This past week, Boston College undergrads competed in the annual Deloitte Consulting Case Competition. Teams of three to four members labored all week to research and propose a solution to key administration issues within a hypothetical country, MLJ Airparts. The winning team was announced this Sunday.
MLJ Airparts, the company invented for analytical purposes, is a division within the Aviation and Aerospace Group of the “diversified technology and manufacturing leader,” MLJ International. The company began in the 1920s, the innovation of Mark L. Johnson, a friend of the Wright Brothers and admirer of airplanes. MLJ first went public in 1961; after this date the company quickly grew through a succession of mergers and acquisitions, and expanded its product offerings. Today, the company is composed of five business groups: the Automotive Group, the Maritime Equipment Group, the Power and Energy Group, the Building Technology Group, and the Aviation and Aerospace Group. It is this last group on which the competition concentrates.
Bon Scott, the President of MLJ Airparts, is new to his position in the company. He is currently looking at a downturn in sales within his division and faces increasing pressure to bring sales statistics back to their projected values. Sales representatives have urged Scott to cut prices in order to increase number of sales; however, Scott believes that such action would not effectively solve the problem as data shows that airline parts are undervalued in some regions. The business development department has also advised Scott to expand the business beyond selling parts in order to promote growth and compensation for lost sales. Scott has sought assistance in developing a plan to address the downturn in sales; he needs to look into the different opportunities available to the company to formulate a successful plan of action.
It is at this point that Boston College students enter the picture. Their designated task is to serve as consultants in this particular case and advise Bon Scott. Their proposition was to consist of three parts: a brief summary of the case and the most pressing issues the team will attempt to resolve, analysis, key findings, and insights into the company, and the team’s recommendations for Scott.
Teams submitted a one-page proposal to the committee; leading teams were then notified and told to prepare a final presentation on Sunday, November 15. After the presentations, Andrew Moore and Michael Canfield were declared first place winners. They each received $100 in cash; second place team members, Andrian Goyco, Alexandre Chavotier and Guillaume Kauffer, were rewarded with $50 cash prizes.
Not only did the competition develop students’ analytical skills and provide insight into the consulting industry, but it also offered an excellent opportunity to network with Deloitte Professionals, an increasingly important skill to have in to- day’s economy. Congratulations to the winning team and runners up on their hard work.
