HelpDesk, Inc

Start your consulting case practice now with this McKinsey case study.

Case Study Prompt

Our client is HelpDesk, Inc., a company that provides outsourced IT services to large commercial and industrial clients. For a fixed monthly fee, customers receive the right to make unlimited IT helpdesk support calls to HelpDesk.

HelpDesk also maintains a fleet of vans and service technicians in the various cities where it operates. When a customer call cannot be resolved over the phone, technicians are dispatched to address problems in person at the customers’ sites.

As the company’s operations have grown, its profitability has declined, and we have been hired to diagnose the problem and recommend a solution.

What do you think are the most important issues we need to consider in this case?

Case Study Overview

In this case, the client is an IT outsourcing company. As the company has grown, profitability has declined. The company has brought you in to diagnose the problem and find a solution.

Use the Profitability Framework to build your structure for the case, but don’t box yourself in to that singular framework. Use your knowledge of the basic frameworks to create a custom structure tailored to the specifics of the case.

You could expect to see a case like this in a McKinsey first round. The qualitative difficulty of the case is entry-level at 2 (out of 4). The case does contain 1 math diagram to be interpreted.

Interview Tips: McKinsey

What does McKinsey look for in its candidates? The ability to problem-solve and clearly communicate your thought process.

As you go through the case, make sure you verbalize your structure and recommendation clearly!

For the best consulting case practice, make it a point to find 1 key takeaway or area you can improve in the case.

For out-loud consulting case practice, book a session with a specialist coach to take your case interview prep to the next level.