Bumpers R Us: Kearney-Style Operations Case Interview
Bumpers R Us is a medium-difficulty Kearney-style operations case interview with 7 interviewer questions and 2 exhibits; candidates finish it in a median 20 minutes. Your first full case is free with an account: run it out loud with an AI interviewer or step by step.
| Case type | Operations |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive Manufacturing |
| Firm style | Kearney |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Interviewer questions | 7: context, clarifying, structure, 2 math, analysis, synthesis |
| Math questions | 2 |
| Exhibits | 2 |
| Modes | Voice and guided |
| Completed runs | 21 |
| Median time | 20 minutes |
| Source | Adapted from the Duke Fuqua consulting club casebook |
Runs, times and ratings are from Road to Offer practice data as of 6 November 2026.
The case
Bumpers-R-Us is a southeastern-US Tier-1 plastic-bumper supplier to CNW that sources raw materials globally and ships finished bumpers 360 miles to CNW's local plant. Delivery lead time has increased over the past six months, creating a risk of fines and lost contracts. Identify the cause and recommend how to restore lead time.
This is an interviewer-led operations case. The client makes plastic automotive bumpers at a plant in the southeastern United States and ships them to CNW's local plant.
The interviewer's first question
Please summarize the client situation, the problem, and the decision objective.
Exhibits you will read
- Exhibit 1: Manufacturing Process
- Exhibit 2: Paint Lead-Time Options
What this case tests
Two math steps, two exhibits and one analysis question: this case balances calculation with reading the data.