How would you approach analyzing data from completely different industries, such as banking and manufacturing?
RoleBusiness Analyst
DifficultyMedium
TopicTechnical
Asked at
Why This Is Asked
Because LT Group owns businesses in banking, airlines, beverages, tobacco, and property, an analyst must be able to compare performance across these unrelated industries without losing context.
General Approach
Acknowledge that different industries require different KPIs. Explain your method: start by learning the business model of each, then identify industry-standard benchmarks, and finally create a framework that allows for relative performance comparison rather than absolute number comparison.
General Answer
Acknowledge upfront that banking and manufacturing, or any two dissimilar industries, will never be comparable on absolute numbers like revenue or margin because their business models, capital intensity, and regulatory environments differ fundamentally. Start by learning each business's model and value drivers on its own terms: for a bank, that might be net interest margin, cost of funds, and non-performing loan ratio; for a manufacturer, it might be capacity utilization, input cost pass-through, and inventory turns. Identify the industry-standard KPIs analysts and investors already use to judge performance within each sector, rather than inventing your own, since these benchmarks reflect what actually matters in that industry. Then build a comparison framework based on relative performance, how each business is doing against its own industry peers or its own historical trend, rather than trying to force both into one scorecard. Present findings side by side but clearly labeled by industry context, so a reader isn't tempted to compare a bank's margin directly to a factory's margin as if they were equivalent.
PH Interview Gotcha
Some candidates might say, 'Ah basta, I will just use the same formula for both, kasi analysis lang naman lahat yan.' This sounds careless. Instead, say: 'I will first understand the unique value drivers of each industry and then select appropriate metrics that reflect their performance accurately.'
Sample STAR Answer▾
S
Situation
During my internship at a conglomerate that owned a retail chain and a logistics company, my supervisor asked me to compare the profitability of these two very different units.
T
Task
I needed to determine which business unit was performing better and present my findings in a way that made sense despite the different nature of their operations.
A
Action
I first met with the finance teams of both units to understand how they calculated revenue and costs. Then I standardized the metrics by using return on assets and profit margin per transaction for retail, while using cost per delivery and fleet utilization for logistics. I created a comparative dashboard that highlighted each unit against its industry benchmarks rather than directly against each other, since their profit drivers were so different.
R
Result
The analysis revealed that logistics had higher margins but lower volume, while retail had tight margins but high volume. Management used this to set different growth targets for each unit, and I was commended for presenting a clear cross-industry comparison.
Key Takeaway
Always tailor financial metrics to the specific business model rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all comparison.
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