Here goes the second case study. Let the war begin......

Question ( Source : Wharton Case Guide 2002 – Case 6 - Page 24 )

Our client is a specialty chemical manufacturer. More specifically, this is a $50 million division within a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Our client runs one chemical plant, with common facilities in terms of vats, mixers etc, to produce chemicals for four major markets. First is textiles, which are chemicals that are dumped into large vats with cloth designed to leach out unwanted minerals from cloth. Second is fibres, which assist in the extension and spinning of fibers and add lubricity. Third is metal working, which again creates chemical additive fluids designed to soften metals for shaping. Fourth is oil fields, which has chemical products that also add lubricity to the oil wells and drilling equipment.

Our client is currently losing $8 million per year. We have been hired to determine whether or not the business can be turned around, and help the client determine how to do it if possible.

You know what to do. Start firing the questions. Try to use the profitability framework this time

Best of Luck !!!!!

Let the games begin!

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

So said Lewis Carrol in Alice in Wonderland and indeed the time has come for us at IMS Jalandhar to start the process of GD/PI’s .
So pranksters and tricksters, nerdy smiles and goofy faces, gear up for our journey is about to begin.

GD’s and PI’s are not something that one mugs up over a week and can ace. To crack the GD’s and impress the interviewer in the PI, preparation has to begin now. You heard me...NOW!!!

So what will we do??
Lets start by developing a thinking process through which we can ace case studies. Lets read up on past interview experiences of all leading institutes . Lets take the help of national experts. In short lets stir up those grey cells and go in all guns blazing.

Here’s what we will do!!

- Case studies from Harvard, Wharton and other leading business schools would be uploaded weekly on the blog. Ask questions, get your thought process flowing and start cracking the case studies. The best attempt every week gets a price and would be recognized in the IMS Jalandhar weekly hall of fame.

- On the student board a fresh interview experience of a candidate from a leading business school would be put. Make sure you read up on it. After going through a hundred such caselets you should know how your interview would be

- We would be inviting subject matter national level experts to deliver lectures on how one aces the GD’s and Pi’s. These people have seen it all. So take what they say very seriously.

- Can we have a newsbite section where the weekly news is taken apart?? Can we get 100 different persepectives on the same news??

And this is just the beginning , a precursor to the main preparation to be done after CAT. But necessary nevertheless. After all no one built a skyscraper without digging the foundation first.

Let us start with the first case study

Question ( Source : Harvard Case Book – Practice Case 3 – Pg 39 )
A major producer of juice is in the business of processing and packaging fruit juice for retail outlets. Traditionally, the producer has packaged the juice in 18-ounce carton containers. Recently, in response to demand from the market, the producer purchased a machine that packages the juice in plastic gallons (36 ounces). Over the next couple of years, sales continued to grow on average of 20% per year. Yet, as sales continued to increase, profits steadily decreased. The owner cannot understand why. He hires you to help out.

What do you have to do??
You are consultants and the company has asked you to help out with a problem. The first step is to understand the problem. So ask the company. Put in your questions about the industry, the competitors, the product etc , basically anything you deem important to solve the problem.

We would be answering the questions everyday.

Based on your understanding of the problem, diagnose and then come out with a solution.

There is a reward for the best solution.

Hints and guidelines would be provided periodically.

After a week, next Thursday 9:00 P.M., best attempt would be declared as the winner.
So let the games begin
All the best.

Happy thinking!
IMS Jalandhar team