咨询公司面试案例_咨询入门系列（5）：咨询案例分析a[1]

Firm:A.T.KearneyCaseNumber:Casesetup(factsofferedbyinterviewer):YourclientisaU.S.basedoilrefineryTherefineryhasasinglelocationandisasmalltomedium-sizedrefineryYourclient,althoughprofitable,believesitislaggingbehindthecompetitionandcouldimproveYouarebroughtinaspartofajointconsultant-clientteamthatwillreviewoveralloperationsandmakerecommendationsonwaystoimprovethebottomlineYouhavebeenassignedtoworkwiththemaintenancedivisionThemaintenancedepartment’sprimaryobjectiveistopreventequipmentfailureandtorepairequipmentwhenitdoesfailUnderstandingofitsorganizationisimportant.Itconsistsofthreeprimaryareas:nineassetsareas,onecentralmaintenanceareaandonegroupofcontractors.Thefirsttwoareasareemployeesoftheclient,thethirdanexternalsourceoflabor.Anassetisaphysicalareaoftheplantthatcontainsvariouspiecesofequipment(pumps,heatexchangers,etc.).Therearenineassets.EachassethasaMaintenanceSupervisorwhoisresponsibleforallmaintenancetobeperformedinhis/herasset.WorkingfortheMaintenanceSupervisorineachassetis,onaverage,eleven“craftsmen”.Thecraftsmenaretheactualworkersthatperformthemaintenance.Thecraftsmenareunionizedanddivideintotwelvedifferentcraftdesignations(e.g.electricians,pipefitters,welders,etc.).Eachcraftdesignationhasadefinedsetofskillstheyarequalifiedtoperform.Theyarenotallowedtoperformskillsoutsideoftheirdefinedcraft,orhelpintheperformanceofactivitiesinvolvingskillsbeyondtheircraft.Collectivelythetwelvedifferentcraftscanperformanymaintenancejobthatmightariseattherefinery.Themaintenancesupervisorandhis/herassignedcraftsmenare“hardwired”totheirasset.Thatis,theyworkonlyonequipmentintheirgivenasset.CentralmaintenanceisacentralizedpoolofMaintenanceSupervisorsandCraftsmen,whoaredispatchedtosupportthedifferentassetsduringtimesofhighworkload.TheyareemployeesofyourclientandfitthedescriptioncontainedintheaboveAssetexplanation.Theonlydifferenceisthattheymayworkinanyofthedifferentassetsasdeterminedbyworkload.Thereareatotalof11MaintenanceSupervisorsand100CraftsmenthatcompriseCentralMaintenanceContractorsareagroupofoutsideSupervisorsandCraftsmenwhosupportyourclientduringtimesofhighworkload.Theyalsoarecapableofperforminganymaintenancejobthatmayarise,butdifferfromyourclient’sCraftsmeninthattheydividethecollectiveskillsrequiredintofivedesignationsratherthantwelve.Thus,thecraftsmenofthecontractorarecapableofperformingabroadersetofskills.They,likeyourclient’scraftsmen,don’tperformskillsoutsideoftheirdefinedcraftbutdoallowdifferentcraftdesignationstohelpeachother.Thereareanaverageof7contractorMaintenanceSupervisorsand140contractorCraftsmenattherefineryonanygivenday.Question:Whatopportunitiesexisttoincreaseprofits?Whatrecommendationscanyoumaketocapturesavingsrelatedtotheidentifiedopportunities?Whatarethecostsavingsassociatedwithyourrecommendations?Suggestedsolutions:Thefirstquestioninvolvesidentifyingopportunitiestoimproveprofits.Thecandidatemuststartwitheitherrevenuesorcosts.Althoughonecouldmaketheargumentthatmaintenancesupportsrevenuebymaximizingtheoperatingtimeoftherefineryequipment,maintenanceshouldbeseentobeasupportfunction.Thus,itismoreappropriatetofocusoncostsandcostreduction.Thefollowingquestionswillhelpthecandidategaininsightintocostreductionopportunities.Howdoesthemaintenancedepartmenttrackitscosts?Ifthecandidatephrasesthequestionaboutmaterialoroverheadcosts,theinterviewerwouldinformthecandidatethatdetailedreviewedshowednomajoropportunities.Thecandidatewouldbesteeredtowardlaborcostsandgiventhefollowingtablesregardingmaintenancelaborcostsforthepastyear.Tosupportunderstandingofthefollowingtables,Turnaroundworkislongtermpreventivemaintenance(e.g.completerebuildingofaboiler)thatmaybeperformedonceeveryfewyears.Allotherwork(shorttermemergencyrepairs,smallscalepreventivemaintenance,otherroutinework,etc.)fitsintothecategoryofDailyworkCraftsmenDailyworkTurnaroundTotalClient$8MM$2MM$10MMContractor$5MM$9MM$14MMTotal$13MM$11MM$24MMSupervisorTotalClient$1MMContractor$0.5MMTotal$1.5MMSincetheCraftsmentablerepresentsalargerdollaramountthantheSupervisortable,itislogicaltopursuecostsavingsopportunitiesinthisareafirst.WhatistheutilizationofCraftsmenintheassets?Incentralmaintenance?Andforcontractors?Assumeeachareaisutilized100%ofthetime,50weeksperyear,40hoursperweek.Howdoesthelaborcostofcraftsmen($24MM)onarefinery-sizedbasis(i.e.,$cost/perbarrelofcrudeoilprocessed)comparewithindustryaverages?Consultingyourindustrydatabaseshowsthatcostsappeartobeabout20%abovetheaverageofpeerrefineries.Thisisanimportantquestiontodetermineifthereisaproblemwithcosts(don’tassumethereis,theclientmaybeperformingbetterthanindustryaverage!)Isthereanyparticularreasonwhyturnaroundworkissoheavilyskewedtowardcontractors?Turnaroundworktendstobemorecyclical.Anexternalworkforceisusedtoabsorbsomeofthisadditionalwork.KeepinmindthatbothclientandcontractorCraftsmenarecapableofperforminganymaintenancejobattheplant.Afterfurtheranalysisofthetablesthekeyfactthatshouldbecomeappearoddisthelargedifferenceinthecostperunitoflaborbetweenyourclient’sCraftsmenandtheoutsidecontractor’sC