By Nancy Belt
February 9, 2001
When the chips, computer and otherwise, were down, nine teams of MBA students from the Olin School of Business came through with jazzy iMac computer colors in the fifth annual Management Consulting Case Competition Jan. 25-26 in Simon Hall.
At 5 p.m. Jan. 25, the 27 participating students were randomly assigned to teams of three and received the case. It focused on challenges Apple Computer faced in the late 90s, even after its successful introduction of the iMac in 1999, and that have remained to the present.
Students worked all night preparing their recommendations on what the company should be doing to succeed. Fifteen hours later --at 8 the next morning --before a panel of 12 judges, the students began making their "boardroom" presentations, including appropriate graphs, charts, artwork and other written materials.
Judges were from Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, main sponsor of the event; McKinsey & Co., secondary sponsor; and Olin School faculty. They evaluated each team on its approach and on its ability to define the problem and provide analysis and cost-benefit considerations. The teams' presentations were also judged, in terms of tools used, team dynamics, and verbal and nonverbal skills.
Judges provided feedback to each team and chose four teams as finalists, who fine-tuned their presentations and prepated them for the final round at 3 p.m. Jan. 26.
"Students were trying to help Apple deal with an ongoing problem," said judge Erik Durbin, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics for the Olin School. "As a computer manufacturer, they're in an incredibly competitive field in which it's very hard to make a profit, and the Macintosh operating system they produce is not compatible with the predominant platform. That's why they have difficulty getting software programmers to write programs for Macintosh and they have trouble convincing consumers that the company will be around in 10 years."
Another judge, Dan Johnson, manager, consulting services, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, said, "The winning team did a superb job of integrating the facts of the case, identifying the real problem and proposing an innovative solution."
The winning team recommended that Apple strategically reposition itself as the graphics/digital imaging leader across numerous products and not market itself simply as a counter-culture hardware company. The team provided a viable plan for the company to achieve short-term profitability and a long-term strategy for Apple to partner with emerging technology firms, especially in mobile commerce.
"One of our strengths was that our solution was radical," said Miranda Carroll Sanford, MBA '02, a member of the first-place team. "We didn't say, 'Just keep doing what you're doing, but do it better.'"
She and team members Justin Mehta, MBA '02, and Julie Wilhelm, MBA '02, each received $600; second-prize winners received $300 each; third-prize winners received $150 each; and fourth-prize winners received $100 each.
After winners were announced, a reception was held for participants, judges and alumni. The event, presented annually by the Olin School's Management Consulting Club, provides hands-on learning about what it takes to be a management consultant --invaluable experience for those planning a career in that field.
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