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Medium Operations

JoinTech

#Manufacturing
ProHub Comment

This is a multifaceted operations case requiring root cause analysis across product, customer, production, and supply chain dimensions. The case tests the candidate's ability to segment problems by product type, perform capacity analysis, and develop differentiated solutions—combining short-term tactical measures (hiring, Saturday shifts) with medium-term strategic initiatives (machine investment, supply chain optimization).

Estimated Time 27 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Source IESE
10 / 100
JoinTech, a German automotive supplier for engineered joining technology, is in backlog with its cash cow product group. Customer satisfaction is plummeting as a result of a drop in on-time delivery; costs are increasing because of overtime and special deliveries, and the atmosphere in the company is tense due to high pressure from senior management. The plant manager hired you to develop a strategy that resolves the backlog.

Clarifying Information

  1. Size of the company: 400M Sales/ year
  2. Size of product group: 50M Sales/ year (12.5% → significant portion)
  3. Current Backlog: €1M Backlog → roughly 1 week of production (~2.7M parts)
  4. Cause for Backlog: our manufacturing is late, supplier is late
  5. Backlog mainly coming from big sizes and specialized products
  6. Affected Product: Clamping product, BOM: band material with threads, screw, housing for screw, pre-positioner, spring
  7. Capabilities company: 15 major product groups, metal and plastics products, Plastics: injection moulding + assembly, metal: stamping and bending, rolling, heat treating, assembly, semi-part production
  8. Production: Shifts: 15 shifts/week
  9. Equipment: 30 machines: 4 small sizes, 5 big sizes, 16 regular sizes, 5 specialized machines
  10. Supply Chain: Supplied: Raw material + housings, pre-positioner, spring from supplier
  11. Screws from sister plant (intercompany)
  12. Customers that cause the biggest pain points are OEMs that manufacture abroad → air freight
Mock Interview
Interviewer

JoinTech, a German automotive supplier for engineered joining technology, is in backlog with its cash cow product group. Customer satisfaction is plummeting as a result of a drop in on-time delivery; costs are increasing because of overtime and special deliveries, and the atmosphere in the company is tense due to high pressure from senior management. The plant manager hired you to develop a strategy that resolves the backlog.

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
Practicing...
Score coming soon
Practice this case with AI Mock Interview

JoinTech faces a backlog crisis in its clamping product line affecting customer satisfaction and internal morale. Analysis reveals three distinct root causes: low OEE on small machines, insufficient capacity for big machines, and supplier bottlenecks on specialized components. The recommendation prioritizes quick wins (hiring, Saturday shifts) while addressing structural constraints (equipment investment, supply chain diversification).

Key Insights:

  1. Segmentation by product type reveals different bottlenecks: Small = OEE problem, Big = capacity problem, Specialized = supply chain problem
  2. Capacity analysis using parts/min, OEE, and utilization metrics identifies specific constraints and cost-effective solutions
  3. Blended approach combining immediate tactical fixes with medium-term strategic initiatives balances urgency with feasibility
  4. Supply chain issues require deeper investigation and relationship building with suppliers rather than immediate solutions