JHGCC Case Solving Toolbox
About the Toolbox
Although the Toolbox is a collection of
useful guidelines and frameworks, it must be
noted by the reader that these are meant to
assist in the case solving process.
These tools are meant to serve as a foundation for
case solvers, and the Toolbox does not contain a
“right” way to solve a case.
Thus, there is a process, but there is no
formula!
We hope you enjoy!
NOTE:
This Toolbox is a collection of useful tips, tools, advice and frameworks that
have proven useful for several different case solvers and winners in the past.
If you like the content of this toolbox, please refer to our website: jhgcc.org.
JHGCC Case Solving Toolbox
Introduction
Structuring an Approach:
This section describes how to structure the problem solving
part of your solution.
Presentation:
How to set up your presentation and make sure that the end
product looks nice, neat, and professional.
Tips:
This section describes some of the things that can be done before
the case launch and insiders' tips from previous participants.
Additional reading:
External sources and readings.
Content
•
•
•
•
Structuring an Approach…………………………………………..….pp 4-8
Presentation ……………………………………..………………….....….pp 9-24
Tips………………………………………………………………………….…pp 25-27
Additional Reading……………………………………………………...pp 28
Problem Solving
Introduction
Structuring of the problem-solving process is very important. Teams will be given
a short period of time to solve a complex problem; a systematic approach will help
prioritize and structure the task at hand. This section is about exactly how to do that.
Hypothesis-driven problem solving:
This section describes one of the most time efficient ways to attack a problem.
MECE approach:
The MECE approach is widely used within the management consulting industry and for
good reason; this framework ensures that the whole problem solution space is tested.
Issue tree:
Issue trees are often combined with the MECE approach in order to prioritize and break down
the problem.
Rubric:
This section describes the importance of doing a rubric.
Content
•
•
•
•
Hypothesis-driven problem solving
MECE approach
Issue tree
Rubric
Hypothesis-driven problem solving
Description
Stating initial
hypothesis
Hypothesis-driven problem solving is all about forming a
hypothesis and then testing whether one is right or wrong
about the initial hypothesis.
As an example, look at the figure on the right. The sample
hypothesis posits that changing the quality of the product
will lead to an increase in the price and thus the profitability
of the product sold.
Data required to
test the hypothesis
Initial
Hypothesis
First the initial hypothesis is stated, this is then followed by
an analysis which can lead to either confirming or refuting
the initial hypothesis. After this, a series of new hypothesis
can then be formed, here are two examples:
1) Do not look for profit by changing quality since the
analysis shows that neither in-or decreasing quality will
change profitability.
or
2)
Check if reduction of quality instead will lead to
increased profitability.
Research, analysis,
and conclusion
Formation of next
step hypothesis
Confirm
Hypothesis
Conclusion
Falsify/Refute
Hypothesis
New
Hypothesis
Analysis
Relevant framework
to test the hypothesis
Increasing quality of
The product by 5-10%
Will lead to a 2%
Increase in profit/item
Confirm or refute
Looking at price
sensitivity, consumer
demand, capital
Investments needed
And uptake rates.
After analysis we
refute the hypothesis.
Increasing quality will
not increase profit/item.
Reducing quality by
20% will lead to 5%
increase in volume and
10% increase in
price/item. .
MECE
Description
MECE stands for Mutually Exclusive and
Collectively Exhaustive and is a tool
commonly used within the management
consulting industry. The framework makes it
easier to break complex problems down into
smaller, more simple problems. If the
“breakdown” is MECE, the team ensures that
all the sub-issues collectively exhaust to the
total solution space and that the sub-issues are
mutually exclusive (no sub-issues are
overlapping). By structuring a problem this
way, the team ensures that they do not miss
any possible solution options. It will also
distribute the work among the team members
without duplication of any work, thus the
limited time will be used more efficiently.
Imagine the JHGCC executives are trying to learn how satisfied the case competition
participants are on the JHGCC healthcare case competition. The JHGCC executives are
investigating the feedback they received from a survey. They have two approaches in mind:
1. Non-MECE
The executives segment the surveys by programs (MBAs, MPHs, etc.)
2. MECE
The executives segment the surveys by gender (Male and Female)
** the reason that the first approach is not MECE because it is not mutually exclusive, as a
student can be both a MBA and a MPH student.
Hypothesis-driven problem solving
Description
The issue tree deconstructs an issue into its sub-issues
and the sub-issues into its sub-issues and so forth.
Should our client
acquire XXX company
A complete issue tree makes identification of possible
solutions easier and guides the problem-solving process.
Is XXX an attractive
business
In this example an issue tree is constructed around an
acquisition of a company XXX, so in order to know
help the client to decide whether the acquisition should
be made, a MECE issue tree can be constructed.
The overall issue is acquisition. On the next level, the
problem is broken-down into 3 levels – the business’
attractiveness, synergies and the acquisition deal. Please
note that not only these 3 buckets are MECE, but all
the sub-buckets are MECE. For example, revenue and
cost are the only drivers of profit and they are not
overlapping - henceforth the issue tree is MECE at this
level.
Probability of XXX
(Internal)
Revenue
Synergies to our
client
Market of XXX
(External)
Cost
Price of each
product?
Fixed cost
What is the volume of
sales?
Variable Cost
Revenue synergy?
What is the deal of
this acquisition
What is the price of
acquiring XXX
What is the market
position of XXX?
Cost Synergy?
How long can our
client break-even
Is this a growing
market?
Any resources that
our client can
leverage from XXX?
What is the ROI?
Opportunities cost
Any other companies
that fit our client’s
needs (for example,
higher ROI) better?
Description
Hypothesis-driven problem solving
(a rubric)
Early in the process it is important to do a rubric for
your solution. As seen in the figure, the rubric is
supposed to make sure that the proposed solution is
both creative, has sound analysis to back it up, is feasible
and has impact. If all these five elements are in place the
team could have a winning solution.
The rubric is also a good opportunity for the team to
stop working, take a step back and ask the question: ”Is
this solution something that the company might
actually consider?”
Again, there is not one way to get it right, but many
ways to get it wrong. An example of a creative, but nonfeasible solution, could be to open a store on Mars. An
example of a solution that have all elements but
creativity, could be to optimize all current operations by
2%.
Neither solution are winning solutions due to their
complete lack of one of the five elements. So, make sure
that at least these four are somewhat present.
Creativity
• A novel solution will always make you standout (as long as you can back up your
solution)
Analysis
• Insights, insights and insights! The ‘so what’ is the gold of your analysis
Impact
• How impactful is your solution? You should focus on the most impactful solution
first. Because you only have 2 weeks to solve the case. (Prioritization!)
Feasibility
• Always put yourself into your client’s shoes
Thoughtfulness
• What separates a best team from a good is that when your client questions your
solution, the best team can response with: we actually thought of that…
Presentation
Description
This section entails everything you need in order to convey your solution in a
compelling and convincing way.
There are two major parts of a good storyline:
1) Structure of content – telling the right things.
2) Structure of argumentation – telling it the right way.
If you have these two elements you have a good storyline.
This section first describes and exemplifies a logical way to structure the
content of your presentation. That is which analysis and finding to present in
which order.
Then, this section describes the two most used argumentation structures,
the inductive and the deductive which is then exemplified.
Lastly, in the final part of this section everything is put together in an example
of a good case solution storyline.
Content
•
Storyline………………………………………..pp 10-14
• Structure of content
• Structure of argumentation
• Inductive vs. deductive reasoning
• Putting it all together
•
•
The executive slide………………..………..pp 15
PowerPoint do’s and don'ts…..............pp 16-21
How to structure your
content in a logical way
Description
An often-used structure of the content in the
presentation is based upon what
the reader expects to come next.
On the right is an example of how to structure the
different parts of your
solution. This flow ensures that the structure of
the solution is easy to follow for
the reader/listener. These four parts are based
upon what you are telling the
reader, as seen on the right.
First the overall situation of the company is
presented. Then, the implication
(problem) of that situation is identified.
In the third part of the story, the solution to the
problem is presented. In the solution part it is also
vital to present the arguments as to why the team
has settled on that solution. Lastly, the impact of
the solution should be presented.
• Who is our client?
• What does our client do?
Setting the
•…
Stage
• What is the client’s objective?
• What is the cause?
Identify the
•…
Problem
Solution
• Argument 1
• Argument 2
•…
• By doing ABC, our client will achieve 1, 2, 3…
Impact
How to structure your
content in a logical way
Description
Having secured that the structure of the content
in the presentation is good, the team must also
make sure that the storyline follows a strong
logical argument. That is, how to structure the
four elements. This means that it should be easy
for the reader to follow the logical flow of why the
next slide looks like it does. E.g., setting the stage:
”the company's revenue is stalling due to maturity
in market”. The next slide identifies the problem
of the situation.
Broadly speaking there are two possibilities for
how to build the logical argumentation of a good
storyline. A good story in a solution almost always
follows either the inductive or the deductive
method.
Solution
Arguments
Arguments
Solution
Inductive method
1.Tell your recommendation upfront
2.Give your reasonings
Deductive method
1.Show your analysis
2.Give recommendation based on your analysis
Note
While the deductive method can be powerful if used correctly, it is recommended that the team uses the inductive story lining. The reason being
that if using the deductive reasoning, the team must be absolutely sure that the reader will agree on the results and the logic of the
argumentation or else the complete argument for the solution could fall apart. The inductive also has the advantage that it follows the logic of:
First tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.
Example of inductive storyline
We recommend that …
•
•
•
•
The company should expand their business to China...
...By first targeting the coastal region...
...And pack items in smaller packages...
...Resulting in a net turnover growth of USD 1bn in 2015
NOTE:
This box is basically what to tell on the executive slide
… because … (supportive analysis and conclusions)
• Reasons for going to China
1. Because the market potential is huge.
2. The growth is strong.
3. Current markets are mature.
4. There are certain risks, but they are limited.
5. We will be able to boost revenue by USD 1bn by moving into China.
6. Which is more than other considered possibilities.
• Reasons to consider product modifications
1. Cultural differences make Chinese consumers seek
different value propositions.
2. Small is beautiful in China.
3. Current consumer trends support ”smaller”.
• Why to target the coastal region
1. Large share of population.
2. Fastest growing region.
3. Highest share of net wealth people.
• Wrap up
• Financial analysis of revenue growth by 2015
Example of deductive storyline
Looking at… (analysis and conclusions)
1. The market potentials
2. The growth rates
3. Current markets potential
4. Risks involved
5. Revenue possibilities in different markets
• China comes up as the most lucrative market
1. Distribution of population and their net wealth
2. Growth across Chinese regions
• The coastal area is where the Chinese expansion should start
1. Cultural differences
- Value propositions needed
- Spending patterns
- Consumer trends
• Packaging in smaller bundles is needed
• Financial analysis of revenue growth by 2015
• Wrap up
… leads us to recommend that …
•
•
•
•
The company should expand their business to China...
...By first targeting the coastal region...
...And pack items in smaller packages...
...Resulting in a net turnover growth of USD 1bn in 2015
NOTE:
Again, this box is basically what to tell on the executive slide
Putting it all together: Telling a story during the
progression of the presentation
Key focus areas:
•
•
Logic of pression through the presentation should be easy to follow.
By reading only the headers, the reader should be able to understand case solution. See the example below.
Executive Slide
We recommend the company to
expand their business to China and
gain USD 1bn in revenue because home
markets are under pressure.
… Although Chinese customers are
different …
• Resistance towards western
brands due to
1. Reason 1
2. Reason 2
… Our solution will grow topline by
USD 1 bn
Home market is weak …
• We see weak growth
• Increased competition
• Weak spending due to financial
crisis
•
1.
2.
3.
… They can be won by
adapting product …
Given consumer behavior, best way
to enter is:
Enter
Adapt
Expand
Wrap up
Tell them what you told them
… So other revenue sources are needed …
1. Germany
2. Norway
3. The Netherlands
4. China
China is the best option
•
•
•
•
… China is the most promixing market …
High growth
Large market
Weak customer loyalty
Resistance towards western brands
… And will make further expansions
possible.
• Start in major cities
• Expand to coastal region
• 500 stores by 2015
So while still taking risks into account …
• Risk 1
• Risk 2
• Risk 3
• How to mitigate risks
Note:
This presentation is not a solution for how you need to
structure (or design) your presentation, but only meant
as an illustrative example.
The executive slide
Description
It is recommended to put an executive slide in the beginning of your presentation, since this supports the inductive reasoning.
The executive slide should...
– Answer the objective of the client
– Make the reader able to understand your solution and why you have reached your conclusions.
– Be the introductory slide for the presentation presented to the judges, should the team reach the finals. – Tell the same story as all the headlines of
the presentation.
PowerPoint Do’s & Don’ts
Introduction
This following sub-section is a collection of do’s and don’ts regarding
the visual setup of your slides. Since you only have 10 slides, it is vital
that nothing is lost in translation, meaning do not succumb to the
usual PowerPoint mistakes.
The following examples are not an exhaustive list of all PowerPoint
mistakes but a collection of some of the most common mistakes that
can easily be avoided.
By making sure that your slides look more like the ”do”-examples
and less like the ”don’t”- examples you increase the possibility for
the reader to understand the slides as it was intentionally meant to
be understood.
On the right you will find a list of the following slides.
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
Notation on graphs……………………........................pp 17
Key takeaway in header……………………………….…..pp 18
Less is more in graphs…………………..………………….pp 19
Less is more in effects………………………………..……..pp 20
Supporting the message…………………...……………...pp 21
Remember notations on your graphs
Do
Note:
Only include data labels if they are needed to prove your point.
Also remember to include your source in the bottom of the slide. This adds credibility to your presentation.
Don’t
Make sure to put the key takeaway from your
slides in the header
Don’t
Do
The demand for shipments varies rapidly
throughout the year.
Shipment Demand Analysis
5.5
6
Monthly Volume in 2019
5.6
4.9
4
2.5
3.2
3
2.3
1.3
0
1
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
Month
9
10
11
12
Shipment volume in millions
Shipment volume in millions
Monthly Volume in 2019
5.5
6
5.6
4.9
4
2.5
3.2
3
2.3
1.3
0
1
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
Month
9
10
11
12
Less is more when it comes
to data presentation
Don’t
Do
Chart Title
Quantity VS. Payment
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1200
1000
971
952
920
911
902
854
Axis Title
800
600
Sum of Quantity
Sum of Quantity
400
Count of Payment
200
Linear (Sum of Quantity)
170
178
174
152
160
166
Electronic
accessories
Fashion
accessories
Food and
beverages
Health and
beauty
Home and
lifestyle
Sports and
travel
Sum of Quantity
971
902
952
854
911
920
Count of Payment
170
178
174
152
160
166
0
Product Line
Note:
Design your graph so the reader can quickly and easily read it. .
Count of Payment
Axis Title
Less is more when it comes
to colors and effects
Do
… and it looks unprofessional.
Don’t
Make sure only things that back up the
message of the slide is included
Do
Note:
Images should only be included if they help to make a point clearer.
Don’t
Tips
Description
This section describes some the most important practicalities that lies outside
the actual problem-solving process and case solution. That being said, the
practicalities included and described in this section has a high probability of
making the 2 weeks of case solving easier. If ignored, there is a high
probability of making the case solving hours more difficult.
Time management:
Due to the time pressure, a good plan will ensure that the team makes the
most of the available time.
Quotes from the insiders:
This section includes some insiders’ tips for what things the team would be
like to have under control before the actual case launch.
Overview
•
•
Time management…………………….......................pp 23
Quotes from the insiders………………………..……..pp 24
Draw up a time plan before the case launch
Description
The time plan does not have to be as specific as
this one, but a rough time plan will certainly prove
helpful as it will help the team to not spend too
much time on unnecessary tasks. E.g., analysis of
market irrelevant for the case solution, spending
too much time on date search etc.
Also the team should note that the time plan will
almost certainly not be held, as unavoidable events
will happen during the case solving. However,
making a time plan will keep reminding the team
that time is precious and spending it unwisely is
not recommended.
Lastly, this time plan is not the golden rule as to
how to allocate the 2 weeks but only an example.
The golden rule that does persist is, the more
specific the time plan, the more it helps
throughout the process.
Week 1
Brainstorming
Initial
Hypothesis
Data Research
Retest
Hypothesis
Week 2
Develop
Solution
Gather Slides
Final Version
Rehearse
Quotes from the insiders
“Practice makes perfect. It was so evident that the more training cases we did, the better we got.”
“Set up the master slide before the case launches. We wasted at least 3 hours setting up and agreeing on the layout.”
“Reorganize your arguments, starting with the most powerful one.”
“Cite your data”
“Know your data sources. Having the best data available is a competitive advantage.”
“It is very wise to save some time in the end for iteration, going through every slide asking the questions: What do we want to tell with this slide
and will the reader understand it.”
“Assign team roles and know each others relative strengths and weaknesses. Having the discussion before the launch as well as a time manager
saved us time.”
“Remember to buy snacks, snacks, snacks & more snacks.”
Additional reading
Online
Here we have listed external sources and additional reading that is also useful
for the case solving team.
• Choosing the right kind of chart:
http://extremepresentation.typepad.com/files/ choosing-a-good-chart-09.pdf
• www.caseinterview.com
• www.bcgperspectives.com
• Data sources: http://www.eiu.com/
http://research.thomsonib.com/
Offline
•
How to structure your argument: Barbara Minto – The
pyramid principle
•
Presentation design advice:
• Gary Reynolds – Presentation Zen
• Nancy Duarte - Slideology