Help with a procurement assignment as part of a job interview

Question

Hi community,

I need some help with a take-home case study as part of an interview process, I’m used to case studies in person so this is a first time.

The requirements of the assignment are to correctly fill in info on 3 POs and 2 SOs which are related to two orders. Both are tasks that I did countless times before, so at first I thought it was going to be easy, but as I looked into it I noticed that a lot of vital info were missing. From consignees names and addresses, to pick up locations, all the way to a clear way to do currency exchanges where necessary. In the light of this, I’ve emailed the interview informing them of the info I was missing, the assumptions I made, and the questions that need and answer in order for me to proceed.

I kept the email very professional and easy to navigate, but I feel a bit awkward since I never encountered an assignment to complete at home. I fear I might have asked too many questions and appeared clumsy and not experienced enough.

I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter, perhaps from someone that has had the same issue before.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hi,

if the task was to develop an approach and then point out what is missing to make it actionable, then you probably solved the right problem. The aspect of partial or missing info could have also been part of the test to gauge how you'd react (although that would be somewhat sneaky). In any case, you want to make sure that you understood the scope and objective of the assignment correctly. So it is good that you outlined your assumptions and leading questions in your email to them.

I personally have not yet experienced a recruiting process with a “take home case” but all you can do now is wait for the feedback.

Fingers crossed

Answer 2

Hi!

From my point of view, you did the right thing.

It's hard to know what they are testing at this point. Whether the information is not there because they made mistakes when building the test. Or whether the information is not there specifically to test what you would do. If it's the latter, it's good that you were proactive, took assumptions and then proactively explained what they are.

So don't second guess yourself. It appears like you're on the right track.

Good luck!
Cristian

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Answer 3

Hey,

A take-home case requires some getting used-to. There are different formats: in some, you need to request and search for the missing data; in others - all the data is provided to you as a handout.

I agree with Ian here: as long as you can professionally communicate why you need the data you're requesting - you should be fine. To avoid feeling embarrassed next time, you better clarify the exact arrangement with an HR: are you allowed to request data or you should google it or even come up with your own assumptions.

Good luck!
Nick

Answer 4

Hi there,

This is perfectly normal and you handled it great. Information might be missing because they want to test you to identify key information for your task. You'll know when you get your answer ;)

Best,

Alberto

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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Answer 5

You have to follow up with HR on this to make sure you are correctly understanding the assignment.

Having said this, I feel you did the right thing in your approach - just make sure that finding that missing information was not part of your assignment.

Answer 6

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

While I do not know about the very details of your e-mail, as long as you kept it polite and professional, reaching out to the recruiting team about missing information was a good move. It shows you're thorough and proactive.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 7

Hi there,

We don't know your email nor do we know the full context.

However, on the surface, as long as you kept it professional, non-accusatory, and clear, you should be fine.

It's *possible* they did this on purpose. It's also possible they're just not a good firm.

Ultimately, what's done is done and you'll find out based on their response!

Answer 8

Hi there, just ping me a DM with the mail, happy to take a quick look at it with tailored feedback. Warm regards, Freddy