Examples of case solutions for managers. What is a case, how to write it and format it correctly. As a bonus from the “Sales Generator” - interesting cases on content marketing for small businesses

The case method began to be used in education relatively recently, but it is rapidly gaining popularity and demonstrates high efficiency.

The main difference between this method and traditional teaching methods is that the case does not have a uniquely correct solution. Each student can offer the most optimal, in his opinion, way out of the proposed situation. In the case method, the emphasis is not on the result, but on finding solutions and discussing them.

Many students, when faced with cases for the first time, do not know how to approach a task that is different from traditional and familiar tasks. Let's understand what cases are, how to solve them and design them. But first, a little history.

Definition and history

Case – from Latin case – a problem or situation that requires a solution.

The solution to the case is not in textbooks; you should look for it only in your own head. Theory and practice, as we know, go side by side, but at the same time they stand on different banks. Even if you take all the textbooks in the world, they will not contain descriptions of situations that happen in real life.

This is exactly what the wise professors thought about Harvard university V 1924 year. It was simply impossible to train specialists in modern specialties using existing textbooks.

Then the university organized seminars where entrepreneurs and businessmen told students about the real problems that their companies faced. Students had to propose their own solution, which each one chose individually.

This method of training quickly brought results. Thanks to the cases, graduates gained practical experience while still at the university and were well prepared to solve non-standard problems.

If cases have become popular all over the world already in 50 -X years 20 century, then into the education system Russia this method came only after the millennium. Nowadays, case assignments are actively used in education, and it is simply irresponsible to underestimate their benefits.

What goals does the consideration of case situations help to achieve as part of the educational process?

Development of intellectual abilities;
the ability to defend one’s position with reason;
resistance to stress;
development of communication skills and the ability to work in a team.

Cases exist in almost all fields of knowledge. After all, problematic situations arise and can be modeled in every profession: medicine, law, pedagogy, psychology, business analytics.

By the way! For our readers there is now a 10% discount on any type of work

Cases in business

Cases are actively used not only in training, but also in business. To attract new clients, a company can write a case based on a specific situation.

Example: a company is engaged in demolition of buildings. The case posted on the website examines the task of demolishing an old power plant in the city of Tolochin. A potential customer, having read the case, immediately sees how the work happens, what equipment is used, and how real practical problems are solved. In other words, this is a clear demonstration of the service in action.

Thus, the case is a powerful tool for promoting services and products.

Another popular use of cases is using them in interviews. Instead of studying resumes, applicants are asked to go through a case interview and offer solutions to several situations, after which it immediately becomes clear whether the candidate is suitable for the position.

Here is an example of an interview case.

Situation: poet Marina Tsvetaeva was left without work. She can translate from French and German, and has a musical and philological education. You are her agent. What are your actions to successfully help Marina find a job? When solving a situation, you can use data from the biography of the poetess.

As you can see, there really is no clear solution to such a task, but the ways to solve it will allow you to judge such qualities as the ability to negotiate and competently argue.

How to write and design a case

Many people ask themselves the question: how to properly prepare a case? A case is a non-standard task, so when designing it you don’t have to adhere to strict rules. In other words, preparing a case is not as serious a task as preparing a coursework or diploma.

What the case should contain:

Title. It is important that the title reflects the essence of the case and gives an advance idea of the situation that will be considered further.
Description of the situation. It's like the "given" section in physics problems. To make information easier to perceive, the situation can be divided into points.
Searching of decisions. Detailed description, analysis of ways to solve the case and selection of the optimal way out of the situation. Here you need to consider all possible options, indicating the expected consequences.
Description of the result. This paragraph describes the result of actions to solve the problem. What happened, what happened and why.

It is recommended to choose a font that is comfortable and easy to read. In the design of the case, the use of illustrative materials is encouraged: graphs, diagrams, videos, tables. Cases are often presented in the form of presentations.

Any experience is gained through difficult trial and error. Now you can avoid this by contacting our authors to complete the case. We will not only solve assignments, but also help you prepare a document or case presentation, which will only need to be submitted to the teacher for review. Learn easily and gain new experiences with Zaochnik!

Group exercises, as business cases in assessments are also called, are designed to simulate realistic meetings and group work situations.

They allow recruitment organizations to observe how candidates behave when working as part of a team and are designed to assess a range of competencies considered important for the role in question (read more in our competency matrix in the article). Organizations use them because they provide direct demonstration of how a candidate works and interacts with other people. They allow evaluators to observe candidates' behavior in a standardized setting that is fairer and more objective than casual observations of how they interact with others.

Examples of cases

Group business case exercises in assessments usually involve tasks for teams of 4-8 candidates and are usually part of a wider assessment. Candidates sit at a table and experts are located around the room. Each expert is assigned 1-2 candidates to observe and they record details of the interactions that occur during the exercise.

Business cases can take many forms, but typically the group is given some preliminary information to analyze (the business case) and then, based on this information, is asked to propose a solution to a specific problem.

The topic area of case scenarios that candidates may encounter can vary widely. Some business cases offer scenarios suitable for a specific employer. For example, a technology company might ask candidates to figure out how to get a troubled technology project back on track. Other organizations may choose a broader scenario, such as a broad discussion about the challenges of launching a new business or product.

Often the actual content of the discussion is not very relevant; What matters is how candidates interact with each other in the context of the competencies assessed during the case.

When you access our paid materials for only 390 rubles, you will get access to 4 large cases with complete solution and a wide range of other materials to prepare for assessment centres, group exercises, role plays and interviews. You can start preparing by following this link

Preparation for solving business cases

Employer Research

Before the assessment, you should take the time to thoroughly research your future employer. This will give you an understanding of what kind of tasks and cases you can expect, and how to approach solving the cases of this employer.

Explore the company's website. Find out what recent initiatives she has been involved in and if there are any key individuals worth learning more about. What are its expansion plans? Who are its main competitors and how do they divide the market?

Is there information about the company's values? What is important to its employees? For example, what is more important - commercial benefit or service to the consumer and society?

Use the information on the recruitment company's website. It is often possible to clearly see which competencies a company considers vital to success and advancement. Consider how they feel about your behavior and try to use this to fit the company's idea of an ideal candidate.

Working with case scenario information

The information you receive in a case scenario can vary greatly—just as it does in real life. Business data can be presented in many forms, reflecting the complexity of the business. Effective business people make decisions based on information from a variety of people and sources. Such sources may include:

Profit and loss reports: These are financial statements that summarize income and expenses incurred during a specific period of time—usually a quarter or a year. These records provide information that shows a company's ability to generate profits by increasing revenues and reducing expenses.
Balance sheet– this report gives an idea of how the company is performing on a certain date.
Organizational Charts— they give a clear idea of how the company is structured and who the key people are.
Sales data– These are reports that reflect current trading information, including prices and volume, as well as other trading-related information.
Customer data– this information may be in the form of customer demographics such as age, gender and income; or it could be customer data such as reviews, complaints or market research.
Organizational structure- organizational and business charts will show you how the company is structured in terms of which people hold what positions, what their jobs are and where geographically they work.
Personnel data– this data is one of the most important for analyzing the company’s work and may include data from personnel surveys, relationship analysis, labor market analysis, etc.
Employee correspondence. Savvy business people use "gut sense" and are able to notice information that will give them clues about the mood and relationships of the company. In business cases, you may also find snippets of informal personnel information included in other data among the information provided. Small pieces of information can complement important topic- so refer to it in the discussion if you think there is something there.

A single case study is unlikely to include all the information listed above, as reading time is usually limited - the focus is on discussion. In the process of solving a case, you need to read and analyze all this information before discussing it with the rest of the group.

Read all the information provided to you regarding the case scenario.

You will be given some description of the job and the qualities and skills required, perhaps even a list of key competencies for the role. Use this to think about what evaluators might look for in a group exercise. The company's website also often provides information about assessment features and exercises. It is also likely that the company will send you more information about them before the actual assessment begins. This is really important to read.

Know your strengths and weaknesses

Understanding your strengths and weaknesses can be very helpful when discussing group case solutions. Educate yourself ahead of time: Ask for feedback from those who know you best. These could be teachers, employers, friends or family. Ask them what they think about your communication style in the group. What do they think are your strengths and your development needs in this regard? Play to your strengths when discussing the case and think about ways to improve. For example, if you are told that you sometimes tend to dominate in group settings, try managing your behavior when you are with friends and colleagues. You can even ask a very close friend to push you when he sees that you are slipping back into dominance over other interlocutors.

Take part in group discussions or debates. These could be clubs or groups, such as debating societies, case-solving clubs, case championships, literary circles, or simply take part in serious discussions with friends and colleagues. If you are a modest person by nature, such discussions will help you get used to the atmosphere of discussion that will be in the assessments.

Try to find opportunities to observe other people whose communication style you like. For example, take time to participate in meetings during group work and see what is going on. How naturally do certain participants fit into certain roles? What does the chairperson do to ensure everyone participates in the meeting? If there is no designated chair or facilitator, how can the group work smoothly? How can the group's work be improved?

You can also talk to friends or acquaintances who have already taken assessments and completed group exercises. However, you should understand that their experience may be different from yours, so use critical thinking and draw your own conclusions.

Let us note once again that experience in participating in case championships or clubs for solving business cases can be very useful. Many companies accept the winners of case-solving competitions outside the main selection process - only based on the results of the interview.

Tasks for a group can vary widely, but there are some useful models and techniques to be aware of. By knowing about them, you can give the group a convenient structure for discussing the topic of the case.

Staff Questions
Questions about finances
Questions with clients
Opportunities and resources

Importance and urgency. How important and urgent are the key issues that appear in the information? This is a useful approach when scheduling and prioritizing tasks is required. Ranking tasks by urgency and importance will help give your group work some structure. If you're asked to plan a project or develop a product launch plan, evaluators will look for evidence that you've prioritized and put together a plan of action. You might suggest using headings that businesses often use to prioritize tasks—immediate, short-term, medium-term, and long-term.

SWOT-analysis (Strengths – Weaknesses – Opportunities – Threats). If your group is asked to make a decision, you can use the SWOT analysis framework to analyze the data:

Strengths: what is the strength of the company or business? What special or successful things is she already doing?
Weaknesses: What problems or pitfalls exist in the business? Where are the current or potential problems?
Opportunities: What opportunities might arise in the market or technology space and how can a business take advantage of them?
Threats: What are the risks and liabilities? What negative things could happen that would put the company, its product, its people or its reputation at risk?

PESTLE-analysis. PESTLE offers a different way to evaluate data. It is more applicable if you have received a lot of context about the organization and the climate in which it operates. PESTLE stands for in terms of aspects of influence on the company as:

Political: The political landscape, which includes both politics within the company and politics outside the organization in its broader sense.
Economic: Can include the financial situation within a company as well as the broader market.
Social: may include an internal perspective, which would mean looking at issues about staff and people within or outside the company, and examining the wider social context.
Technological: Considering how changing technologies will affect the company and its success.
Legal: Will changes in legislation affect the company, its products, services and customers?
Environmental: How can environmental changes affect the company?

SMART- analysis (goals and success indicators). If the group needs to develop a plan, it can be helpful to define goals and success metrics to structure the planning. This helps the group agree on what they want to achieve and what success looks like. SMART is a useful and simple way to define goals and measures.

Simple: state your goal in one line or sentence - describe exactly what you need to achieve, what the result will be.
Measurable: How will success be measured? Will it be in sales units, lower costs, more customers, happier staff and better returns for your shareholders? Whatever it is, define it by something you can measure and count. Be as specific as possible and state exactly how the measurements will be taken.
Achievable: There is no point in setting unrealistic goals that will disappoint people. Good goals are not easy, but can still be achieved.
Realistic: Whatever your end goal, think about what needs to happen and what you need to do to achieve it.
Timebound: Clearly and specifically define when you want to see the results of your work.

What you should and shouldn’t do when solving a case in a group

Think before you speak. You should not insert unnecessary or useless comments just to say something and fill a pause in the discussion - this will not add points to you in the eyes of the evaluators.
Be in a calm, collected state. It is important to present yourself as a professional, but to remain yourself and not pretend to be something you are not.
Watch your body language. Think about how you sit, your posture, and how you communicate non-verbally with others. Smiling can go a long way in improving your relationships with others. It's worth nodding if you agree with others when appropriate.
Take an active part in the discussion. If you sit silently and distantly for too long, you will have a harder time engaging in conversation. Try to stay active, but don't say unnecessary phrases just to fill pauses.
Track your behavior. If you feel like you're starting to dominate, create a way to remove yourself from the discussion by asking another group member for their opinion.
Letting others speak and listening to what they have to say. You may not agree with exactly what they say, but everyone deserves to have their opinion heard. Often, opposing opinions can help a group arrive at a more balanced decision. Referring to someone else's point of view later in the discussion will show that you listened - this is always appreciated.
Address others by name. It may seem pretty simple, but by remembering someone's name and calling them by their first name, you are more likely to win them over. Assessors monitor this too.
Ask quieter members of the group to speak their minds, and also try to get powerful people to listen to others. This does not increase competition; this demonstrates good teamwork skills. Not everyone knows how to speak out, but even if someone sits silently, this does not mean that he does not have his own opinion.
Track time. It is important to keep track of the remaining time and understand what you need to achieve in the time available. Reminding the team of this can help get the group back on track.
Focus on what's important, and not on all the details. If a group is spending too much time on an area that doesn't really relate to the overall goal, be polite and diplomatic in how you approach it, but don't be afraid to suggest moving on and coming back to it later.
Summarize intermediate and final results of the discussion. This shows that you are invested in the discussion and that you can take a leadership role if needed to get the group back on track.
Do not forget about the ultimate goal - the success of the entire group. You may have your own priorities, but it is often more important to find a compromise in order to do what is best for the entire group of which you are a part.

Taking complete control of a group and being too dominant or controlling. Leadership is important, but a strong leader listens to others and ensures that all group members participate.
Confusing the concepts of persuasiveness and stubbornness. There is a fine line between the two and it is important to find the right balance. You may be confident that your ideas are workable and correct, but other people may not agree with you. As a rule, the truth is born in a dispute.
Interrupt others. You may be tempted to comment on what another group member is saying, but the right thing to do is to let the person finish the thought. Be sure to write down the ideas that come to you so that you don’t forget them during further discussion of the case.
Show disappointment or dissatisfaction with other participants. Your diplomacy skills can be tested to the maximum in group exercises and it is always important to keep yourself in check. Remain a polite and calm person in all circumstances.
Offer to take notes and drop out of the conversation, if you are acting as a group secretary. Someone will need to take notes, but if you volunteer, make sure you remain an active participant in the discussion.
Respond to rude or offensive behavior in the same way. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, but do it with tact and professionalism - it will count for you.
Be embarrassed to express your opinion and defend your point of view. You may find yourself surrounded by more confident and outgoing people than you are used to, but just because someone has something to say, you shouldn't walk away. Provide evidence to support your own point of view, and don't be afraid to ask others what they think.
Criticize other people's opinions or make fun of their answers. You can disagree with others, but it is better to offer constructive alternatives to solving the case. Under no circumstances should you attack anyone personally.
Consider yourself in charge and begin to delegate roles to others in the group. Leadership is a valuable quality, you must also demonstrate the ability to lead teamwork. Intrusively telling others what to do will most likely work against you.
Relax to the point of unprofessionalism. It's good to feel relaxed, and evaluators will look for people who are calm, but don't fall into the trap of thinking you can act the same way you do around close friends. However, appropriate humor and pleasant manners will help you create the right impression on others.
Thinking you are superior to others. The point of business cases is that they create a level playing field for everyone. Don't consider yourself smarter than others. This behavior will alienate your team members and assessors.

Assessments, cases and approaches to solving them are a big and interesting topic..

Andrey Alyasov

founder of the National Case Study League Changellenge

If you want to work in a well-known company and in a good position (for example, Alfa Bank, EY, KPMG, McKinsey, PwC or Unilever), sooner or later you will face a case interview. Employers use case interviews because during it everything is clearly visible: how you know the industry, how you know how to search for information, what experience you have, what you are like in general.

What is a case interview

A business case is a real situation from the life of a certain company that needs to be analyzed in order to offer your own effective and preferably original way to improve the situation. Moreover, recruiters will expect you to get to the heart of the problem and find Right way as quickly and confidently as possible.

Solving cases can easily unsettle an uninitiated person. It is impossible to prepare for them in one day. I advise you to start training at least three months in advance: spend a week or two studying the theory, searching and reading books, spend another couple of weeks doing mock interviews, and then spend a month or two practicing for interviews in companies that are less interesting to you. All types of selection during which cases are used can be divided into four types.

Online tests based on cases

This is the Problem Solving Test (PST) and its analogues - a kind of correspondence case interview with answer options that allows the recruiter to assess the ability to make decisions and the ability to perceive large amounts of information.

To prepare, you should practice your calculation skills and take a couple of practice tests (on the McKinsey website you can find a document with detailed description Problem Solving Test, BCG has the same example).

Brainteasers

Small problems related to non-standard calculations. For example, the classic one: how many ping-pong balls will fit into a Boeing 787. Greater accuracy is not critical here. The main thing is to demonstrate an atypical approach to solving a problem, logical reasoning, the ability to make decisions in a non-standard situation and quickly count in your head.

The same problem about Boeing and tennis balls can be solved without knowing the exact numbers of the dimensions of the aircraft and the diameter of the balls. It’s enough to figure everything out well and make all the necessary calculations, and out loud, so that the interviewer can hear you reasoning: “The width of the cabin is, say, six meters, that is, the cross-sectional radius is three meters, and the area is 3 * 3 * 3.14 - approximately 28 meters. The length of the cabin is 60 meters, which means its volume is approximately equal to 1,700 cubic meters, or 1,700,000,000 cubic centimeters. The radius of a tennis ball is two centimeters, which means the volume is approximately 33 cubic centimeters. It turns out that the cabin can fit about 50,000,000 balls - and let's remove
15%, since there will be empty space between them. I think the answer is 38 million marbles."

You can search for brainteasers on the Internet - collections of some of them roam around the world from year to year. social networks. You also need to start training your mental counting skills. During the interview you will have to think very quickly, they may not give you a calculator, and doing calculations in a column on a piece of paper will look unprofessional. You can use any free minute for training - for example, adding up car numbers in your head when you walk down the street, or solving problems in comfortable mobile applications Elevate type.

Individual cases

Cases of this type are perhaps the most difficult. Here you will have to not only think, calculate, demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and analytical skills. Sometimes the case assignment and related information are given immediately, then the candidate only needs to engage in situational analysis. In other cases, the interviewer gives only the general picture (for example, asks to tell how to increase the profitability of the retail segment of a commercial bank), and you need to find out the details using the right questions.

Mostly such cases are related to the activities of the company. But there are also those who like to give tasks on an abstract topic. The interviewer may deviate from the prepared case and give an original one - for example, ask how to increase the competitiveness of the Russian army or the average score on the Unified State Exam in the region, ask to calculate the minimum required population of the country, or suggest thinking about how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Test cases will help you prepare for such a test. Look at examples on the websites of the companies themselves - BCG cases with their analysis can be found. For the most persistent candidates, there are special services (including paid ones) that allow you to train under the guidance of a real consultant - for example, preplounge.com.

Team case

If during the selection process for a company you are invited to an assessment center, be prepared to solve a team case. You will have to analyze the problem together with complete strangers and part-time your competitors. Moreover, they will look not so much at the quality of the decision, but at your ability to work in a team, the ability to lead it to a unified decision in a difficult situation and to defend your position with arguments. You need to understand that the team does not need people who silently wait for a common decision, and upstarts who always pull the blanket over themselves.

Please note that different companies are interested in different types: in consulting they are looking for competent team players, in FMCG they are looking for people who are able to show the most creative approach and lead others.

To practice properly, you should submit your resume to as many companies that provide assessment centers as possible, even if you are not interested in working for them. In addition, you can take part in case championships, which in recent years have been held both by the companies themselves and by independent case associations - for example, the National League of Cases Changellenge.

Time costs of the company

Privacy issue

The result of work on the case can be both an oral discussion of the formulated problems and written reports from students. The advantage of written answers to case questions is that it is easier for the teacher to track the logic of how students solve a problem, their ability to use theoretical models, etc.

Project cases as a tool for the successful launch of automated systems

It often turns out to be useful. with the combination of both forms.

It should be noted that the use of cases during the exam does not contribute to the integration of theory and practice in the learning process.

The greatest effect from using this tool is achieved when students have sufficient time (for example, a week) and have the opportunity to discuss the problems formulated in the case in groups.

Description of the business situation

Address: http://www.cfin.ru/itm/excel/pikuza/16.shtml

Circuit solutions in business

When opening new business lines, restructuring and analyzing existing ones, specialists (businessmen, financiers, lawyers) draw diagrams on paper or a board before making any decision.

Management tests with solutions

These diagrams necessarily contain arrows - showing the sequence and direction of movement of material and financial flows, as well as various "squares" - certain stages of these flows passing through some key points, without which the movement of flows further is not possible due to some circumstances .

The squares can be various organizations with which the enterprise, by the nature of its activities, comes into contact: banks, other enterprises, regulatory organizations (customs), points associated with the processing or transportation of products (services), places in which these flows can change completely or partially your physical condition: goods - money; money - bill of exchange, bill of exchange - services, etc. The passage of each "square", as a rule, is associated with the loss or acquisition of any material or financial resources.

The arrows connecting these squares, in addition to the sequence and direction of movement of material and financial flows, are associated with the loss of certain temporary resources. This can be minutes or months, depending on the specifics of the business. Sometimes, drawn arrows are associated with the loss of financial and material resources, for example, transportation of products.

These same diagrams also contain simplified calculations showing the profitability or unprofitability of the operation being carried out, as well as possible options for carrying out the operation on the “what-if” principle.

The development of such schemes undoubtedly has the advantage of the simultaneous participation of a group of specialists in the development of possible scenarios for the development of events. But if the developed scheme is accepted for execution, then in the future a more in-depth analysis of working out possible scenarios is necessary. This analysis is associated with more accurate calculations, since the often inherent “game of numbers” may not have been noticed during the collective development of the scheme and can lead to undesirable consequences.

An in-depth analysis, as a rule, consists of creating tables whose task is to show the profitability or unprofitability of an operation. Quite often you encounter the fact that such tables are created manually, using a calculator and pencil. The disadvantage of this method is obvious - manual calculations that require a lot of time, a high probability of introducing errors and the difficulty of creating multiprobable scenarios.

This chapter will describe a simplified approach to creating a proposed operation flow chart model using Excel.

Description of the business situation

Suppose some enterprise, for example, JSC "Glass blower" known to us, decided to open a new line of business, the essence of which is to purchase a batch of goods with the aim of delivering it to an import partner. Receipt of foreign currency proceeds from the sale of goods, according to the terms of the contract signed between them, and preliminary calculations, is expected a month after the shipment of the goods.

The expected costs of the enterprise under the executed contract consist of:

cost of purchasing the goods;
the cost of freight forwarder services for transporting goods;
cost of customs services;
the cost of the bank's services for converting the foreign currency earnings received.

Let's assume that the company does not have its own free working capital to purchase this batch of goods and the costs associated with its delivery to the buyer. Therefore, he signs a contract with the bank to receive a loan in national currency for the period of the operation (let’s say one month). The lending rate for a loan provided for a specified period is 3%. The entire loan amount is transferred to the bank account of JSC "Glassblower" on the day the goods are shipped to the buyer. Repayment of the loan and interest on it is carried out after converting the foreign currency proceeds received from the buyer. Payment for bank services for currency conversion is carried out from Money received from the buyer.

Reimbursement of export VAT is carried out some time after settlements with the buyer and, as a result, this amount cannot be used to repay the loan. Payment of income tax and turnover tax occurs later and it is assumed that by this time the export refund will have already been made.

A case is a description of a company, organization or institution. The student’s work on the case consists of reorganizing the information presented in it through the use of analytical tools, making assumptions and making certain recommendations/conclusions.

Chapter 1. Case: Definition

Three types of cases can be distinguished.

Illustrative case (or descriptive). It is designed to make it easier for students to understand theoretical concepts.

Open case. This case does not contain specific questions. An important part of the students’ work is to identify the problems facing the company being analyzed and identify possible ways to solve them.

Interactive case. When working on an interactive case, students, in addition to familiarizing themselves with the information provided to them, have the opportunity to conduct direct interviews with the managers of the enterprise under study, and visit the company to get acquainted with the production process. Thanks to this, students have the opportunity to collect additional information.

The advantage of case studies that describe the activities of a local company is that students, as a rule, already have an understanding of its activities. They may know people who work for this company or be consumers of its products.

Of course, interactive cases should be developed based on local companies, since they require direct interaction with enterprise managers. For illustrative purposes, a case drawn up based on materials from any company, including foreign ones, can be used.

Chapter 3. Management case solving

Cases developed based on materials from local and foreign companies

First of all, it is necessary to identify the main problems and issues that will be the focus of the case (for example, problems of strategic management of the enterprise, financial problems, marketing activities of the company, problems of personnel management, etc.)

After determining the general direction, the next step is to more clearly indicate the information that should be included in the text of the case. This will also help to draw up an outline of an informal interview between the teacher and enterprise managers.

Before conducting the interview, it is also recommended to decide on the general structure of the case. The information in a case may be presented in chronological order, according to an interview plan, or according to some model or diagram (e.g. Short story company, ownership structure, organizational management structure, production process and product range, etc.).

Information can be presented in different sequences, but it must be remembered that structuring and reorganizing information is one of the tasks of students working on a case. Facts may be accompanied by the opinions of managers and quotes from their statements.

Responsibility for the quality of the case lies with the teacher. To ensure its sufficient level, the teacher himself can meet with the manager of the enterprise and, based on the results of this meeting, prepare a case. You can invite students participating in the interview with the teacher to do this. Based on the notes obtained during the interview, they can prepare a draft of the case. An educational problem situation can also be prepared on the basis of information collected by students during their compulsory internship or during the writing of projects and diploma research.

Chapter 4. The process of writing a case

The choice of company for developing a case can be carried out different ways. Initial information can be obtained from newspapers, television advertisements, personal contacts, chambers of commerce and industry associations.

When preparing problem situations, business managers typically ask teachers four basic questions:

How long will it take them to help prepare a case?

What data will be required from the company?

How will confidentiality be ensured?

What will their company gain as a result of cooperation?

Time costs of the company

The amount of time managers spend helping prepare a case depends on the type of case and the availability of printed information about the company. Below are data on the time spent at each stage of preparing a case. It is assumed that the case is developed by a teacher who has some experience in this activity. Those who are encountering case development for the first time spend, as a rule, 25-50% more time.

Table 1. Time spent on developing a case (in hours)

The teacher can select some of the best student reports and give them to the plant manager for review. After this, a meeting between the students and this manager can be arranged, during which he will express his opinion on the results of the students’ work.

Thus, taking into account the time spent by managers on reading student reports, they will be required from 5 to 15-20 hours to participate in working on one case.

Information required from the company

Often the teacher and company managers believe that developing a case requires detailed and often confidential information. In reality this is not the case. Students who have little practical experience are unable to use specific, detailed information. In the case of management students, general information is required. For example, with regard to profit, a subjective assessment by the manager of its level and the dynamics of change will be sufficient.

Hypothetical information may be used to study some special calculation and analysis methods that require detailed data.

Privacy issue

Students and teachers should not provide information collected during the work on the case to the company's competitors, as well as other companies and organizations. This should be regarded as unethical behavior, which also destroys the relationship between the university and enterprises.

It may be advisable to avoid working with companies that place undue emphasis on privacy. This is often a consequence of insufficient competence of the company's management. As already mentioned, providing detailed information is not necessary; moreover, the firm's competitors usually have the data that is most important to them. Therefore, the danger of disclosing confidential information is low.

Some firms may even insist on signing a non-disclosure agreement. This is most often explained by psychological reasons. As students work on the case, managers come to the conclusion that their concerns about the confidentiality of information are unnecessary.

Benefits received by the company from their participation in working on the case

Of course, the university cannot guarantee that every company taking part in the work on the case will receive certain benefits from it. However, the participation of managers can be beneficial for their enterprises.

Managers receive a systematic description of the general situation in the enterprise. It can be used to distribute to new employees to familiarize themselves with the activities of the enterprise, to prepare an annual report, to write a company history, etc.

In the process of working on a case, company managers may be asked questions that are important for the operation of the enterprise, which they have not thought about before.

The company can gain new ideas from student reports.

Enterprise managers have the opportunity to get acquainted with new theories, not in their abstract form, but in relation to their company.

Chapter 5. Relationships with the company

In combination with lectures conducted as part of training courses, cases can be used in three main areas.

The case, offered to students at the beginning of the lecture course, will allow them to become familiar with the issues and problems that are expected to be considered in future lectures.

Using a case at the end of a lecture course allows students to understand how they can apply the theoretical models and approaches learned during the lectures to solve a specific problem.

The teacher can explain the problems discussed during the lectures throughout the course using the example of specific companies.

Cases can be used for oral and written examinations. During the oral examination, the student may be asked to discuss a short case using theories covered in the lecture course. A written exam lasting 4-5 hours can be carried out in the form of writing answers to questions posed in the case.

Skills in compiling and working with cases will help students in their research work on coursework and diploma projects.

Chapter 6. Using cases in the learning process

Chapter 1. Case: Definition

Three types of cases can be distinguished.

Illustrative case (or descriptive). It is designed to make it easier for students to understand theoretical concepts.

Chapter 3. Cases developed based on materials from local and foreign companies

Before conducting the interview, it is also recommended to decide on the general structure of the case. The information in the case may be presented in chronological order, according to an interview schedule, or according to some model or diagram (for example, a brief history of the company, ownership structure, organizational management structure, production process and product range, etc.).

Chapter 4. The process of writing a case

Selecting a company to develop a case can be done in various ways. Initial information can be obtained from newspapers, television advertisements, personal contacts, chambers of commerce and industry associations.

When preparing problem situations, business managers typically ask teachers four basic questions:

How long will it take them to help prepare a case?

What data will be required from the company?

How will confidentiality be ensured?

What is a case in business? Examples

What will their company gain as a result of cooperation?

Time costs of the company

Table 1. Time spent on developing a case (in hours)

Thus, taking into account the time spent by managers on reading student reports, they will be required from 5 to 15-20 hours to participate in working on one case.

Information required from the company

Hypothetical information may be used to study some special calculation and analysis methods that require detailed data.

Privacy issue

Benefits received by the company from their participation in working on the case

In the process of working on a case, company managers may be asked questions that are important for the operation of the enterprise, which they have not thought about before.

The company can gain new ideas from student reports.

Enterprise managers have the opportunity to get acquainted with new theories, not in their abstract form, but in relation to their company.

Chapter 5. Relationships with the company

In combination with lectures conducted as part of training courses, cases can be used in three main areas.

The case, offered to students at the beginning of the lecture course, will allow them to become familiar with the issues and problems that are expected to be considered in future lectures.

Using a case at the end of a lecture course allows students to understand how they can apply the theoretical models and approaches learned during the lectures to solve a specific problem.

The teacher can explain the problems discussed during the lectures throughout the course using the example of specific companies.

It should be noted that the use of cases during the exam does not contribute to the integration of theory and practice in the learning process. The greatest effect from using this tool is achieved when students have sufficient time (for example, a week) and have the opportunity to discuss the problems formulated in the case in groups.

The skills of compiling and working with cases will help students in their research work on coursework and diploma projects.

Chapter 6. Using cases in the learning process

Case- this is a specifically described situation (problem) that occurred in the life of the company, which contains all the information about the problem that has arisen, aimed at solving it: the moment the problem appeared, materials, discussion and organization of tasks, search for a goal, persons involved in solving the problem, the processes involved, and a description of the resulting results.

The case can be compared to a person’s photo album, which contains all the details from his life: birth, learning about the world, growing up, plans for the future, etc. In addition to the person himself, the photo album depicts relatives and close people who, one way or another, influenced his upbringing, development and life in general.

Where is the case used?

Case teaching was introduced at Harvard about a century ago and is still relevant today. This method has been used in management subjects. The teachers invited people who had achieved considerable success in business to tell in detail the history of the creation of their companies.

Management Cases

Based on these stories, teachers came up with problem situations for which students had to find solutions.

This training method is highly effective, and even today HR managers offer candidates applying for a job to take a case study.

Already in 2010, ACM (adaptive case management) technology was introduced, with which you can quickly find best solution any obstacle. People who use ACM use templates to fit a specific situation. That is, they come to the aid of solutions that have already been used previously for similar problems.

In the field of marketing, a case is an effective tool, the proper use of which helps increase sales. It allows you to see the results BEFORE and AFTER.

What is the case diagram?

The situation is described in detail.
The problem is identified.
Tasks are set to overcome it.
The process of solving problems and achieving goals is described directly.
The final result is presented and compared with the initial indicators.
Feedback is provided.

What types of cases are there?

Cases in marketing differ in the form of presentation and the volume of text.

By shape

Text. The text itself, but it is also possible to add tables, images, animations and graphs.
Presentation. Text, pictures and other materials are presented in the form of a presentation, which has a more colorful design and special effects.
Video. This type of case is fraught with the greatest expenses, because it is necessary to write a script for the plot of the video, as well as pay for expensive design and camera work.

By volume

Brief. No more than 2 thousand characters.
Average. Approximately 2-6 thousand characters.
Long. From 7 to 10 thousand characters.

According to numerous studies, it is large stories with a fascinating plot that people like the most.

Why do you need a case in marketing and advertising?

The case contributes to more effective SEO promotion of the site, increasing the need for certain goods or services, as well as increasing interest in them. This tool allows you to demonstrate how a project, service or product works in life and how it helps solve a problem. He gives clear answers to all the client’s questions and concerns and convinces him of the advisability of purchasing the product.

The case, which describes in detail the strategies for creating and implementing projects, and also justifies the cost of services or goods, allows potential buyers to be convinced of the qualifications and professionalism of the company’s employees. So, the case is aimed at:

show clients the process and stages of work aimed at overcoming difficulties;
prove to clients the professionalism of the company’s employees, demonstrate successful experience in achieving the goal.
show that the actions taken by the company produce the desired result.

Companies often create cases for themselves in order to analyze a certain period of work and understand which of the methods used are effective and which are not.

6 rules for writing a successful case study

Write an attractive title. This could be a problem headline, for example, “How to quickly make money online?”, or a result headline: “Earned $2,000 online in just 1 month!”
Take the problem your client is facing as a starting point. Tell us about the problem and describe in detail how you solved it.
Provide visual information in the form of graphs, tables, etc. Show the benefits of your products or services.
Write in simple language that is understandable to an incompetent person. No one needs your professional terminology, and few will understand it.
Compare the situation BEFORE and AFTER. Tell us about some of the nuances that occurred in the process of solving problems, show the final successful result. Don't forget to provide numbers.
Add positive customer reviews who have already used your services or purchased your product.

Through cases, you can talk about the activities of your company, analyze the effectiveness of its work and demonstrate your professionalism to potential clients, as well as convince them that they should choose your products or services.

Alexander Ovsyannikov

I have been promoting and making money on websites since 2009.

Business case. What is more important – the ability to solve or the ability to write cases?

About the rules for writing tactical business cases and the importance of following them.

The concept of Business Case comes from the Latin “casus” - a confusing or unusual case. The method of teaching using real and fictitious cases from business life is soon 100 years old - case study was used at Harvard Business School back in 1924. The students successfully analyzed practical cases, and when they later encountered a similar situation in their work, they had ready-made template answer.

Since then, solving business cases has firmly occupied its niche in education, including MBA, and in self-education. The Internet is replete with links offering to take part in the decision and create your own case. And the game is quite entertaining and exciting. As long as it's a game.

In a real company, every day managers are engaged in solving business cases. Large and small, strategic and tactical, and more often tactical. Their main difference from educational cases is that from each specific decision taken The future of the deal, the employee, and sometimes the entire company depends.

In this article I will not touch on business cases at the strategic level; we will leave them for seminars, the Internet and boards of directors. This article is about the very daily routine in which a leader’s day passes. Situations, situations, situations... With external clients there are case situations, with internal clients there are also case situations. And it’s good when such a case concerns employees of the department that is under our direct subordination. I thought a little, asked clarifying questions, made a decision, conveyed it to the performers - ready.

But a company is a mechanism in which many elements interact. And if you have more than one manager in your company, then the chain of solving the case begins to lengthen. Business processes for interaction between departments appear, and failures occur in this interaction every day.

I often hear the opinion of employees that failures occur only in those companies where “everything is poorly organized”, and in a “real company” there should be no failures. And every time I ask them - do they know at least one company that works without failures? This is a genuine interest, because if such a company exists, I certainly want to study the experience of its work, because I do not know such companies.

But I know one good rule: the one who does nothing makes no mistakes. In companies where employees work hard and with high dedication, there will be failures. And in solving them, managers need to take a well-thought-out position so as not to overdo it with demotivation and, most importantly, to distinguish regular failures from one-time failures.

Failures are one-time - individual cases, can be resolved privately at the approval level. But if we have determined that the failure occurs periodically, and it is associated with the inefficiency of the business process or its absence, then it’s time for everyone affected by this business process to work to change and improve it.

If these two conditions are met, then the company's efficiency increases. If they are not observed, it also increases, but not efficiency, but conflict. A magic phrase appears: “Well, how much can you say. Even the Chukchi doesn’t step on the same rake twice,” and the employees’ lack of faith in their own strengths and the company.

In theory, everything sounds simple and straightforward - regular to the right, private to the left, the company becomes prettier, and conflicts are reduced. What in practice?

In the office of the director of the company “Company”, which is engaged in complex supplies of canned food, a bell rings. The voice of one of the heads of sales departments is on the phone.

Head of Sales: We can't work like this anymore! Our logistics department again disrupted the delivery, and now in order to maintain relations with the Chocolate client, we urgently need to organize delivery of the goods, but we do not have transport. Help me send the goods urgently. The client is angry. He said that if he doesn’t have the goods in two hours, he will go to competitors and won’t buy more from us.

Director: When was the delivery supposed to be?

Head of Sales Department: Today until 12:00.

Director: What are we bringing?

Head of Sales Department: A batch of canned food.

Director: The price of the issue?

Head of Sales Department: About 30 tons

Director: What do logisticians say?

Head of Sales Department: No cars.

Director: We'll figure it out now.

The director calls the head of the logistics department.

Director: What are we doing with the delivery today to the client “Chocolate”

Head of Logistics Department: I don’t know. And what happened?

Director: Did the head of the sales department talk to you about this delivery?

Head of Logistics Department: No

Director: Find out which of yours he spoke to and call back. The delivery to the customer needs to be made today. Solve the question.

A call to the director from the head of the logistics department.

Head of Logistics Department: Found out. The head of the department talked with my deputy while I was at lunch. We offered them the car in the morning, but the sales people themselves refused to take it. The goods from the supplier did not arrive completely. They didn’t want to take some of them.

The director calls the purchasing department.

Director: What’s going on with our client “Chocolate”, why are we disrupting the delivery, why did the goods not arrive from the supplier and what can we do?

Head of Purchasing Department: Most of their supplies are in stock in our warehouse.

But the shipment of rare goods has not yet arrived in Moscow. She simply isn't physically anywhere. And we already informed the sales manager about this this morning. The remaining stock will not be available until Friday.

Call from the director to the head of the sales department.

Director: And what are you saying there? They gave you a car, but you yourself refused to drive it.

Head of Sales Department: Who refused? Did we refuse? (Calls the manager and asks him about the refusal). Yes, we refused because the shipment was not complete, and we did not want to pay twice for delivery to one place. And now we already want to drive, because the client is in conflict, and now they don’t have a car.

Director: So it’s not the logistics department that is messing up, but you didn’t want to bring it?

Head of Sales: Sorry, I just found out about this myself.

Director: The client agrees to deliver part of the goods today and part next week?

You can hear the head of the sales department asking the manager about the client’s consent.

Director: Give the phone to the manager... Does your client agree to supply part of the goods?

Manager: I don't know. He shouted so loudly into the phone that I was afraid to ask him.

Director: Why did he start screaming?

Manager: So he waited for the goods until 12:00, but we didn’t deliver them.

Director: What time did you know that there would be no delivery?

Manager: At 11:00 the purchase informed me.

Director: Did you warn the client?

Manager: No. We already detained him last time, he was very unhappy.

Director: Pass the phone to the boss... Call the client yourself, sort it out, apologize. Discuss the possibility of partial delivery, and then we will decide what to do next.

Director to secretary: Anechka, give me some valerian.

etc

This is the classic case of the ubiquitous “broken phone”. And the thought comes - yes, fire both the manager and the director... And... the director? How much effort and time wasted on empty chatter. The request initially sounded like “We can’t work like this anymore. Logisticians are constantly disrupting our deliveries,” that is, to correct the business process. But it turned out?

How can we minimize the occurrence of such situations? In practice, I know only one recipe - to train company managers in a standard form for submitting information on failures, and explain to them why they need it. If a failure occurs, the manager writes or voices a business case based on the following parameters:

Rules for preparing a business case:


In the header of a business case (letter)	Request priority. (Urgency, Importance) Title of the case (what will be in the subject line of the letter, so that the subject line makes it clear what will be discussed)
In the body of the case	Interaction between departments. External/internal clients affected by the failure. Document (if there is a document significant for resolving the issue) The department in which the failure occurred. Deadline (Date of failure. How much time has already been spent on the solution. Justification for the urgency of the solution) As it should be according to company rules. How it happened (is happening) in this case. What has already been done. Your request for action: individual approval at a tripartite meeting, financial claims, request for business process correction.

If the transmission of information about failures occurs correctly, then top managers from secretaries to assistants and coaches who skillfully ask clarifying questions magically turn into problem solvers. And everything is in its place: heads of line departments draw up business cases, and TOP managers solve these business cases.

Of course, the ideal solution to the issue of transmitting information about failures is an internal CRM, a standardized information delivery system. But in a world where excel still dominates, the right to call and Email, a simple standard form for submitting business cases may well be a suitable solution.

I would like to pay special attention to the point “What has already been done”, which is often omitted and not indicated as mandatory. The lack of this information leads to the fact that almost all employees involved in resolving an issue, when deciding to resolve it, follow the same path, questioning others about what was done on their part. This is exactly what the director did in our example. This means repeated labor costs and marking time.

How to train employees to write cases correctly? Most The best way– joint work to improve the efficiency of a real business process. To do this, we are drawing up a common table in which all departments will enter information on failures in the work of the unit (divisions), where they will be able to see feedback about what has been done. Column Headings – required fields business case. We learn and adjust processes at the same time.

It is worth considering the resistance of many employees to such projects. The principle of “sandbox brotherhood” works - I won’t tell about you, and then you won’t tell about me. In this case, when conducting an internal PR campaign, you can indicate that it is aimed at improving the process, and demotivation of employees of all departments participating in the project as a result of the described failures will not be carried out until further notice.

Economic situations in the discipline of management (cases): Textbook

After such joint activities, failures in the transmission of information and conflict in the company are significantly reduced.

To ensure effective collaboration, it is important that each of its participants fulfills its role with maximum efficiency:

· The task of the company's line managers is to take all possible actions to resolve the situation. If you couldn’t solve it yourself, write a correct description of the situation and pass it on to the TOP for solution.

· The task of TOP managers is to resolve the situation in accordance with its priority and determine the actions that need to be taken based on the results of the business case:

1. business process reorganization

2. organizing a new business process

3. individual approval is sufficient

And when company employees consider situations from the point of view of resources: human, time, information, financial, fixed assets, analyze their capabilities and transmit information correctly, the resolution of work issues and the efficiency of interaction between departments increases significantly.

Tested by practice.

It seems that everyone is talking about cases: they are discussed at key industry conferences, they are solved at the largest student championships, and what’s more, even ninth-graders run away from tests and olympiads to compete with a team of desperate friends for victory in a case competition. Haven't you been overwhelmed by the case wave yet? In this article, we will explain why you should definitely get into it and tell you where to start. The most important thing is to understand how to approach business problems. And you can practice in practice at the Changellenge School >> - solve four cases from different industries.

What are cases and the case method

A case (from the English case) is a description of a specific situation or incident in any area: social, economic, medical, etc. As a rule, a case contains not just a description, but also a certain problem or contradiction and is based on real facts .

Accordingly, solving a case means analyzing the proposed situation and finding the optimal solution. The doctor solves cases every time he diagnoses a patient and prescribes treatment. The lawyer solves the case, understanding the vicissitudes of the case and offering the client the best solution. The manager solves cases at all stages of the business process: what product to launch, where to sell it, how to attract customers, which suppliers and partners to choose.

Started relatively recently active use case technologies in education and now this approach has become one of the most effective teaching technologies. What are the advantages of the case method compared to traditional teaching methods? Let's name the three most important:

Practical orientation. The case method allows you to apply theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems. This approach compensates for exclusively academic education and gives a broader understanding of business and processes than lectures at a university or practice in a narrow area of work.
Interactive format. The case method ensures more effective learning of the material due to high emotional involvement and active participation of students. Participants are immersed in the situation headlong: the case has a main character, in whose place the team puts itself and solves the problem on his behalf. The emphasis in training is not on mastering ready-made knowledge, but on its development.
Specific skills. The case method allows you to improve “soft skills” that are not taught at university, but which turn out to be extremely necessary in the real work process.

Joint analysis of life situations - universal method learning, so analogues of solving cases can be found in antiquity. Spartan youths discussed situations that arose on the battlefield with their mentors, and discussing “cases” with their students was Socrates’ favorite method.

IN modern form The case method originated in the 1870s at Harvard Law School and has been established in business education since the 1920s. The teachers of the first MBA programs were scientists, not businessmen, and they were faced with the fact that it was impossible to teach students how to run a business solely through lectures and textbooks. An alternative to textbooks was interviews with leading entrepreneurs and top managers of companies and detailed reports written on their basis about how they solved a particular situation, as well as about the factors influencing their activities. Since then, the analysis of business situations has become an important element in the training of future managers in business schools. Harvard Business School faculty have actively contributed to its dissemination by publishing books, textbooks, case studies, and teaching seminars. Nowadays, solving cases as a teaching method is used in all leading business schools, universities and corporations.

HBS Professor Chris Christensen has written hundreds of cases and is considered a champion for teaching the case method.

Distinctive features of the case method

Solving cases consists of several steps:

1) research of the proposed situation (case);

2) collection and analysis of missing information;

3) discussions possible options problem solving;

4) developing the best solution.

It would seem that everything is simple. In fact, there are several pitfalls that can puzzle participants who are dealing with cases for the first time.

Firstly, the case does not have a correct answer. There can be only one optimal solution (however, it cannot always be implemented in a real situation), but effective solutions- some.

Secondly, introductory cases may contradict each other or change constantly. The case is based on real facts and imitates a real life situation, and in life you have to face similar problems more than once.

Third As a rule, cases are solved in a limited time. In business, it is rare to find out all the details and have the full picture in front of your eyes.

How to write cases

The case combines two components: research and educational, so the process of its creation involves the work of a business journalist/consultant and a teacher at the same time.

As a rule, the case is based on a situation that occurred in a specific company. If necessary, the business situation is sharpened, and a problem is introduced into it, provoking discussion. To make the case closer to reality, it is prepared in close collaboration with company representatives: the authors of the case discuss the problem with top managers, conduct interviews with employees, and collect data from different departments. The content of the case is supplemented by data from open sources: reports from consulting companies, market research, information for investors, statistical data.

Since the purpose of the case is to teach and/or test specific skills, it includes a set of knowledge and practical skills that participants need to obtain, as well as a level of difficulty and additional requirements.

A high-quality case should combine five key aspects:

Cases vary in format of use and level of complexity.

By format of use there are:

Executive cases (1–2 pages or less). Participants get acquainted with the case directly at the event and solve it individually or in a discussion format with a moderator. Such cases are used to illustrate theoretical material or to test specific narrow skills.
Thematic cases (3–5 pages). Intended for analysis during a training session and general discussion, sometimes a brief preliminary preparation participants.
Harvard cases (on average 20–25 pages). They involve independent team work over several days and presentation of a solution.

According to the level of complexity, cases can be:

Highly structured. Includes a minimal amount of additional information. They contain a specific solution model, and there is an optimal solution.
“Small sketches” (short vignetts). They introduce only key concepts and include 2–3 pages of appendices. Participants require additional knowledge to work.
Large unstructured cases. These are the most difficult cases. Participants need to cope with large volumes of loosely structured data. The case may include unnecessary information and/or lack necessary data.

Structure of a classic (Harvard) case

Using the case method in education using the example of foreign schools

The case-study method was first used in teaching at Harvard (USA), and since then Harvard has largely determined the format of case education throughout the world. Education at Harvard Business School (HBS) is almost entirely based on case analysis, and the school's library contains the largest collection of cases in the world. The classic Harvard case is a large case (20–25 pages of text plus 8–10 pages of illustrations and appendices) with a main character and his story. The peculiarity of using the case method at HBS is the search for the only correct solution.

At the School of Management. John F. Kennedy School of Government, HKS cases are used to train government officials, and their topics are related to issues public policy and leadership. The protagonist of the case, as a rule, is in public service or is an official of a non-profit organization. HKS cases can cover topics such as “Rwanda's post-genocide revival”, “Hurricane Katrina”, etc. Discussion of cases in HKS is more scientific and conceptual in nature, while in business schools the case method is a solution to a specific problems with developing an action plan.

In medical education, an example of the use of the case method is training at Harvard Medical School. Traditionally, future doctors were allowed to work with patients from the third year, and for the first two years they were given exclusively theoretical education with a huge amount of material to memorize. Students studied biology, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry and other disciplines. In 1985, the school's dean, Daniel Tosteson, proposed the use of cases to reduce the information load on students and introduce elements of active learning into the program.

Working with medical cases differed from solving business cases in its format. Students worked in small groups of 6–8 people and received the material directly in class rather than being introduced to it in advance. The case consisted of 5–6 parts, which were examined sequentially in several classes. As a rule, the first part described the initial condition of the patient and the symptoms of the disease, the second contained the results of the initial examination, the subsequent parts were devoted to the results of tests, the diagnosis of specialists, the prescribed treatment, the patient’s response to this treatment and further progress of treatment.

During the discussion, students were not required to offer ready-made solutions. The goal was to ask further questions, formulate hypotheses, identify gaps in knowledge, and ultimately formulate a plan for self-study on the topic, which students went to the library to work on for several days. After this, the teacher offered the next part of the case for discussion. Thus, with the introduction of cases into training, students already in the initial courses were immersed in the world of medical practice instead of purely theoretical training.

In the European tradition of business education, a slightly different training format was initially established. The first MBA programs in France, Switzerland, Great Britain and other countries lasted an average of 12 months (instead of two-year programs, as was customary in the United States) and were designed for students who already had practical experience in business management.

This pragmatic orientation and closeness to the world of real business found its most complete expression in the Manchester Business School (MBS) and, accordingly, the so-called Manchester Case School. Unlike the Harvard cases, the Manchester cases are one and a half to two times shorter and they fundamentally lack the correct solution, which is developed during open discussions. In addition, Manchester Business School is trying to bring its cases even closer to reality: it practices short-term internships for students (project-based learning), where they are tasked with coping with a specific problem that the company is currently experiencing. Due to practical training, training at MBS lasts a little longer - 18 months. On average, lectures account for 30% of all class time, solving cases takes 25%, and participation in work projects takes 45%.

Each year, HBS faculty create approximately 350 case studies based on real-life business situations. It takes from one to four months to write a case study.
At the height of World War II, HBS faculty wrote 600 special cases to train military personnel.
On average, over two years, each HBS MBA student studies 500–600 cases and spends up to 80–90% of their study time on this.
At HBS, it is a common practice for a real prototype of the main character of a case to be present during its analysis (in person or in video mode), answer students’ questions, comment on their solution and explain how and why he acted in a real situation.
In May 2008, HBS decided to diversify the format of the cases, making them more elegant, literary, with bright covers and selling them as books at the cash registers in stores. Such cases may be intended, for example, for housewives. To this end, HBS has already signed a contract with the popular American author of women's novels Danielle Steele.
It is believed that most often the heroes of cases are top managers. However, there are also cases dedicated to athletes, cultural figures, public leaders and government officials. Thus, there are known cases dedicated to the former head coach of Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson, tennis player Maria Sharapova and even Lady Gaga.
HBS operates Kids Case Discussions - a special children's class for children of school graduates. The classes are taught by university teachers, and the children discuss real, non-adapted Harvard cases with them.
About 80% of the cases used for teaching worldwide are written by Harvard Business School (HBS) faculty. These business tasks are discussed in detail at the Changellenge School >>, and the knowledge is applied in practice. Over the course of one week, you will, together with other intensive participants, implement a consulting project with a real client.