MECE and Issue Trees for the Online Case
Structure beats brilliance. Here is how to break a Casey case into a clean issue tree under time pressure.
What MECE means in practice
MECE = Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. Every branch of your tree should cover a unique slice (no overlap) and together cover the whole problem (no gaps).
The three trees you will use most
Profit tree
Profit = Revenue − Cost. Revenue = Price × Volume. Cost = Fixed + Variable. Use this for profitability cases.
Market entry tree
Market attractiveness, ability to win, financial case, risks. Use for "should we enter X" cases.
Growth tree
Organic vs inorganic. Organic = existing products in new markets, or new products in existing markets. Inorganic = M&A or partnership.
Applying it inside Casey
Casey is linear — you cannot redraw your tree on screen. But sketch one on scratch paper the moment you read the prompt. It will tell you which exhibit matters for which question later.