Oct 08, 2026 by Offer

FTI Mini-Case 2027: Challenge-Opportunity Framework

The FTI Consulting mini case question — commonly reported by candidates as "What is one challenge or opportunity your previous employer faces, and how could they use it to their advantage?" — is answered with a tight commercial framework: name the challenge, quantify its impact, flip it into an opportunity, and propose a concrete action.

What This FTI Consulting Mini Case Question Assesses

This tests commercial thinking about a business you actually know. FTI advisors turn distress into strategy for a living, so the interviewer is checking whether you can do the core move: see the same facts as a threat and as a lever. Candidates who describe a problem with no upside answer a different question than the one asked.

How to Answer This FTI Consulting Mini Case Question

Run the four-step flip:

Step 1 — Name the challenge. Pick something real from a past employer or internship: rising input costs, a shifting customer base, new regulation, a competitor's move. Example line: "My internship employer, a regional retailer, was losing footfall to online competitors — a 15% decline over two years."
Step 2 — Quantify the impact. Put scale on it: revenue at risk, margin pressure, the trend line. Even rough numbers show commercial seriousness.
Step 3 — Flip it. Ask what the challenge makes possible: the empty stores become fulfillment hubs for online orders; the cost pressure forces a long-overdue efficiency program; the regulation creates a compliance service to sell. The flip is the scored move.
Step 4 — Propose the action. One concrete recommendation with a first step: "Convert the two worst-performing stores into dark stores for same-day delivery — pilot in one location, measure the unit economics, then roll out."

Choose an employer you know well enough to survive follow-ups. The interviewer will probe the numbers and the feasibility.

Common Mistakes

Only describing the problem. Stopping at the challenge answers half the question — the opportunity flip is where the marks are.
Vague opportunities. "They could innovate" is not an opportunity; a specific, actionable lever is.
Unrealistic proposals. Recommendations that ignore the company's resources or capabilities show you don't understand the business you picked.

Candidates commonly report follow-ups like "What would it cost?" and "Why haven't they done it already?" — both test whether your proposal survives contact with reality. Have one-line answers: a rough cost framing and an honest take on the organizational barrier.

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FAQ

What if I've never been employed? Use a university society, a family business, or a company you've studied closely. Deep knowledge of the business matters more than a payslip.

Should I pick a challenge or an opportunity? Either — the question asks for one that you flip into the other. Pick whichever you can discuss most concretely.

How detailed should the numbers be? Directional and honest: "roughly 15% over two years" beats false precision. Label estimates as estimates.

Can I criticize a past employer? Frame it as analysis, not complaint. "The business faced X" is professional; "management was clueless about X" is not.

Preparing for FTI Consulting's interview? Our 2027 FTI Consulting Pre-recorded Video Interview & Online Assessment Tutorials has practice questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.