c咨询公司面试可能用到的分析结构ZTAdvancedc

1所有咨询公司面试可能用到的分析结构ZTAdvancedconcepts&frameworksMBAsandothercandidateswithbusinessbackgrounds,takenote-interviewerswillexpectyoutohaveamoredetailedtakeonyourcasethananundergraduatewouldhave.Herearesomecommonlyusedcaseconcepts.NetpresentvaluePerhapsthemostimportanttypeofdecisioncompanymanagersmustmakeonadailybasisiswhethertoundertakeaproposedinvestment.Forexample,shouldthecompanybuyacertainpieceofequipment?Buildaparticularfactory?Investinanewproject?Thesetypesofdecisionsarecalledcapitalbudgetingdecisions.Theconsultantmakessuchdecisionsbycalculatingthenetpresentvalueofeachproposedinvestmentandmakingonlythoseinvestmentsthathavepositivenetpresentvalues.Example:HernandezistheCFOofWesternManufacturingCorp.,anautomobilemanufacturer.ThecompanyisconsideringopeninganewfactoryinOhiothatwillrequireaninitialinvestmentof$1million.Thecompanyforecaststhatthefactorywillgenerateafter-taxcashflowsof$100,000inYear1,$200,000inYear2,$400,000inYear3,and$400,000inYear4.AttheendofYear4,thecompanywouldthensellthefactoryfor$200,000.Thecompanyusesadiscountrateof12percent.Hernandezmustdeterminewhetherthecompanyshouldgoaheadandbuildthefactory.Tomakethisdecision,Hernandezmustcalculatethenetpresentvalueoftheinvestment.Thecashflowsassociatedwiththefactoryareasfollows:HernandezthencalculatestheNPVofthefactoryasfollows:Sincethefactoryhasanegativenetpresentvalue,Hernandezcorrectlydecidesthatthefactoryshouldnotbebuilt.ThenetpresentvalueruleNotefromtheexampleabovethatoncetheconsultanthasfiguredouttheNPVofaproposedinvestment,shethendecideswhethertoundertaketheinvestmentbyapplyingthenetpresentvaluerule:Makeonlythoseinvestmentsthathaveapositivenetpresentvalue.Aslongastheconsultantfollowsthisrule,shecanbeconfidentthateachinvestmentismakingapositivenetcontributiontothecompany.TheCapitalAssetPricingModel(CAPM)Intheaboveexample,weassumedagivendiscountrate.However,partofaconsultant'sjobis2todetermineanappropriatediscountrate(r)tousewhencalculatingnetpresentvalues.Thediscountratemayvarydependingontheinvestment.BetaThefirststepinarrivingatanappropriatediscountrateforagiveninvestmentisdeterminingtheinvestmentsriskiness.Themarketriskofaninvestmentismeasuredbyitsbeta(?),whichmeasuresriskinesswhencomparedtothemarketasawhole.Aninvestmentwithabetaof1hasthesameriskinessasthemarketasawhole(so,forexample,whenthemarketmovesdown10percent,thevalueoftheinvestmentwillonaveragefall10percentaswell).Aninvestmentwithbetaof2willbetwiceasriskyasthemarket(sowhenthemarketfalls10percent,thevalueoftheinvestmentwillonaveragefall20percent).CAPMOncetheconsultanthasdeterminedthebetaofaproposedinvestment,hecanusetheCapitalAssetPricingModel(CAPM)tocalculatetheappropriatediscountrate(r):Therisk-freerateofreturnisthereturnthecompanycouldreceivebymakingarisk-freeinvestment(forexample,byinvestinginU.S.Treasurybills).Themarketrateofreturnisthereturnthecompanycouldreceivebyinvestinginawell-diversifiedportfolioofstocks(forexample,S&P500).Example:Shen,Inc.,acoalproducer,isconsideringinvestinginanewventurethatwouldmanufactureandmarketcarbonfilters.Shen'schieffinancialofficer,Apelbaum,wantstocalculatetheNPVoftheproposedventureinordertodeterminewhetherthecompanyshouldmaketheinvestment.Afterstudyingtheriskinessoftheproposedventure,Apelbaumdeterminesthatthebetaoftheinvestmentis1.5.AU.S.Treasurynoteofcomparablematuritycurrentlyyields7percent,whilethereturnontheS&P500stockindexis12percent.Therefore,thediscountrateApelbaumwillusewhencalculatingtheNPVoftheinvestmentwillbe:Althoughthisisanoverlysimplifieddiscussionofhowconsultantscalculatediscountratetouseintheircash-flowanalysis,itdoesgiveyouanoverviewofhowconsultantsincorporatethenotionofaninvestment'smarkettoselecttheappropriatediscountrate.Porter'sFiveForcesDevelopedbyHarvardBusinessSchoolprofessorMichaelPorterinhisbookCompetitiveStrategy,thePorter'sFiveForcesframeworkhelpsdeterminetheattractivenessofanindustry.Beforeanycompanyexpandsintonewmarkets,divestsproductlines,acquiresnewbusinesses,orsellsdivisions,itshouldaskitself,Istheindustrywe'reenteringorexitingattractive?ByusingPorter'sFiveForces,acompanycanbegintodevelopathoughtfulanswer.Consultants3frequentlyutilizePorter'sFiveForcesasastartingpointtohelpcompaniesevaluateindustryattractiveness.Take,forexample,entryintothecopystoremarket(likeKinko's).Howattractiveisthecopystoremarket?Potentialentrants:Whatisthethreatofnewentrantsintothemarket?Copystoresarenotveryexpensivetoopen-youcanconceivablyopenacopystorewithonecopierandoneemployee.Therefore,barrierstoentryarelow,sothere'sahighriskofpotentialnewentrants.Buyerpower:Howmuchbargainingpowerdobuyershave?Copystorecustomersarerelativelypricesensitive.Betweenthechoiceofacopystorethatcharges5centsacopyandastorethatcharges6centsacopy,buyerswillusuallyheadforthecheaperstore.Becausecopystoresarecommon,buyershavetheleveragetobargainwithcopystoreownersonlargeprintjobs,threateningtotaketheirbusinesselsewhere.Theonlymitigatingfactorsarelocationandhours.Ontheotherhand,priceisnottheonlyfactor.Copystoresthatarewillingtostayopen24hoursmaybeabletochargeapremium,andc