Skip to main content

Chapter 1: What Does a Winning Case Solution Look Like?

Chapter 1: What Does a Winning Case Solution Look Like?

Video: Good to Winning: How to Turn a Solid Case Solution into a Podium-Winning One

Central Question

What separates a good case solution from a winning one?

One of the most common questions I get when coaching case teams is: What does a winning solution actually look like? Most teams can build something decent.

  • It is logical.
  • It contains analysis.
  • It has a recommendation.
  • It may even contain some good ideas.

But decent does not necessarily win.

After more than 20 years of coaching successful case-solving teams, I have found that the difference is rarely about having the fanciest idea. Winning teams are usually better at turning their thinking into a solution that is: Clear, Insightful, Supported, Realistic, Feasible, Implementable, Measurable, & Persuasive. That requires a process.

Why This Matters

Case-solving competitions are not judged on the number of frameworks you use or how much information you can put on a slide. Judges are ultimately asking a much simpler question: "Would I trust this team to make this decision?"

Please make sure your solution gives them a reason to say yes. A strong case solution should make the logic easy to follow:

  • Here is the problem.
  • Here is what is causing it.
  • Here is what matters most.
  • Here are the alternatives.
  • Here is our recommendation.
  • Here is why it is the best option.
  • Here is how the organisation can make it happen.
  • Here is how we will know whether it worked.

The more clearly you can connect these pieces, the more credible your solution becomes.

The Eight Characteristics of a Winning Solution

A winning solution should demonstrate eight characteristics.

  • Clear: The judges should understand:

    • What is the problem?

    • What are you recommending?

    • Why did you select this recommendation?

      • If the judges have to work to figure out your answer, your solution is already losing impact.
  • Insightful: Strong teams do more than repeat information from the case.
    • They explain what the information means.
      • Data becomes valuable when you turn it into insights that change how you understand the problem or what you should do about it.
  • Supported: Your recommendation should be supported by:

    • Analysis

    • Evidence

    • Logic

    • Relevant assumptions

    • Financial or operational support where appropriate

      • A good idea without support is simply an opinion.
  • Realistic: Your recommendation should make sense for the organisation. Consider:

    • Its size

    • Its financial position

    • Its capabilities

    • Its market

    • Its customers

    • Its competitive position

    • Its constraints

      • A theoretically brilliant idea that the organisation cannot realistically pursue is not a winning recommendation.
  • Feasible: The organisation must have or reasonably be able to acquire the capabilities and resources required. Ask:

    • Do they have the people?

    • Do they have the money?

    • Do they have the technology?

    • Do they have the capabilities?

    • Do they have the time?

    • Can they overcome the constraints?

      • Feasibility turns an attractive idea into a possible one.
  • Implementable: A recommendation is incomplete if you cannot explain how it will happen. Your implementation should provide enough detail to demonstrate that the team has thought beyond the recommendation itself. Consider:

    • What happens first?

    • Who is responsible?

    • What resources are required?

    • What are the major milestones?

    • What risks need to be managed?

  • Measurable: Organisations need to know whether their decisions are working. Identify meaningful measures of success. These might include:

    • Revenue

    • Profit

    • Market share

    • Customer acquisition

    • Customer retention

    • Cost reduction

    • Operational performance

    • Employee measures

    • Strategic milestones

      • The specific metrics will depend on the case. The principle remains the same: If you cannot tell whether the recommendation is working, you can't manage it effectively.
  • Persuasively Communicated: Even an excellent solution can fail if the team cannot communicate it effectively. The judges need to understand:

    • What you are recommending

    • Why it matters

    • Why they should believe you

    • Why the organisation can execute it

      • Your communication therefore becomes part of the solution.

The Winning Solution Test

Before you finalise your case, step back from the details and ask four questions:

  • Can the judges understand it?
    • Is the problem clear?
    • Is the recommendation obvious?
  • Is the logic easy to follow?
    • Can the judges believe it?
    • Do you have sufficient evidence?
    • Are your assumptions reasonable?
    • Does your analysis support your conclusions?
  • Can the organisation execute it?
    • Is the recommendation realistic and feasible?
    • Have you considered resources, capabilities, timing, and risks?
  • Can the organisation measure it?
    • Have you identified meaningful indicators of success?
    • Can management determine whether the recommendation is delivering the expected results?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, the solution is not finished.

The Difference Between Good and Winning

  • A good team might say: "We recommend expanding into Market X because the market is growing rapidly."
  • A stronger team might say: "We recommend entering Market X because its growth, customer fit, and competitive conditions create an attractive opportunity."
  • A winning team goes further: "We recommend entering Market X through a phased launch focused on Segment Y. This segment represents the strongest customer fit, requires a manageable initial investment, and allows the organisation to validate demand before committing additional capital. We will measure success through customer acquisition, contribution margin, and repeat purchase rates before expanding."

The difference is not necessarily the idea. It is the quality of the thinking surrounding the idea.

Discover Your MAD Skills Principle

Good ideas don't win cases. Well-developed decisions do.

The winning solution is not necessarily the most creative. It is the solution that best connects: Problem → Insight → Alternatives → Recommendation → Rationale → Implementation → Measurement. That connection is what creates credibility.

A Practical Coaching Test

When coaching a team, I often find it useful to ask them to explain their recommendation without showing me the slides. Give them 30 seconds. Ask: "What is your recommendation, and why is it the best option?" If the answer is complicated, unclear, or filled with disconnected ideas, the problem is probably not the presentation. The thinking may not be finished yet. Once the thinking is clear, the presentation becomes much easier to build.

The Bottom Line

What Does a Winning Case Solution Look Like?
  • A winning solution is more than a good idea. It must be clear, insightful, supported, realistic, feasible, implementable, measurable, and persuasively communicated.
  • Judges need to understand not only what you recommend, but why it is the right decision.
  • Analysis should generate insight rather than repeat information from the case.
  • Recommendations should reflect the organisation's actual resources, capabilities, constraints, and circumstances.
  • Implementation turns an interesting recommendation into something the organisation could actually execute.
  • Measurement demonstrates that you have defined what success looks like.
  • The presentation should make the judges think: "That is the problem. That is the best solution. And I can see how they would actually make it happen."

Before considering the solution complete, apply the Winning Solution Test: Can the judges understand it? Can they believe it? Can the organisation execute it? Can the organisation measure it? If the answer to any of these is no, keep working.

Back to top