Case study

Copyright © 2011 Accenture All Rights Reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.

Faculty 101: Case Studies

2© 2011 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

Logistics & Setup

• Logistics:– The session relies on printed materials that are provided to the attendees:

• Pack 1: Interviews with Nigel, Anne and Michelle• Pack 2: Interviews with Nigel, Ed and Rajesh

– Divide your session into groups of 5-6. Each group should then be split in two, with each section getting 1 set of materials (and every group having both Packs 1 and 2 between them)

– These materials need to be printed beforehand in sufficient quantities– Post-it notes are useful for capturing objectives that you can refer to later on– Consider the room layout – how will you promote teamwork between the groups?

• If you don’t have time then you may want to skip the presentations, or only run a couple of them– There’s a randomizer to help you pick a group at random– Have a think about where they will present– You may be able to split the faculty so multiple groups can present at the same time

• Above all, prepare:– Brief any other presenters on the session contents and how you want to run it– Use the notes in this presentation and trainer notes to familiarise yourself with key

messages / content


Introduction to Case Studies

4

Introduction

Name:

Academics:

Joined Accenture:

Location:

Grade:

Deployed to:

Recent clients:


Introductions

Name:

Academics:

Joined Accenture:

Location:

Grade:

Deployed to:

Recent clients:


Case Studies come in many different flavours…

Group Exercises

Individual (used within

a 1 to 1 interview)

Numbers-based

Prioritisation / Inbox exercises

Creative or unstructured

(minimal material)

SME knowledge

based (experienced

hires)


This session is focused on case studies applicable to a full-service consultancy

Operations

• Supply Chain Management which helps companies, design, build and run superior supply chains

• Process Optimisation, Operating Model Strategy which helps companies understand how to get more from their organisations

Man

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IT

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Bu

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Pro

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Ou

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Technology

Business Process Outsourcing

Systems Integration (SI)

• Identifies and delivers innovative solutions to our clients using technology• Works in collaboration with other specialists on all business areas

• Takes key business processes from clients to manage on their behalf • Delivers cost and organisational improvements, allowing the client to focus on their core

strengths

• Brings together technologies and applications to support business processes• Automates key tasks to improve internal efficiency

Operations

Talent & Organisation Performance (T&OP)

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Finance

• Develops new ways to manage human resources and improve the performance of employees

• Creates a superior experience for our clients’ customers • Enhances the value of their customer relationships

• Develops finance organisation and risk management strategies• Gives clients new performance management capabilities and business insights


What kind of work could you be doing?

• Role varies depending on the type of company you work for and their types of clients and projects. Typical work includes:

• Market research

• Development of proposals/business cases

• Requirements gathering

• Analysis and evaluation of data/processes/ technology/people

• Design and implementation of IT solutions

• Testing

• Training

• Project Management.

Agenda

• Your objectives• Why do employers do Case Studies?• Introduction to the case study – a worked example• Hints and Tips

2

Your objectives for this session

3

© 2011 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

What employers want to see…

11


They have their own language• Get familiar with the kinds of

information used in business• Think about how to analyse

the materials provided

Collaboration is often required• Think about how you can

contribute to the team• Interpersonal skills are an

opportunity to shine

Good results come with practice• Do example questions• Try to make practice relevant

to your target industry

You can improve your performance in case studies!


Case Study – UK Petroleum

Designed to represent a typical Accenture engagement



UK Petroleum – The candidate brief

You are part of a team of consultants working for a client called UK Petroleum. The project team has been in place for a couple of weeks, during which time you have conducted three interviews to gather information about the client. You met with:

Your project manager is meeting with the client tomorrow, and would like you to brief him/her on: • What you think the 3 main challenges facing UK Petroleum are

• You will have 15 minutes to discuss in your teams

Nigel Senior VP Retail UK Petroleum

Ed IT Lead Petroleum Retail

Rajesh Marketing Lead


You have your instructions….

What are your first steps?

How will you work as a group?


Reflection on the analysis phase

What went well?

What went badly?

Was there any information that was more difficult to understand?

What would improve the way you used the data and time provided?


UK Petroleum – Considerations and Themes



StrategyThings to consider:• Has the client identified their way to win?• Is it clear and achievable?• Are the leadership team aligned?• How are they managing / meeting shareholder

expectations?


People / Organisation

Things to consider:• How is the organisation (departments,

responsibilities) set up?• Are staff up to speed with the latest skills /

changes?• How are the staff told about changes in the

organisation?• Do they buy into the changes being

implemented?• How do different parts of the organisation treat

each other?• How is personal performance being measured

and managed?


Processes

• Is there consistency across the organisation?

• How is success being measured (e.g. customer satisfaction)?

• Are the processes sufficient to deliver the organisation’s strategic objectives?

• Are there any bottlenecks / pain points in the current processes?

• Is anything slowing down or impeding the customer experience?

• Is there anything being done that is redundant or being ignored?


Technology

• Is the technology performing?– Performance– Reliability

• Are all the systems talking to one another?• Is the client getting the most from it’s data

(e.g. customer data)• Are there data quality issues? Why?• Is the client making the most of new

technology?• Are there any steps in the processes that

could be automated / improved using technology?


Case Study Conclusions



Group Exercise 2

The client has invited your team to present ideas for their turnaround planning meetingYou will have 15 minutes to prepare a 3 minute presentation for:

- The client CEO- His senior project manager (who will implement any ideas you have)- The Accenture partner managing the relationship with the client

Use only the notes you have taken on the case studyWorking in your groups, agree the top 3 challenges facing this clientWhat solutions would you suggest?


Presentation Time!

© 2011 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

Assessment Centres look at the key skills employers are looking for

25


Hints & Tips

1. There may be many possible answers– Be open to questions and challenges– If stuck, consider a different angle entirely– If you have open questions, acknowledge them

2. Don’t get hung up on theory – use the information presented

3. Think about housekeeping / logistics:– Timekeeping– Taking notes / summarising

4. In a group, think as a team and not just yourself

5. Think of examples of organisations you know – can you apply any real world examples?

Questions?

14


Qualities we look for at Accenture

• Minimum 340 UCAS points (or equivalent) + predicted / obtained 2:1 degree result

• Confidence and initiative

• Good communication skills / team player

• Flexible and mobile

• Mature and professional manner

• Career focus

• Problem-solving and analytical skills

• Interest in business and IT (no IT skills required)

• NO SPECIFIC BACKGROUND OR DEGREE REQUIRED- JUST DEMONSTRATE YOU HAVE THE ABOVE SKILLS!


Accenture graduate package

• Minimum 340 UCAS points (or equivalent) + predicted / obtained 2:1 degree result

• Starting salary £31,500 per annum

• Sign-on bonus £10,000 during first 2 years

• 30 days annual vacation

• Laptop & corporate Amex card

• Contributory pension scheme

• Employee share purchase plan

• 3 days charity leave

• Subsidised gym membership

• Private healthcare

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