Management Consulting and Case Solving

for Dummies

13. Unconventional Cases

Issac Jojy

PGP 2014-16

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As mentioned in the previous document, if you’re coming here from Document 12, please go to
Document 14 for now. You can come to this document in Term 2 once you start your case preparation
actively.
I expect you to have read Document 14 and only then proceed forward
In addition to the normal cases types I’ve discussed before in the previous documents, there can also
be certain unconventional cases. Whatever the case type may be, remember that it either affects the
revenue side or the cost side of the client somehow or the other. Unconventional cases are also the
same, but when you listen to the case question, it really doesn’t strike you quickly, because of which
people get psyched out. People think that just because it is not the normal case type, they can’t solve
it. Trust me – The approach is exactly the same. There are 2 examples I’ll discuss which will convince
you of this after which you can use the approach for solving ANY case. One example will be discussed
in this document. The other example was a case that I was given during my summer placements. I
have given the case solution in detail to the ICON JC, who interviewed me. So when ICON shares
with you the case interview summaries from last year, you’ll be able to find the solution there.

Unconventional Case Example 1 –

Case Question: Your client is an Indian airline company. The client is facing delays in flight timings.
Please help the client to solve this problem (This was one of my favorite cases that I did as part of
case prep for summers. I did this case with one of my buddies. This was an actual live case that a
major Indian airline company faced. I did mess up a little while solving this case, so as part of the case
solution - I’ll write down how I messed up and how I managed it)
Case Solution:
Step 1: Understanding a bit of the client business context:
Jojy thinks: The objective function is not very clear. I don’t understand what delay in flight timings
really means. I need to ask what that means.
Jojy: “Ok. Before I start off, can you please tell me what delay in flight timings really means? Is it
something related to flying time of flights or departure time or something else. Can I get some clarity
on this before proceeding forward?”
Buddy: “Sure. It’s simple. It just means that flights arrive a little late as compared to the time when
the flights are supposed to arrive”
Jojy thinks: Ok. So that gives a little bit more clarity. I need to understand a little bit about the client
context before proceeding further. So let me ask a few questions around that
Jojy: “Ok. Before structuring my thoughts and starting to solve the problem, I’d like to get some basic
information regarding the client. Is that ok?
Buddy: “Sure. Go on”

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Jojy: “You mentioned that our client is a Indian airline company. I have a few questions. 1. Is our
client a passenger airline or a cargo airline? 2. Is our client operating only within India or is our client
an international service provider?”
Buddy: “Passenger airline. The client has international services but for the scope of this question, let’s
just stick to domestic services”
Jojy: “Ok. Within India, does the client fly only on limited local routes or it is a national – wide airline.
Also, is the problem that the client is facing something specific to few of the routes that the client
operates or is it a problem that our client is facing in all the routes? And how long has our client been
facing this problem”
Buddy: “The client is a national level airline having services all across the country. The client is facing
this problem across all its routes and it has been noticed for the last 6 months”
(If you’re thinking how I was able to think of all this – It’s just practice. I just broke down trying to
make it MECE with every question and this skill comes only with practice. When I started off my case
prep., I really did not have this skill so much.)
Jojy thinks: That gives a lot more clarity on our client and some idea about the problem. Now, I want
to ask a little more about the problem that the client is facing. But before getting into the analysis, I
want to be clear whether the problem is an external industry wide problem or an internal client-specific
problem. So I need to ask that
Jojy: “Great. That gives me additional clarity. Just another question. Do we have data to show that
this problem that our client is facing is something that only our client is facing or is it something that
the entire Indian passenger airline industry is facing?
Buddy: “The Indian passenger airline industry is fine. This is specific to our client”
Jojy thinks: Cool. That’s sufficient info for me to start structuring my thoughts and solving the
problem. But before that I need to buy in the interviewer of my approach.
Step 2: Set the objective(s)/goal(s) function
Jojy: “Fine. So basically, our client, an Indian passenger airline company has been facing an internal
problem across all its routes for the last 6 months, as a result of which there is a delay in the flight
arrival times. We need to find out this problem and solve it. Is there any other objective? If this is the
only objective, can I take a few seconds to structure my thoughts to decide the approach to solve this
problem?”
Buddy: “Sure. Go ahead”
Step 3: Reverse Engineer from this objective function ONLY based on data, ensuring MECE
at each stage to drill down to the core problem(s)
Level 0: Total time to reach destination = Total flying time + Total time for the flight to depart from
the airport (MECE)

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Jojy: “So, basically total time to reach the destination for a flight is a sum of the flying time + the time
taken for the flight to depart from the source destination. So the problem will be with either of these
or both of these. Do we have data to show that the either of these or both of these have been different
from our target timings for each of these?
Buddy: “Data shows that the flying time is not an issue”
Jojy: “That means that the internal problem that our client is facing is with regard to the flight
departure time. For the scope of further analysis, I’m planning to look at only this. Is that fine? If yes,
can I take a few seconds to see what are the possible reasons that can lead to this?”
Buddy: “Sure. Go on”
(Jojy is going to mess up a little now)
Jojy thinks: It’s a passenger airline. So, let me think on the lines of what all can cause passenger delays.
The entire passenger travel journey to the flight should be broken down logically and sequentially and
somewhere there would be a bottleneck. Let me find that out and try to solve it
Jojy: “The flight departure time can be delayed due to multiple reasons. The approach I’m planning
to follow is look at various delays that can come in as a result of passengers and their luggages. For
example, issues like passengers checking in late, their luggages reaching the flight late etc. I feel this
approach will help isolate the core problem and then we can solve it. Is this approach fine? If yes, can
I take a few seconds to look at the various components of the passenger journey until reaching the
flight”
Buddy: “Hmm…Your approach does not seem right. May be, it’s because you’re not familiar with the
airline industry. Think about whether it is actually the passenger journey that needs to be analyzed”
Jojy: “Oh ok. Let me take a few seconds to think about it”
Jojy thinks: (Brain freeze for a few seconds because I was sure that was the approach. But now it is
wrong as per the interviewer. So I must be missing something. Let me think again..(10-15 seconds of
silence)…Yes.. I was wrong. It is not the passenger journey to the flight that matters. It is the flight’s
journey until it flies that matter and passengers entering the flight is only 1 part of it. So I need to
break down the various components of the flight’s journey until it flies and see where our problem
can be
Jojy: “Oh yes. I was wrong. It is the flight’s journey that we need to analyze and passengers and luggage
entering the flight are only 1 part of that journey. So can I take a few seconds to analyze the various
components of this journey so that we can isolate the problem to solve it. Is this approach fine or do
you want me to follow a different approach?”
Buddy: “Yes. You’re right. Your approach is fine now. Go on”
Level 1: Flight departure time = Time to load passengers, crew & luggages + Time to fuel / refuel
the aircraft + Any regular maintenance work before refueling after the aircraft would have landed after
its previous flight + Any other variables which I might have missed

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Jojy: “Ok. So I’ve broken down the flight departure time into few broad buckets. Flight departure
time = Time to load passengers, crew & luggages + Time to fuel / refuel the aircraft + Any regular
maintenance work before refueling after the aircraft would have landed after its previous flight. I think
I’ve covered most of the variables. Since I’m not very familiar with the airline industry, it will be great
if you can tell me whether there are some additional variables that I need to think about. If not, do we
have any data from the client that shows that any of these variables are taking more time than whatever
time standards each of them would have?”
Buddy: “No. This is fine. We have data to show that the passenger/luggage/crew loading times as
well as the fuel filling times are fine.”
Jojy: “Great. So that means – Can I assume that for the further scope of analysis of this problem, the
regular maintenance time is our core problem or is there something else that I need to think about? If
not, can I break down the maintenance time further to isolate the core problem?”
Buddy: “Yes. Maintenance time is the problem. Your approach seems fine. Go ahead”
Jojy thinks: I’ve worked in core engineering in a factory and I should be able to use some of my
learnings to get some idea about what all can lead to maintenance time increasing
Level 2: Maintenance time can be impacted as a result of various maintenance resource constraints.
The various resources for maintenance that can create issues are 1. Maintenance manpower constraints
(like not enough people to do the maintenance leading to more time to complete the tasks OR/AND
quality of workmen going down leading to more time to complete the tasks) + Maintenance tools
and spare parts constraints (not enough tools/spare parts OR/AND quality of tools/spare parts going
down due to some purchasing issue or not replacing old spare parts etc)
Jojy: “Broadly I feel maintenance time can be impacted in a negative way as a result of issues involving
manpower as well as tools/spare parts for maintenance. Is there anything else that I need to consider?
Else, do we have some data to show either of this or both of this is a problem?”
Buddy: “Tools/Spare parts is the problem”
Jojy: “Ok. So various issues under Tools and spare parts can include either quantity or quality of
tools/spare parts creating an issue. Quantity related issues include not having enough tools/spare
parts Quality related issues include quality of tools/spare parts going down due to some purchasing
issue or not replacing old spare parts etc. Any of this can affect maintenance time affecting the total
departure time affecting the total arrival time. Do we have any data to show that any of these issues
I’ve identified are a problem?”
Buddy: “The quantity of spare parts is the issue. Last 6 months, we don’t seem to have sufficient spare
parts required for maintenance and the management never came to know of it. Every time, during
maintenance, when the workers realized that the spare parts weren’t sufficient, they had to arrange for
alternate spare parts which took time leading to this issue cropping up. Now, come up with
recommendations to solve this”

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Step 4: Understand the current system in place to counter this problem:
Jojy: “Before I come up with recommendations, can you tell me whether there is a system in place
currently to counter this problem and if yes, why is this system not effective?”
Buddy: “We have a vendor who supplies all this spare parts inventory to us. The vendor has not been
delivering up to the mark as per the vendor’s agreement with us”
Step 5: Recommendations based on data based analysis
Jojy thinks of few options
Jojy: “Ok I have 4 recommendations as part of the analysis we have conducted. 1. Enforce contract
with the vendor strictly charging extra penalties for not delivering as per the contract 2. Employ
multiple vendors as backups for each other so that the client is safeguarded. 3. Revamp the spare parts
inventory management system by the client so that even if the vendor does not deliver, we’re
safeguarded. 4. Once the flight lands itself, do all this checking so that the before departure, there is
no time wasted because of this. Are these options fine? Or do you want me to think of other options?”
Buddy: “Not required. This is fine. We actually executed one of the options you stated”
This is an example of an unconventional case but solved using the exact same approach.

Unconventional Case Example 2 –

Case Question: Your client is a bank and is facing reduced customer satisfaction levels. Please help
the client to solve this problem.
Case Solution: (Please refer to the document ICON will be sending you guys in Term 2 containing
summaries of summer placement interviews from last year. This was a relatively easier case compared
to the previous example. The ICON document will have the detailed solution)
In addition to all this, I did have a lot of case-specific learnings from solving various cases. Initially I
felt like sharing those learnings as well, but then realized that I’ll not be doing justice to you guys as
you’ll probably be doing those type of cases with your case group or buddies or using other resources
and you should ideally learn it by yourself and not get spoonfed ;)
I think I’ve actually given quite a lot of learnings already. If 1 week before your summer placements,
you’ve done your bit of practicing cases and you want to know whether there are any more inputs that
you’d want or you’ve missed out, you can mail me at that stage. I have another ~2 months until then
and would’ve created that document by then. So I can send it to you at that stage. But for now, focus
on improving your skills yourself with a long term collaborative mindset and an attitude of putting
in the maximum infinite effort not being bothered about the result but only focused on the
learning.
I hope you’ve already read Document 14 and that has helped you find yourself some peace of mind.
Once again, all the best ! ☺