Online Auction Company

Case Study Prompt

Our client is the head product manager in the sports division of a major online auction company. He has brought you in to diagnose why his division’s profitability is declining and to determine ways to improve their performance.

How would you structure your approach?

Case Study Overview

Ready to dive into this EY case study? You are being asked to diagnose a loss in profitability for one division of an online auction company. Your job? Do a deep-dive into the profitability, find the underlying issues behind the profit decline, and ultimately, provide a strong recommendation on how the company can resolve the issue and get back to profitability.

After you do a good read-through of the prompt, it’s time to build out your structure. We recommend that you incorporate the Profitability Framework into your structure, but don’t rely solely on the basic case interview frameworks. This part of the case is your chance to showcase your creativity and business acumen, so build a structure that will allow you to most effectively solve the EY case study.

This EY case study is a fantastic second-round practice case. The math in the case is light, but the qualitative aspect is at an advanced-level (difficulty score of 3/4). There are a number of math diagrams in the case to be interpreted.

EY Interview Tips

Want to impress in your EY interview? Understand what the firm values, and showcase that in your interview when possible.

EY prizes flexibility, and wants to see how you react to unexpected questions and/or events.

Want to take your case practice a step further? Time yourself in this EY case study – the recommended times are listed on each Guidance page. In addition, do an audit of your overall polish and communication throughout each section of the case.

Book an hour of out-loud case practice with one of MC’s amazing interview coaches today.