Aluminum Cost Curve

You’re in the right place if you’re looking for Kearney business case study examples. Get started by reading the case prompt below.

Case Prompt

Your client is a leading manufacturer in the Aluminum industry. Because aluminum is a commodity, relative cost position is the primary source of competitive advantage, and as part of a strategic review you have been asked to construct an industry cost curve (cost/kg of aluminum produces vs. industry supply), for various plant-to-market combinations.

There are 5 major players in the industry, supplying 6 major geographic market segments. Your model should be flexible enough to enable various future scenarios to be run.

How would you estimate competitors’ cost management?

How would you simulate the market mechanism?

If perfect competition exists, how does that change the simulation?

Kearney Case Study Overview

In this case, your client has asked you to construct an industry cost curve to maximize profitability. It’s up to you to do a deep-dive into the market, your competitors, and cost management to come up with a solution for the client.

Want to prepare for a first round Kearney interview? We recommend that you build a custom structure using the Profitability Framework and your knowledge of other frameworks and your own business acumen.

There are no diagrams/math exhibits in this case. The qualitative difficulty is 1 out of 4, which makes this a beginner level case you would likely see in a Kearney first round.

Kearney Interview Tips

What does Kearney look for in its case interview candidates? A high degree of comfort with numbers and an ability to problem-solve like a boss.

If your mental math isn’t sharp, our math drills may be a helpful resource.

For this case, focus on locating one opportunity for growth for your next case.

For out-loud case practice with an expert coach, book a session with one of our coaches. Looking for more business case study examples? Go back to the Case Library for hundreds of them!