Michael Porter's theory is used to understand the context in which a firm operates in order to identify

whether the business venture will be profitable or not. It can also be used to design strategies for
countering any threats to the bottom-line. According to Porters theory, an industry is influenced by 5
Forces.

Here's how to apply it to your case study, if it's applicable:

1. Identify if theres a pervasive threat of new entrants that is, how easy is it for others to enter the
industry? You can analyze this by answering the following questions:

What is the learning curve required for engaging in the business?

How easy is it to gain access to inputs needed for the generation of products or provision of services?

How restrictive are government policies in the industry?

What capital requirements are required to set up shop? If it costs too little to enter the market, new
competition could step in and weaken the position of the business

What are the costs of switching from one provider to another?

Whats the nature of the products or services are they proprietary?

2. Identify whether theres a threat of substitute products or services. Questions like this can help: Are
buyers inclined to substitute products or services with an alternative? What costs will buyers incur if they
switch from one product to another? As an example, a company that specializes in the sale of process
automation software should be aware of substitutes like manual process alternatives and process
outsourcing schemes in order to develop measures to retain or expand their market share.
3. Evaluate Buyers Bargaining Power: Consider the power buyers have by answering these questions:

Bargaining leverage: how easily can buyers force prices down?

Buyer volume: how many buyers does the business have? Whats the cost of losing a buyer? Usually the
more buyers are available, the less power each one has

Buyer Information: How much information is available to buyers?

Price sensitivity: How price sensitive are buyers?

Product differentiation: Which aspects of the companys products/services make them unique to buyers?
4. Evaluate Suppliers Bargaining Power: Consider how many suppliers the business has. How much
control does each supplier have over the business? Whats the cost of switching from one supplier to
another? Usually, the fewer the number of suppliers the business has, the more powerful they are.

5. Evaluate the Competitive Rivalry: If no one else can do what the business does, then the business has
enormous industry strength and has the capacity to make huge profits. Competition places a downward
pressure on prices, which in turn causes a reduction in profit.
Another framework that can be used to make sense of your case study data at the asesssment center is the

PEST framework. PEST Analysis is a way of identifying and categorizing all the factors that have an
impact on the business environment in which a firm operates. PEST is an acronym
for political, environmental, social andtechnological factors. Once these factors are understood, they can
use be used to recommend a strategy for the firm to either exploit or prevent the opportunities that arise.
Here's a list of factors that fall within each category:
Political Factors
1. Government regulation
2. Tax Policy
3. Trade restrictions and tariffs
4. Political stability
5. Regulation
6. Competition regulation
7. Bureaucracy
8. Press freedom
Economic Factors
1. Economic growth
2. Interest rate
3. Exchange rate
4. Inflation
5. Unemployment rate
6. Interest rate
7. Price fluctuations
8. Stock market trends
Social Factors
1. Demographics
2. Population growth
3. Illiteracy rate
4. lifestyle
5. Religion and health
6. Behavioural characteristics

7. Psychographics
Technological Factors
1. Basic infrastructural development level
2. Technology incentives
3. Technology Access
4. Technology regulation
5. Research and development expenditure
6. Rate of technological change
How to apply this framework to your case study
1. Use the PEST framework to come up ideas on the factors affecting the business in the case study
2. Identify the opportunities possible
3. Identify the threats to the business caused by the identified factors
4. Recommend a strategy or plan of action to prevent negative impacts and exploit positive opportunities.

Some assessment centres require that you analyze a case study as one of the exercises for candidate
assessment. It helps to have a framework you can draw on to analyze the data you are provided with. My
professor in school once defined a framework as, a "tool for making sense of data". The framework you
use will of course, depend on the situation. Here is a high-level view of the value chain framework which
can be applied to common business problems.
Value Chain Analysis

Primary activities of a firm

The value chain is a combination of activities that are central to a firms operations. If these activities are
innovatively managed, they can be a unique source of competitive advantage. The typical primary
activities that fall within the value chain are illustrated in the diagram above.
Support Activities on the other hand, focus on ensuring that the business is able to achieve its objectives.
Support activities are as follows:

Procurement

ICT

Human resources

Infrastructure (Legal, QA, Finance, Planning)

Michael Porter, the father of Value chain analysis recommends that firms look for ways to generate
superior value by reconfiguring the value chain to provide customer value at a lower cost (thereby
maximising profit) or through differentiation.
To apply value chain analysis to your case study, follow these steps:
1. Break down the market or organization into its major activities.
2. Assess the potential of creating value in the organization. This could be through product reduction or
cost differentiation.
3. Recommend a strategy for achieving competitive advantage.
In a nutshell, value chain analysis is about identifying the primary and support activities of a firm and
looking for ways to achieve competitive advantage by recommending smart choices such as reducing
waste and developing innovative products and services.

So you finally landed the Business Analyst interview youve worked so hard for? Lucky you. This
post contains some tips to help you prepare for the big day. I've also included some tips you can
apply if you find yourself in an assessment centre-like setting.

1. Think through all the Business Analyst competencies, as specified by IIBA, and prepare
scenarios where you have exhibited these competencies. In answering competency-based
questions, don't forget to use the STAR (Situation,Task, Action and Result) technique to
compose your response.

Analytical thinking & Problem-solving - Interviewers may look for scenarios where you have
demonstrated creative thinking, decision-making, learning, problem solving and systems
thinking. In particular, prepare to answer competency-based questions such as: Tell me about a
time when you had to make a difficult decision, Tell me about a time when you suggested

something innovative, Describe a time you solved a difficult problem or describe a time you
faced a difficult challenge and what you learnt from it.
o

Behavioural Characteristics - You may be assessed based on your ethics, trustworthiness and
personal organization. Be able to define what ethics means to you and identify a scenario from
your experience when you did something ethical or made a decision based on your ethics.

Business Knowledge - The interviewer may assess your knowledge of business principles and
practices, industry knowledge, organization knowledge and solution knowledge. Take the time to
do some initial research on the industry you've applied to as well as the organization itself. Doing
this research will help you understand some of the business problems they face, and help you
think of possible solutions and a business strategy that could apply to them (especially when
you're presented with a case study). Also, learn about the typical technological solutions/software
that may help the organization in performing its day-to-day operations.

Software Knowledge - The interviewer may assess your understanding of general purpose
software applications and specialized software applications (modelling/diagramming
tools). Business analysts should be able to draw UML diagrams and business process models
with relative ease. Get some practice in this area for when you're presented with a case study
that requires modelling.

Interaction - The interviewer may examine your facilitation, negotiation, leadership

and teamwork skills. If you find yourself in an assessment centre, these are some of the skills
that are typically assessed. Be prepared to show these skills as the assessors will be on the
look-out for them. Read 37 Tips For Surviving Assessment Centres.

Communication - You may also be assessed based on your proficiency in oral

communication, teaching and written communication. Some organizations require that you
deliver a presentation. This is your chance to show how good your communication skills are. If
you're asked to present the findings of your case study, here's 6 Practical Tips for Giving a Great
Presentation.

In addition to thinking up scenarios from your background, think of relevant BA techniques you
can use to prove one or more of these competencies, where applicable. These techniques will
help you demonstrate some of the above competencies if you're presented with a case study.
You should also take a look at some common interview questions you should be prepared to
answer, at the minimum.

2. Prepare to answer case study questions and present your findings - Case studies are
usually designed to examine your problem-solving and analytical skills. So, prepare to draw
diagrams or mockups (if the case study is based on analysis tasks), and use relevant techniques
to show the interviewer how proficient you are in the art of analysis.

While presenting your case study results, the interviewer may press for
more information. He may do this to challenge you, alter your thinking
or test your position. You'll need to decipher which one is happening and
respond accordingly.
In some cases, you might be presented with a case study that requires you to come up with
strategy recommendations or solutions to business problems. Case study analysis in this case,
can become a breeze if you have a framework to draw on. Popular analysis frameworks like
SWOT, BCG Matrix and the like can come in handy. You can also take a look at some posts on
analyzing case studies:

3. If you dont remember anything else, remember to be confident I know its easier said
than done, given the overwhelming anxiety you may experience on the day. Confidence is,
however, one of the guaranteed ways to get your interviewer's attention and respect. However,
remember theres a thin line between confidence and arrogance so don't cross that line.
4. Know when not to speak - Sometimes you see candidates trying to fill up every silent
moment with words or overemphasize a point they've already made. Theres nothing wrong with
having some comfortable silence during an interview while your interviewer scribbles away.

5. Tell a good story this means you need to pick your words and engage your audience. Find
an opportunity to state something that will resonate with your interviewer. If you tell a good story,
youre more than likely to leave a lasting impression. So, be interesting.

6. Understand the question - Youll be surprised at just how many candidates answer the
question they think the interviewer asked instead of what the interviewer actually asked. If
theres the slightest doubt in your mind you heard the interviewer right, ask for clarification.
Theres no crime in asking the interviewer to repeat the question. Most times, they'll be more
than happy to. You may start by rephrasing the initial question and then asking, Is that what you

meant? or start by stating, If I understand the question correctly Statements like this can be
extremely useful when you're in danger of appearing ridiculous.

7. Always look for opportunities during the interview to highlight your business analysis
work experience. Its ok to throw out carefully selected terminologies but dont overdo the
professional jargon.

8. If you do not know the answer to the question, say you do not know, but that youd very
much like the opportunity to find out. Theres no shame in admitting this because no one is
expected to know everything. If you end up not getting the job, it may not be because you didnt
answer every question correctly.