The Yellow Pages Engagement

This case focuses on the creation of a work plan for a consulting engagement. Excerpt UVA-BP-0396 THE YELLOW PAGES ENGAGEMENT Jolted awake by the grinding of the Boeing 767's wheels as they hit the tarmac, Nick Brown was both exhausted and exhilarated. What had started as a relaxing Sunday in his Upper East Side apartment had ended up in back-to-back “red-eyes” and the sale of a 12-week engagement at the Yellow Pages offices on the West Coast. Although Brown had logged numerous frequent-flier miles in his four years at a major strategy-consulting firm, New York to the West Coast and back in 24 hours set a new record. But landing the Yellow Pages account made it all worthwhile. Now, Brown had less than three hours to prepare for his debriefing with John Carpenter, a partner and the head of the telecom area at his firm. Before signing any contract, Carpenter would want to review Brown's work plan for the new engagement and, more important, feel confident that Brown's analytical approach would address the most important strategic questions for Yellow Pages in the time allotted. Sunday Afternoon in New York Enjoying a leisurely mid-December afternoon in his cozy apartment, Brown had been reading the Sunday paper when his phone rang. It was Carpenter, calling to ask Brown to catch the red-eye to the West Coast for a 10:00 a.m. meeting with Stacia White, a prospective client from Yellow Pages. Carpenter explained that White had just been appointed director of the Yellow Pages division of a large regional telephone company. With 20% growth objectives for the division, White wanted help in identifying revenue-enhancement opportunities for Yellow Pages' business. Over the phone, Carpenter described Yellow Pages' historical contribution to the phone company's profitability and its advertising focus: . . .