Which forecast would you take to operations?
Confirm the job schedule and billed rate before accepting the forecast.
The question
You support an invented maintenance business. All figures are in USD. Each job is completed and billed in the same month.
| Plan | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs | 1000 | 900 |
| Charge per job ($) | 100 | 110 |
| Variable cost per job ($) | 60 | 65 |
| Fixed cost ($) | 20000 | 20000 |
Fictional monthly inputs. Rates apply to each completed job.
Use the latest job and rate estimates. Confirm both before sharing them.
“Which forecast would you take to operations?”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Check the volume
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Check the volume
The strong move. Confirm 900 scheduled jobs with operations.
Use the 1,000-job plan
Tempting, but it misses something. The plan includes 100 jobs beyond the current schedule.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Confirm 900 scheduled jobs with operations.”
Why it works: The plan includes 100 jobs beyond the current schedule.
Step 2: Check the charge
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Keep the $100 budget rate
Tempting, but it misses something. The latest schedule uses a different charge. Confirm which rate applies.
Check the charge
The strong move. Verify the $110 realized charge against the billing schedule.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Verify the $110 realized charge against the billing schedule.”
Why it works: The latest schedule uses a different charge. Confirm which rate applies.
Step 3: Update revenue
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Update revenue
The strong move. 900 jobs × $110 = $99,000, or $1,000 below plan.
Apply 10% growth to planned revenue
Tempting, but it misses something. That calculation assumes the planned job count still holds.
See how a strong candidate says it
“900 jobs × $110 = $99,000, or $1,000 below plan.”
Why it works: That calculation assumes the planned job count still holds.
Step 4: Update profit
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Keep planned total costs at $80,000
Tempting, but it misses something. Both the job count and cost per job changed.
Update profit
The strong move. 900 × ($110 − $65) − $20,000 = $20,500.
See how a strong candidate says it
“900 × ($110 − $65) − $20,000 = $20,500.”
Why it works: Both the job count and cost per job changed.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- 900 × ($110 − $65) − $20,000 = $20,500.
- Because
- 900 jobs × $110 = $99,000, or $1,000 below plan.
- What would change it
- A signed job or price update changes the forecast.
Common traps
- Use the 1,000-job plan
- Keep the $100 budget rate
- Apply 10% growth to planned revenue
- Keep planned total costs at $80,000
Check your answer
- Check the volume
- Check the charge
- Update revenue
- Update profit
Last reviewed Nov 10, 2026