Machine Loading

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Case Prompt

A client produces a range of synthetic materials in varying widths and lengths. Each material is used for packaging but differs in physical properties in terms of costs, weight, flexibility, and general performance. Each material can be coated with any one of four or five types of chemical coating which make the materials more or less impervious to heat, light, water, vapor, etc.

The machines with which these materials are made are housed in one enormous factory location. Each machine can run any one of the various materials and/or coating combinations. The client does not wish to invest in additional equipment.

Our client’s machinery can produce hundreds of different products. Some are customized to client needs while others are used by a wide variety of customers.

The client has asked us what combination of products he should run to increase his plant’s profitability. How would you go about determining the optimal mix of potential products on these machines?

Case Study Overview

Make sure you read the prompt carefully to fully understand the question being asked of you – this is crucial to making the most of your consulting case practice. The client in this consulting case is a product manufacturer that wants to increase profitability of the manufacturing plant/factory. Your job is to gather the data, run the calculations, and get to an insight that you’ll deliver to the client in a final presentation.

Use the Profitability Framework to solve this scenarios-based case, but don’t box yourself into the framework. Use your knowledge of the frameworks and your own business understanding to create a custom structure that will help you best solve the case problem.

With a qualitative difficulty score of 2/4, this is good consulting case practice for a Kearney 1st round interview. The case has no math exhibits.

Kearney Interview Tips

What does Kearney look for in its future consultants? High-level quant and problem-solving abilities.

Make sure your mental math is game-ready.

For this consulting case practice, try to find 1 or 2 areas of growth for future cases.

For out-loud consulting case practice with an expert, schedule a session with an interview coach today.