI (Problem, Alternatives, Criteria, Analysis, Decision, Implementation); it can improve learning outcomes by helping students better solve and analyze business problems, make decisions, and develop and implement strategy. Here, we’ll explain why we developed this framework, how it works, and what makes it an effective learning tool.

The Case for Cases: Helping Students Think Critically

Business students must develop critical-thinking and analytical skills, which are essential to their ability to make good decisions in functional areas such as marketing, finance, operations, and information technology, as well as to understand the relationships among these functions. For example, the decisions a marketing manager must make include strategic planning (segments, products, and channels); execution (digital messaging, media, branding, budgets, and pricing); and operations (integrated communications and technologies), as well as how to implement decisions across functional areas.

Faculty can use many types of cases to help students develop these skills. These include the prototypical “paper cases”; live cases , which feature guest lecturers such as entrepreneurs or corporate leaders and on-site visits; and multimedia cases , which immerse students into real situations. Most cases feature an explicit or implicit decision that a protagonist—whether it is an individual, a group, or an organization—must make.

For students new to learning by the case method—and even for those with case experience—some common issues can emerge; these issues can sometimes be a barrier for educators looking to ensure the best possible outcomes in their case classrooms. Unsure of how to dig into case analysis on their own, students may turn to the internet or rely on former students for “answers” to assigned cases. Or, when assigned to provide answers to assignment questions in teams, students might take a divide-and-conquer approach but not take the time to regroup and provide answers that are consistent with one other.

To help address these issues, which we commonly experienced in our classes, we wanted to provide our students with a more structured approach for how they analyze cases—and to really think about making decisions from the protagonists’ point of view. We developed the PACADI framework to address this need.

PACADI: A Six-Step Decision-Making Approach

The PACADI framework is a six-step decision-making approach that can be used in lieu of traditional end-of-case questions. It offers a structured, integrated, and iterative process that requires students to analyze case information, apply business concepts to derive valuable insights, and develop recommendations based on these insights.

Prior to beginning a PACADI assessment, which we’ll outline here, students should first prepare a two-paragraph summary—a situation analysis—that highlights the key case facts. Then, we task students with providing a five-page PACADI case analysis (excluding appendices) based on the following six steps.

Step 1: Problem definition. What is the major challenge, problem, opportunity, or decision that has to be made? If there is more than one problem, choose the most important one. Often when solving the key problem, other issues will surface and be addressed. The problem statement may be framed as a question; for example, How can brand X improve market share among millennials in Canada? Usually the problem statement has to be re-written several times during the analysis of a case as students peel back the layers of symptoms or causation.

Step 2: Alternatives. Identify in detail the strategic alternatives to address the problem; three to five options generally work best. Alternatives should be mutually exclusive, realistic, creative, and feasible given the constraints of the situation. Doing nothing or delaying the decision to a later date are not considered acceptable alternatives.

Step 3: Criteria. What are the key decision criteria that will guide decision-making? In a marketing course, for example, these may include relevant marketing criteria such as segmentation, positioning, advertising and sales, distribution, and pricing. Financial criteria useful in evaluating the alternatives should be included—for example, income statement variables, customer lifetime value, payback, etc. Students must discuss their rationale for selecting the decision criteria and the weights and importance for each factor.

Step 4: Analysis. Provide an in-depth analysis of each alternative based on the criteria chosen in step three. Decision tables using criteria as columns and alternatives as rows can be helpful. The pros and cons of the various choices as well as the short- and long-term implications of each may be evaluated. Best, worst, and most likely scenarios can also be insightful.

Step 5: Decision. Students propose their solution to the problem. This decision is justified based on an in-depth analysis. Explain why the recommendation made is the best fit for the criteria.

Step 6: Implementation plan. Sound business decisions may fail due to poor execution. To enhance the likeliness of a successful project outcome, students describe the key steps (activities) to implement the recommendation, timetable, projected costs, expected competitive reaction, success metrics, and risks in the plan.

“Students note that using the PACADI framework yields ‘aha moments’—they learned something surprising in the case that led them to think differently about the problem and their proposed solution.”

PACADI’s Benefits: Meaningfully and Thoughtfully Applying Business Concepts

The PACADI framework covers all of the major elements of business decision-making, including implementation, which is often overlooked. By stepping through the whole framework, students apply relevant business concepts and solve management problems via a systematic, comprehensive approach; they’re far less likely to surface piecemeal responses.

As students explore each part of the framework, they may realize that they need to make changes to a previous step. For instance, when working on implementation, students may realize that the alternative they selected cannot be executed or will not be profitable, and thus need to rethink their decision. Or, they may discover that the criteria need to be revised since the list of decision factors they identified is incomplete (for example, the factors may explain key marketing concerns but fail to address relevant financial considerations) or is unrealistic (for example, they suggest a 25 percent increase in revenues without proposing an increased promotional budget).

In addition, the PACADI framework can be used alongside quantitative assignments, in-class exercises, and business and management simulations. The structured, multi-step decision framework encourages careful and sequential analysis to solve business problems. Incorporating PACADI as an overarching decision-making method across different projects will ultimately help students achieve desired learning outcomes. As a practical “beyond-the-classroom” tool, the PACADI framework is not a contrived course assignment; it reflects the decision-making approach that managers, executives, and entrepreneurs exercise daily. Case analysis introduces students to the real-world process of making business decisions quickly and correctly, often with limited information. This framework supplies an organized and disciplined process that students can readily defend in writing and in class discussions.

PACADI in Action: An Example

Here’s an example of how students used the PACADI framework for a recent case analysis on CVS, a large North American drugstore chain.

The CVS Prescription for Customer Value*

PACADI Stage

Summary Response

How should CVS Health evolve from the “drugstore of your neighborhood” to the “drugstore of your future”?

Alternatives

A1. Kaizen (continuous improvement)

A2. Product development

A3. Market development

A4. Personalization (micro-targeting)

Criteria (include weights)

C1. Customer value: service, quality, image, and price (40%)

C2. Customer obsession (20%)

C3. Growth through related businesses (20%)

C4. Customer retention and customer lifetime value (20%)

Each alternative was analyzed by each criterion using a Customer Value Assessment Tool

Alternative 4 (A4): Personalization was selected. This is operationalized via: segmentation—move toward segment-of-1 marketing; geodemographics and lifestyle emphasis; predictive data analysis; relationship marketing; people, principles, and supply chain management; and exceptional customer service.

Implementation

Partner with leading medical school

Curbside pick-up

Pet pharmacy

E-newsletter for customers and employees

Employee incentive program

CVS beauty days

Expand to Latin America and Caribbean

Healthier/happier corner

Holiday toy drives/community outreach

*Source: A. Weinstein, Y. Rodriguez, K. Sims, R. Vergara, “The CVS Prescription for Superior Customer Value—A Case Study,” Back to the Future: Revisiting the Foundations of Marketing from Society for Marketing Advances, West Palm Beach, FL (November 2, 2018).

Results of Using the PACADI Framework

When faculty members at our respective institutions at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington have used the PACADI framework, our classes have been more structured and engaging. Students vigorously debate each element of their decision and note that this framework yields an “aha moment”—they learned something surprising in the case that led them to think differently about the problem and their proposed solution.

These lively discussions enhance individual and collective learning. As one external metric of this improvement, we have observed a 2.5 percent increase in student case grade performance at NSU since this framework was introduced.

Tips to Get Started

The PACADI approach works well in in-person, online, and hybrid courses. This is particularly important as more universities have moved to remote learning options. Because students have varied educational and cultural backgrounds, work experience, and familiarity with case analysis, we recommend that faculty members have students work on their first case using this new framework in small teams (two or three students). Additional analyses should then be solo efforts.

To use PACADI effectively in your classroom, we suggest the following:

Advise your students that your course will stress critical thinking and decision-making skills, not just course concepts and theory.

Use a varied mix of case studies. As marketing professors, we often address consumer and business markets; goods, services, and digital commerce; domestic and global business; and small and large companies in a single MBA course.

As a starting point, provide a short explanation (about 20 to 30 minutes) of the PACADI framework with a focus on the conceptual elements. You can deliver this face to face or through videoconferencing.

Give students an opportunity to practice the case analysis methodology via an ungraded sample case study. Designate groups of five to seven students to discuss the case and the six steps in breakout sessions (in class or via Zoom).

Ensure case analyses are weighted heavily as a grading component. We suggest 30–50 percent of the overall course grade.

Once cases are graded, debrief with the class on what they did right and areas needing improvement (30- to 40-minute in-person or Zoom session).

Encourage faculty teams that teach common courses to build appropriate instructional materials, grading rubrics, videos, sample cases, and teaching notes.

When selecting case studies, we have found that the best ones for PACADI analyses are about 15 pages long and revolve around a focal management decision. This length provides adequate depth yet is not protracted. Some of our tested and favorite marketing cases include Brand W , Hubspot , Kraft Foods Canada , TRSB(A) , and Whiskey & Cheddar .

Art Weinstein , Ph.D., is a professor of marketing at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has published more than 80 scholarly articles and papers and eight books on customer-focused marketing strategy. His latest book is Superior Customer Value—Finding and Keeping Customers in the Now Economy . Dr. Weinstein has consulted for many leading technology and service companies.

Herbert V. Brotspies , D.B.A., is an adjunct professor of marketing at Nova Southeastern University. He has over 30 years’ experience as a vice president in marketing, strategic planning, and acquisitions for Fortune 50 consumer products companies working in the United States and internationally. His research interests include return on marketing investment, consumer behavior, business-to-business strategy, and strategic planning.

John T. Gironda , Ph.D., is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. His research has been published in Industrial Marketing Management, Psychology & Marketing , and Journal of Marketing Management . He has also presented at major marketing conferences including the American Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, and Society for Marketing Advances.

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Deciphering the M&A Case Study Framework: A Comprehensive Guide

Looking to master the art of M&A case study analysis? Look no further than our comprehensive guide! From understanding the key components of a successful framework to analyzing real-world case studies, this article has everything you need to become an expert in M&A strategy.

Posted May 11, 2023

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Table of Contents

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an essential aspect of the modern business world, where companies are looking for ways to expand their operations, increase their market share, and diversify their product offerings. M&A can take many forms, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. This comprehensive guide aims to provide a detailed understanding of the M&A case study framework and the critical factors that influence the success of M&A transactions.

What is M&A and Why is it Important in Today's Business Landscape?

Mergers and acquisitions refer to the process of combining two or more companies or businesses. M&A is typically used as a growth strategy as it enables companies to expand their market share, reduce their costs, gain access to new technologies or products, and achieve economies of scale. M&A is also used as a way for companies to enter new markets, diversify their product offerings or strategic partnerships and collaborations.

M&A is a critical aspect of today's business landscape, as it enables companies to maximize value creation and improve their competitiveness in the global marketplace. Successful M&A transactions can lead to better financial performance, increased shareholder value, and enhanced market position.

However, M&A transactions can also be risky and complex, requiring careful planning, due diligence, and execution. Companies must consider various factors such as cultural differences, regulatory requirements, and potential legal issues that may arise during the process. Poorly executed M&A transactions can result in financial losses, damage to reputation, and even legal consequences.

Moreover, M&A activity is influenced by various external factors such as economic conditions, political instability, and technological advancements. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted M&A activity, with many companies delaying or canceling their transactions due to the uncertainty and economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

Understanding the Different Types of M&A Transactions

There are several different types of M&A transactions that companies can use as a growth strategy, such as horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate mergers and acquisitions.

Horizontal mergers involve the combination of two companies that operate in the same industry or market. Such mergers aim to increase market share, reduce competition, and achieve economies of scale.

Vertical mergers refer to the combination of two companies that operate in different levels of the value chain of the same industry. Vertical mergers aim to increase efficiency, reduce the cost of raw materials, and improve supply-chain management.

Conglomerate mergers involve the combination of two unrelated companies that operate in different industries or markets. Such mergers aim to diversify the product portfolio, reduce business risk, and achieve economies of scale.

Another type of M&A transaction is a reverse merger, which involves a private company acquiring a public company. This allows the private company to go public without having to go through the lengthy and expensive process of an initial public offering (IPO).

Finally, there are also friendly and hostile takeovers. A friendly takeover is when the target company agrees to be acquired by the acquiring company, while a hostile takeover is when the acquiring company makes an offer to the target company's shareholders without the approval of the target company's management.

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Identifying the Key Players in M&A Case Studies

There are several key players involved in M&A transactions, including the acquiring company, the target company, the board of directors, the shareholders, and the investment bankers and advisors. The acquiring company is the buyer of the target company, while the target company is the company that is being acquired. The board of directors plays a crucial role in the approval of the transaction, while shareholders have the power to vote and approve the deal. Investment bankers and advisors are usually responsible for facilitating the transaction and advising on the best strategy for the acquiring company.

It is important to note that the role of each key player can vary depending on the specific M&A case. For example, in a hostile takeover, the target company and its board of directors may resist the acquisition, while the acquiring company may need to work with its investment bankers and advisors to come up with a more aggressive strategy. Additionally, the shareholders may have different opinions on the deal, and it is important for the acquiring company to communicate effectively with them to gain their support. Understanding the unique dynamics of each M&A case is crucial for identifying the key players and their roles.

Analyzing the Financial Aspects of a M&A Deal

Financial analysis is a critical step in evaluating M&A transactions. Companies need to conduct a thorough financial analysis to determine the value of the target company and the potential benefits of the acquisition. The financial analysis should consider the financial statements of both the acquiring and target companies, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Additional financial metrics such as net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) can also be used to evaluate the financial viability of the transaction.

Another important aspect of financial analysis in M&A deals is the consideration of potential risks and uncertainties. Companies need to assess the potential risks associated with the acquisition, such as changes in market conditions, regulatory changes, and integration challenges. This analysis can help companies develop strategies to mitigate these risks and ensure a successful acquisition.

Furthermore, financial analysis can also help companies identify potential synergies between the acquiring and target companies. Synergies can arise from cost savings, revenue growth, and increased market share. By identifying these synergies, companies can better evaluate the potential benefits of the acquisition and develop a plan to realize these synergies post-merger.

Examining the Legal and Regulatory Implications of M&A Transactions

Legal and regulatory due diligence is a necessary step for any M&A transaction. Companies need to ensure that they comply with legal and regulatory requirements and that their transaction does not violate any antitrust, anti-bribery, or data protection laws. Legal and regulatory due diligence can also include assessing licenses, patents, and intellectual property rights.

Additionally, legal and regulatory due diligence can also involve reviewing the target company's contracts, leases, and other legal agreements to identify any potential liabilities or risks. This can include analyzing the terms of employment contracts, supplier agreements, and customer contracts to ensure that they are favorable and do not pose any legal or financial risks to the acquiring company. It is important for companies to conduct thorough legal and regulatory due diligence to avoid any legal or financial consequences that may arise from a poorly executed M&A transaction.

Assessing the Strategic Motivations for M&A Deals

Companies engage in M&A transactions for various strategic reasons such as increasing market share, diversifying the product portfolio, gaining access to new technologies, reducing costs, or achieving economies of scale. It is essential to assess the strategic motivations behind the transaction to determine if the deal makes sense and will add value to the acquiring company.

One of the most common strategic motivations for M&A deals is to gain access to new markets. By acquiring a company that has a strong presence in a particular market, the acquiring company can quickly establish itself in that market and gain a competitive advantage. This can be particularly beneficial for companies that are looking to expand internationally.

Another strategic motivation for M&A deals is to acquire talent. In some cases, a company may be interested in acquiring another company primarily for its employees. This can be especially true in industries where there is a shortage of skilled workers. By acquiring a company with a talented workforce, the acquiring company can quickly build its own team and gain a competitive advantage.

Evaluating the Risks and Benefits of M&A Transactions for Businesses

M&A transactions are not without risks. These risks include the integration of different corporate cultures and management styles, the potential loss of key employees, legal and regulatory compliance issues, and financial risks. On the other hand, M&A transactions can offer significant benefits such as improved market position, greater economies of scale, access to new technologies, and increased shareholder value. It is essential to evaluate the risks and benefits of M&A transactions for businesses and to mitigate risks to ensure a successful transaction.

Developing a Successful M&A Strategy: Tips and Best Practices

Developing a successful M&A strategy requires careful planning and execution. A well-designed strategy can help companies achieve their financial and strategic goals. Some best practices for developing a successful M&A strategy include conducting thorough due diligence, setting clear objectives, identifying potential risks, and developing a post-merger integration plan.

Real-World Examples of Successful M&A Deals and Lessons Learned

There are many examples of successful M&A transactions, including Disney's acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, Procter & Gamble's acquisition of Gillette, and Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp. By studying these examples, we can learn valuable lessons about the factors that contribute to successful M&A transactions, including proper due diligence, clear strategic objectives, and effective post-merger integration plans.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Engaging in a M&A Transaction

M&A transactions can be complex, and there are several common pitfalls that businesses should avoid. These pitfalls include overvaluing the target company, inadequate due diligence, poor communication with stakeholders, and underestimating integration challenges. Avoiding these common pitfalls can help ensure a successful M&A transaction.

The Role of Due Diligence in M&A Case Studies: A Step-by-Step Guide

Due diligence is a critical component of any M&A transaction. Due diligence involves conducting a comprehensive review of the target company to assess its financial, legal, and operational status. A step-by-step guide to due diligence includes analyzing financial statements, reviewing contract agreements, assessing intellectual property rights, and evaluating employee relations and management processes.

How to Measure the Success of Your M&A Deal: Key Performance Indicators to Track

Measuring the success of an M&A transaction is essential to determine if the deal has added value to the acquiring company. Key performance indicators (KPIs) can help companies assess the success of the transaction. These KPIs include financial performance metrics such as revenue growth and profitability, market share, employee satisfaction, and customer satisfaction.

The Future of M&A: Trends, Innovations, and Challenges

The future of M&A transactions is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements, changing market conditions, and global economic shifts. Developments such as big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing are transforming the way companies approach M&A transactions. As the business landscape continues to evolve, businesses will need to embrace innovation and adapt to new challenges to succeed in today's competitive market.

The M&A case study framework is complex, but by understanding the key factors that contribute to a successful transaction, companies can execute M&A deals that create long-term value. The critical success factors for M&A transactions include a well-designed M&A strategy, due diligence, proper financial analysis, and effective post-merger integration planning. By following best practices and learning from real-world examples, businesses can achieve their strategic and financial goals through M&A transactions.

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US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit holds hearing at USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law

The Karen J. Williams Courtroom was standing room only on Thursday morning, March 28 for oral arguments heard by Chief Judge Albert Diaz, Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr. ‘89, and Judge William B. Traxler, Jr. ‘73 of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  

The three cases dealt with issues of social security, criminal charges, and insurance. On the docket were Donna Ard v. Martin O'Malley; United States of America v. Herbert Diaz; and Koppers Performance Chemicals, Inc. v. Argonaut Midwest Insurance Company.  

University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law students were given the opportunity to attend arguments and after the hearings could ask the judges questions. Students were interested in the judges' opinions on presentation style, how they approach their decisions, and how to succeed in the legal profession.  

Traxler reminded future lawyers to spend adequate time preparing their cases so they can confidently and directly answer any questions.   

“Look for experiences to get on your feet. Some of those things are hard to come by,” Quattlebaum said. “When you get to a firm look for opportunities, like pro bono work, to improve your craft and develop your skills.”  

Diaz concluded the session by thanking Dean William Hubbard for hosting the hearing and acknowledging the appropriateness of the venue given its namesake, the Honorable Karen J. Williams ‘80.  

“It’s fitting that we heard arguments in the courtroom named for our colleague,” Diaz said, referring to Williams, who was the first woman to sit on the 4th Circuit, as well as their first woman Chief Judge. “She left an indelible mark on the legal profession and we’re grateful to be here today.”  

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Developing and implementing a strategic framework to enhance the teaching and learning of science in science centres : a case study of the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria

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Customer Case Study: DataStax and Semantic Kernel

Sophia Lagerkrans-Pandey

Greg stachnick.

April 4th, 2024 0 0

Today we’ll dive into a customer case study from Datastax and their recent press release and announcement on the DataStax and Microsoft collaboration on RAG capabilities on DataStax Astra DB Thanks again to the DataStax team for their amazing partnership!

Microsoft and DataStax Simplify Building AI Agents with Legacy Apps and Data

In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) development, bridging the gap between legacy applications and cutting-edge AI technologies is a challenge for many enterprises. Companies often have hundreds or even thousands of existing applications that they want to bring into the AI world. Recognizing this challenge, Microsoft and DataStax have joined forces to simplify the process of building AI agents with legacy apps and data. Their latest partnership announcement combines AI development by enabling seamless integration of DataStax Astra DB with Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel.

Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel is an open-source SDK that helps solve this challenge, by making it easy to build generative AI agents that can call existing code. We’re excited to announce the new integration of Semantic Kernel and DataStax Astra DB that enables developers to build upon their current codebase more easily, vectorize the data, and build production-grade GenAI apps and AI agents that utilize the relevance and precision provided by retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

 What’s so cool about Semantic Kernel – shared by DataStax

Semantic Kernel  is a GenAI/RAG application and agent orchestration framework in Microsoft’s stack of AI copilots and models. In many ways, it’s similar to LangChain and LlamaIndex, but with more focus on enabling intelligent agents. Semantic Kernel provides capabilities for managing contextual conversations including previous chats, prompt history, and conversations, as well as planners for multi-step functions and connections (plug-ins) for third-party APIs to enable RAG grounded in enterprise data (learn more about why RAG is critical to generating responses that aren’t only contextually accurate but also information-rich  here ).

Another cool thing about Semantic Kernel is that prompts written for a Python version during app iteration can be used by the C# version for much faster execution at runtime. Semantic Kernel is also proven on Microsoft Azure for Copilot and has reference frameworks for developers to build their own scalable copilots with Azure.

Introducing the Astra DB Connector

DataStax has contributed the Astra DB connector in Python. This connector enables Astra DB to function as a vector database within Semantic Kernel. It’s a game-changer for developers building RAG applications that want to use Semantic Kernel’s unique framework features for contextual conversations or intelligent agents, or for those targeting the Microsoft AI and Azure ecosystem. The integration allows for the storage of embeddings and the performance of semantic searches with unprecedented ease.

By combining Semantic Kernel with Astra DB, developers can build powerful RAG applications with extended contextual conversation capabilities (such as managing chat and prompt histories) and multi-function or planner capabilities, on a globally scalable vector database proven to give more relevant and faster query responses.

A performance booster for Python developers

While this release will benefit a broad swath of the GenAI developer community, it’s of particular interest to those who work in the Microsoft/Azure ecosystem. By integrating Astra DB directly into Semantic Kernel, developers can now leverage Astra DB as a data source in their existing applications, streamlining the development process and enhancing application performance.

To add Astra DB support to a Semantic Kernel application, simply import the module and register the memory store:

The integration of Semantic Kernel and Astra DB extends beyond technical enhancements, paving the way for a range of business use cases from personalized customer service to intelligent product recommendations and beyond. It’s not just about making development easier; it’s about enabling the creation of more intelligent, responsive, and personalized AI applications that can transform industries.

For more information about this collaboration, visit the following links from DataStax:

• DataStax and Microsoft Collaborate to Make it Easier to Build Enterprise Generative AI and RAG Applications with Legacy Data | DataStax
• Announcing the New Astra DB and Microsoft Semantic Kernel Integration: Elevating Retrieval Augmented Generation | DataStax

Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback through our  Semantic Kernel GitHub Discussion Channel . We look forward to hearing from you! We would also love your support, if you’ve enjoyed using Semantic Kernel, give us a star on  GitHub .

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AEM 4420 Emerging Markets

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Provides a framework for examining the effectiveness of marketing strategies in economies in transition and identifying the challenges and opportunities for firms in low-income economies to access industrial markets. Appraises the risk of entering markets in low-income economies and assesses the political, legal, cultural, and economic forces. Analyzes and discusses case studies of companies.

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Title: combining a ground-based uv network with satellite maps: a case study for germany.

Abstract: A study for the comprehensive information of current UV exposure for the area of Germany, based on the method for near real time calculation of UV Index maps used in the framework of the Austrian UV Monitoring Network, is presented. For the area of Germany about 22.000 surface UV Index maps were calculated for the year 2022 via the radiative transfer model libRadtran by incorporating daily forecast data for ozone, albedo and aerosols from the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service and taking into account cloud information gathered from SEVIRI data of Meteosat Second Generation in the form of a cloud modification factor. Ground-based measurements of 17 stations of the German Solar Monitoring Network were then compared to the modelled maps. For most stations the correlation coefficient between measured and modelled UV Index (UVI) is above 0.92 and the mean difference of modelled UVI to measured UVI is smaller than 0.5 UVI. The modelling of the UVI at the high mountain station Schneefernerhaus is associated with higher uncertainties (correlation coefficient 0.85 and mean UVI difference 0.6 UVI) due to the small-scale topography with spatially highly variable albedo and clouds. Moreover, case studies for specific locations with respect to cloud conditions and topography are discussed, as well as a case study of the combination of ground-based measurements and modelled UVI maps in form of spatial correction factors.

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