JoinTech
Practice this intermediate operations case interview question in the Manufacturing sector. Includes detailed problem prompt, clarifying questions, structured framework, and expert recommendation. Part of ProHub's 835+ consulting case library.
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).
Clarifying Information
- Size of the company: 400M Sales/ year
- Size of product group: 50M Sales/ year (12.5% → significant portion)
- Current Backlog: €1M Backlog → roughly 1 week of production (~2.7M parts)
- Cause for Backlog: our manufacturing is late, supplier is late
- Backlog mainly coming from big sizes and specialized products
- Affected Product: Clamping product, BOM: band material with threads, screw, housing for screw, pre-positioner, spring
- 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
- Production: Shifts: 15 shifts/week
- Equipment: 30 machines: 4 small sizes, 5 big sizes, 16 regular sizes, 5 specialized machines
- Supply Chain: Supplied: Raw material + housings, pre-positioner, spring from supplier
- Screws from sister plant (intercompany)
- Customers that cause the biggest pain points are OEMs that manufacture abroad → air freight
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