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Bain Medium Sourcing Outsourcing Cost Reduction

White Boards

#Durable Goods

Practice this intermediate sourcing outsourcing case interview question from Bain in the Durable Goods sector. Includes detailed problem prompt, clarifying questions, structured framework, and expert recommendation. Part of ProHub's 835+ consulting case library.

ProHub Comment

This case tests quantitative cost-benefit analysis with a critical insight hidden in damage rates. Candidates must recognize that outsourced vendors handle goods less carefully, resulting in higher product loss (25% vs 15%), which when factored into per-unit costs, makes outsourcing more expensive despite lower per-pound shipping rates. The case requires multi-step calculations and the ability to move beyond simple rate comparisons.

Estimated Time 26 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Source Chicago Booth
50 / 100
Our client is a manufacturer of white boards. The client ships the boards from its factories to its distribution center and then from the distribution center to all of its retail locations. To meet their shipping needs, the client presently uses in-house trucking services. They have approached Bain & Company asking for advice as to whether they should look to outsource their trucking services instead.

Clarifying Information

  1. The transit damage is 15% of the load when in-house trucking services are used.
  2. For outsourcing trucking, the transit damage is 25% of the load.
  3. The company ships 50 lbs. of white boards daily to the distribution center, and the distribution center ships the same amount to the retail stores every day.
  4. If outsourced, the vendor charges $8.50/lb., irrespective of distance.
  5. Current in-house costs per day: Maintenance ($260) + Fuel ($350) + Salaries ($240) = $850/day.
Mock Interview
Interviewer

Our client is a manufacturer of white boards. The client ships the boards from its factories to its distribution center and then from the distribution center to all of its retail locations. To meet their shipping needs, the client presently uses in-house trucking services. They have approached Bain & Company asking for advice as to whether they should look to outsource their trucking services instead.

You

Thanks. Before analyzing, I'd like to clarify a few key questions...

Interviewer

Good question. Let me provide some background information...

You

Based on this, I suggest analyzing from these dimensions...

AI Score
Structure Analysis Communication Business Sense Quantitative
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Practice this case with AI Mock Interview

A manufacturer of whiteboards must decide whether to outsource trucking services or maintain in-house operations. The analysis reveals that despite outsourced vendors charging $8.50/lb (compared to $10/lb in-house), higher damage rates during outsourced transit increase effective costs to $11.33/lb, resulting in ~$49,000 annual savings by keeping services in-house.

Key Insights:

  1. Total cost per unit must account for both direct costs and product loss, not just shipping rates
  2. Quality control and operational practices differ between in-house and outsourced vendors, affecting product damage rates
  3. Non-monetary benefits of outsourcing (geographic reach, manufacturing focus) should be explicitly discussed even when financial case favors in-house
  4. Follow-up brainstorming should identify specific damage reduction initiatives (packaging, employee training, modular design) to improve in-house economics further

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