Vector Consulting Case Prep

Number of rounds: 1

Duration: 5 min to think+ 15 min to discuss & conclude

No. Of people in the Panel: 9

Type of GD: Discussion and problem solving. Structured GD with moderator driving the GD by asking everyone to speak for 2-3 minutes. 

Panel 1: Advantages and challenges of remote working and how it might shape the future of business operations

Panel 2: Future of remote working and how it will change business operations

Panel 3: From a startup perspective how should you devise a strategy should we focus on top line or focus on profabilility?

Panel 4: Striking the balance: What is the right strategy for a start-up? Growing top line or bottom line

Panel 5: Pros and Cons of bullet train

Tips: Try to add good points in the GD and conclude well.  

There are 2 major case-based interviews: 

1) Case Presentation: In some interviews, a case is given to the candidate, and the candidate is sent to another room to prepare for the same (15 minutes of prep time). He/she was then asked to present the case to the panel (not a PPT presentation but a verbal presentation). Candidate should be able to give a proper flow and methodology to his approach. This is not a consulting case where you can ask for inputs from the panel you have to present it entirely based on the facts in the case and your understanding. 

Tips: The cases were from Vector’s website where they put the solutions, they have presented to client problems. Make sure you read up on those.

• The cases can be solved by multiple approaches. However, giving it a touch of operations helps (for eg: a case of inventory management can be solved as per a profitability approach but thinking about inventory management from an operations POV would be better)

• Case discussion presentation will go back and forth where the interviewer would want to know more about your approach and why you went with your particular approach.

2) Case Interview: 

Case:

1. You are a manager of Vector Consulting's scheduling software division. What would be your pricing strategy for the software that has multiple features and clients are asking to reduce the price? How would you make this transition?

2.  An electronics store is experiencing decreasing sales and inventory pileup; analyze why. 

3. What factors do you consider to measure the effectiveness of a sales force?

Guesstimates:

1. Guesstimate the number of people traveling in Vijayawada station in one day. (Candidate had work experience in Indian Railway) 

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. Why do you want to join Vector Consulting?

3. Walk me through your internships/work ex.

4. Questions related to Work Ex, mentioned in CV (including, who is the current VP of your organization?). They sometimes probe on each number in the CV to justify.

5. What are your long-term and short-term goals? OR What do you wish to do in your life? OR What do you wish to do in your life?

6. What have you focused on in the past 2 years of your college?

7.  What is your Area of interest in MBA? 

8. What are your hobbies and goals?

9. Situation-based questions

10. Why a shift from "previous workex industry" to consulting?

Some students were also asked specific technical questions on operations- especially if they had mentioned it in their CVs or had any related projects. Brush up on ops facts mentioned in your compendium.