- BCG Platinion is BCG's specialist technology firm: architecture, enterprise solutions such as ERP, cloud, data, AI and cybersecurity. Its people combine technical expertise with consulting.
- The official process has a CV with a project list, an introduction call and at least two rounds, typically of two interviews each, with case studies. Some postings add a virtual logic test before the first round. The exact format varies by role and market.
- The IT case is solved like a BCG case: a hypothesis, a clear breakdown, explicit numbers and a recommendation. Every technical choice must lead to cost, risk, operational consequences and implementation.
- Expect lighter calculations than in some generalist cases, such as total cost, the cost of downtime or a comparison of options, but they still need to be right.
- Prepare one or two projects from your CV in depth, including the alternatives you rejected, because interviewers will probe the technical choices.
BCG Platinion interview preparation is different from preparing for a generalist consulting interview, but not as different as many candidates expect. The cases are about technology, and interviewers expect real depth in your own area. Yet they are assessed with the same logic as a BCG case: structure, numbers, judgement and a clear recommendation. This guide explains the process as Platinion publishes it, then shows how to prepare each part with fictional examples.
CasePreparation's coach, Franco Borgonovo, spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, and interviewed and selected candidates as a global lead recruiter, including many interviews for BCG Platinion, BCG X and INVERTO. He still works with BCG as an official coach for new hires in BCG's Consulting Foundation Training. CasePreparation is independent and is not affiliated with BCG or BCG Platinion. All cases and examples below are fictional and written for this guide.
What BCG Platinion does
BCG Platinion presents itself as BCG's specialised technology experts. Its home page lists enterprise solutions (especially ERP transformations), technology architecture and platforms, AI, cybersecurity, cloud (including migration and cost management), and data platforms, across industries such as financial services, insurance, energy, telecoms, consumer goods, industrial goods and the public sector. It states more than 1,000 technology experts and more than 70 offices worldwide (read on 3 November 2026).
In practice, Platinion teams often work alongside BCG consultants. A BCG team may define a client's strategy or transformation, and Platinion brings the architecture, the technology choices and the implementation. That is why the interview combines two things: technical credibility in your field, and the ability to discuss technology at the level of a CIO or a CFO, in terms of cost, risk and business impact.
Roles on Platinion's careers pages include technology architects and technology consultants specialised in areas such as cybersecurity and enterprise solutions, alongside corporate functions. The cases you receive usually reflect the field you are applying for and the interviewer's own projects.
The BCG Platinion interview process
BCG Platinion's application process page describes a minimum of two interview rounds, including case studies. The steps below come from that page, read on 3 November 2026. The page lists several variants for different postings, so the details of your own process may differ.
- Application. You send your CV with a list of projects. Depending on the posting, Platinion also asks for references, transcripts or a motivation letter.
- Introduction call. A short call to get to know you and explain the next steps.
- First round. Two separate interviews. Each covers an introduction, background on Platinion, the job profile and your motivation, a case study and time for your questions. For some postings, a virtual logic test is completed in the week before the interviews.
- Second round. Two more interviews, starting with any open points from the first round. Depending on the posting, they combine a case similar to the first round with a BCG business case, or include interviews with a Platinion Director or Managing Director and a member of BCG's leadership.
- Decision. Platinion notes that the decision is often combined with the second round, and that additional interviews may be needed in specific cases.
How the process varies
The official process describes variants with four interviews in two rounds; this is not a rule for every role and office. Candidates report variations by market and level. A candidate for a senior consultant role in the United States described a first round with a behavioural interview and a live case, then a second round with a case presentation and a conversation with a local partner. A candidate in Germany described four candidate-led case interviews of 30 to 60 minutes, with cases in aviation, banking, insurance and energy that matched the interviewers' own backgrounds. Experienced hires can also have additional conversations.
Ask how many interviews you will have, whether your posting includes the logic test, whether the second round includes a BCG business case or a presentation, and in which language the interviews will be held. Recruiters answer these questions routinely.
Who interviews you in the second round
In Franco's experience, the second-round interviews are usually run by senior people, although not necessarily by a Principal or a Director. When both a BCG interviewer and a Platinion interviewer assess you, the Platinion interviewer's view tends to carry more weight, because Platinion is the practice you would be joining. Prepare for that interviewer accordingly: they will test your technical depth and imagine working with you on their own projects.
For procurement and supply-chain roles in the BCG group, use the INVERTO interview guide. If you are applying with professional experience, the experienced-hire guide explains levels and project discussions.
The logic test and presentations
Platinion's application page says that, for some postings, candidates take a virtual logic test within the week before the first-round interviews. It does not publish the format, the duration or how the result is used. Your invitation is the reliable source for those details.
To prepare without guessing at a format, practise general timed numerical and logical reasoning exercises, take the test in a quiet place with a stable connection, read the instructions on timing and allowed tools carefully, and complete it early in the window you are given rather than on the last day.
Platinion's preparation page also recommends practising how you present case studies and how you present the stages of your career. If your process includes a presentation, the same habits apply as in any consulting presentation: open with your main message, support it with a few facts, and be ready for the interviewer to interrupt with questions. If you receive a set of slides to analyse, look first for the two or three findings that answer the question, rather than summarising every slide.
Presenting a project from your CV
Platinion asks for a project list with your CV, and interviewers use it. Expect to present at least one project in depth, often at the start of an interview. Choose one or two projects where you made real decisions, and prepare them with the same five elements:
- The problem. What the client or business needed, and why it mattered, in one or two sentences.
- Your responsibility. What you personally owned, as distinct from what the team did.
- The alternatives. The options that were considered, including the one you rejected.
- The decision. What was chosen and why, in terms of cost, risk and feasibility.
- The result. What changed, with a number where possible, and what you would do differently.
"I worked on a cloud migration for a bank. We moved around 200 applications to AWS using a lift-and-shift approach, with Terraform and Kubernetes. It was a big programme with many stakeholders, and it went live on time."
"A retail bank needed to leave a data centre whose contract ended in 18 months. I was responsible for the migration plan for the 60 customer-facing applications. We considered rebuilding them for the cloud or moving them largely as they were. Rebuilding would have taken three years, so we moved most of them as they were and rebuilt only the five with the highest running costs. We left the data centre two weeks before the deadline, and the five rebuilt applications now cost about 30% less to run. If I did it again, I'd start the testing of the payment applications earlier, because they caused most of our delays."
The weaker version lists tools and size. The stronger one states the problem, separates the candidate's own responsibility, shows the alternatives and the reason for the decision, gives a result and adds a lesson. Every sentence invites a follow-up the candidate can answer.
Handling a technical deep-dive on your project
After your project, the interviewer will probe the choices you mentioned. The aim is to test whether you really made or understood the decisions, and whether you can explain them clearly. Answer the question directly, give the reason, and connect it to the business when you can.
The exchange
Interviewer: "Why didn't you rebuild more applications, if the rebuilt ones cost 30% less to run?"
Weaker answer: "Rebuilding is always more expensive and complex, and the client wanted to go fast."
Stronger answer: "Because the saving only justified the effort for a few of them. For the five we rebuilt, the running costs were high enough that the saving paid back the rebuild in about two years. For most of the others, the annual running cost was small, so a 30% saving would have taken more than five years to cover the rebuild, and it would have put the deadline at risk. We put them on a list to review once they were stable in the cloud."
Why the stronger answer works
It answers the question in the first sentence, gives the decision rule (payback compared with the deadline), and shows that the choice was revisited rather than abandoned. If you lack depth on a point the interviewer raises, say so calmly and explain how you would find the answer. That is far better than improvising.
How to solve a BCG Platinion IT case
Platinion's preparation page describes what it expects in a case: break the problem into smaller stages, use a hypothesis-driven approach, make your assumptions and calculations explicit, check your results, guide the interviewer through the discussion and finish by referring back to the original question. It adds that there is no single correct answer and that interviewers look for comfort with numbers and key indicators, together with sound business judgement.
That is the approach of a BCG case, applied to a technology problem. Common themes reported by candidates and coaches include:
- IT strategy and the modernisation of older systems
- migration to the cloud or to a new ERP system
- choice of supplier, and make-or-buy decisions
- reducing IT costs
- IT integration after an acquisition
- technology due diligence for an investor
- cybersecurity and data platforms
Whatever the theme, connect each technical point to four consequences: cost (one-off and recurring), risk (what can go wrong and how likely it is), operations (what changes for the people and processes that depend on the system) and implementation (sequence, timing and resources). A technically correct answer that stops before these consequences will feel incomplete to the interviewer.
Depth matters in your own field, not across all of IT. An ERP specialist is not expected to design a security architecture, and a cloud architect is not expected to know finance processes in detail. Speak at the level of a CIO, without code, and go deeper when the interviewer asks.
A worked IT case: two ERP systems after an acquisition
The case below is fictional and written for this guide. A real interview would be shorter, and you would ask for most of the data yourself. Try each step before reading the solution.
Your client, Brenholt Foods, a European food manufacturer, has just acquired a smaller competitor, Lindqvist. Each company runs its own ERP system for orders, production planning and finance. The CFO asks: "Should we move Lindqvist onto our ERP system now, or keep both systems running for the next few years?"
Step 1: clarify the objective and the options
The question
What do you need to know before structuring the problem?
Solution
Three questions shape the case. Objective: the CFO wants the acquisition's synergies, mainly joint purchasing and shared production planning, which require one system, but without disrupting Lindqvist's customers. Options on the table: migrate Lindqvist onto Brenholt's ERP in a project of about one year, or keep both systems for at least three years with interfaces between them. Constraints: Lindqvist supplies large retailers, so delivery problems would be costly.
"Which ERP vendors do the two companies use, and which versions?"
"Before I structure this, three questions. What does the CFO want from the integration, mainly synergies or mainly stability? What are the options being considered, and over what time frame? And how sensitive are Lindqvist's customers to delivery problems during a change?"
The vendor question may matter later, for effort and risk. The stronger questions define the decision, the options and the main risk, which is what the analysis needs first.
Step 2: structure the decision
The question
Present your approach and where you would start.
Solution
The decision compares two options over the same period, on value and on risk:
- Cost of each option: one-off migration cost against the recurring cost of running two systems
- Value enabled: synergies that need a single system, and when each option delivers them
- Risk: what a migration could disrupt, and how badly
- Implementation: timing, sequence and the conditions for a safe cutover
Hypothesis: migrating now is better financially, because two systems delay the synergies, and the real question is how to manage the cutover risk. I would start by comparing the two options over three years.
Step 3: compare the options over three years
The question
The interviewer gives you four figures. Migrating Lindqvist would cost €6m once and take about a year; this all-in project budget includes the extra cost of running both systems during that year. Running two systems with interfaces would cost €2m a year more than one system. A single system would enable synergies of €4m a year. Compare the two options over three years.
Solution
With migration, synergies start after the one-year project, so they count for two of the three years. Keeping two systems means no synergies in the period and the extra running cost every year.
Migrate now: −€6m + 2 × €4m = +€2m over three years
Keep both systems: −3 × €2m = −€6m over three years
Difference: €2m − (−€6m) = €8m in favour of migrating
Say what this means before moving on: "On these numbers, waiting costs about €8 million over three years. The decision then depends on whether the migration risk could be larger than that."
Step 4: size the risk of a disruption
The question
"Lindqvist has revenue of €400m a year. What if the cutover goes badly?"
Solution
Translate the risk into money. Revenue per day is about €400m ÷ 365, roughly €1.1m. Suppose a bad cutover halves shipments for five days.
Revenue affected: 5 days × 50% × €1.1m ≈ €2.7m
Then interpret it. This scenario exposes about €2.7m of revenue; it does not measure the total cost of a failed cutover. Check how much would be delayed or permanently lost, the margin affected, retailer penalties, recovery costs and longer-term customer losses. The €8m financial advantage supports migration only if the wider risk remains acceptable. The interviewer adds that November and December carry 35% of Lindqvist's annual volume, which rules out a cutover in that period.
"A migration is risky, so maybe we should be careful and keep both systems for now."
"A five-day disruption at half capacity would affect about €2.7 million of revenue. I'd compare lost margin, penalties and recovery costs with the €8 million advantage before confirming the decision. With 35% of volume in November and December, I'd schedule the cutover for the first quarter, after the peak."
The weaker answer treats risk as a reason to avoid the decision. The stronger one quantifies the risk, compares it with the value at stake and turns it into a condition for implementation.
Step 5: give the recommendation
The question
"So, what do we do?"
Solution
"Both options have pros and cons. Migration enables synergies but carries risk, while keeping both systems is safer but more expensive. It depends on the company's risk appetite."
"Migrate Lindqvist onto your ERP system, starting now, with the cutover in the first quarter after the peak season. Over three years, migrating is about €8 million better than running two systems, mainly because it unlocks €4 million a year of synergies. A five-day cutover disruption at half capacity would affect about €2.7 million of revenue; I would validate the full downside, including penalties and recovery costs, before committing, so I'd require two full rehearsals, keep Lindqvist's old system available as a fallback for a month, and migrate the large retail customers' orders last, once the rest is stable."
The weaker answer lists considerations without deciding. The stronger one gives the decision and its timing first, supports it with the numbers, and makes the risk manageable through specific implementation steps.
What made the difference in this case was not knowledge of a particular ERP product. It was comparing the options over the same period, turning the risk into a number, and using the business facts (the peak season, the retail customers) to plan the implementation.
The calculations to prepare
Calculations in Platinion cases are usually less elaborate than in some generalist cases, but they are central to the recommendation and errors are noticed. Practise four types until they are routine:
Total cost over a period
One-off and recurring costs for each option, added over the same number of years.
Cost of downtime
Revenue or output per day or hour, multiplied by the duration and the share of activity affected.
Comparison of options
The difference between options, and the point at which the decision would change.
Reading data
A table or chart of costs, incidents or systems: the main message first, then what it means for the decision.
Drill 1: total cost
Replacing on-site servers costs €1.2m upfront and €0.3m a year to operate. Moving the same workloads to the cloud would cost €0.65m a year. Which is cheaper over four years?
Solution
On-site: €1.2m + 4 × €0.3m = €2.4m
Cloud: 4 × €0.65m = €2.6m
On-site is about €0.2m cheaper over four years. Then add judgement: the difference is small, so flexibility, the risk of the servers ageing and the team's skills may decide.
Drill 2: cost of downtime
An online retailer has revenue of €73m a year. What revenue is at risk in a six-hour outage?
Solution
Revenue per day: €73m ÷ 365 = €0.2m
Six hours: €0.2m × 6 ÷ 24 = €50,000
Then check whether the six hours fall at a peak time, because revenue is rarely spread evenly across the day.
The business case
For some postings, the second round pairs a Platinion IT case with a BCG business case. A business case is a standard consulting case: a client problem with no technology focus required, which you structure, analyse with data and close with a recommendation. Prepare it as you would for a BCG generalist interview, because it is assessed on the same skills.
The prompt
A regional bank launched a new online mortgage application form six months ago. Since then, completed applications have fallen from 4,000 to 3,000 a month, while the mortgage market has been stable. The head of retail asks why, and what to do.
A structure built for the question
- Where applicants drop out: which step of the form, on which device
- Who drops out: new or existing customers, type of mortgage
- External factors: competitors' rates and offers over the same period
Hypothesis: since the market is stable and the fall started with the new form, the cause is probably inside the form. Start with the drop-out by step.
The numbers
Each completed application is worth about €1,000 of expected margin to the bank.
Lost applications: (4,000 − 3,000) × 12 = 12,000 a year
Margin at stake: 12,000 × €1,000 = €12m a year
The insight and the recommendation
The interviewer reveals that most of the extra drop-outs happen at the document upload step on mobile phones. A strong close: "If the decline persists, about €12 million of annualised margin is at stake, and the problem is concentrated in document upload on mobile. I'd fix that step first and test the new version against the old one for a month, while checking competitors' rates to rule out an external cause."
Common mistakes in BCG Platinion interviews
- Stopping at the technical solution without its cost, risk, operational consequences and implementation.
- Losing structure and synthesis, even with sound technical judgement.
- Studying new technical topics instead of practising how to communicate what you already know.
- Describing a project as a list of tools and team achievements, without your own decisions.
- Treating the calculations as secondary because they are simpler than in generalist cases.
- Preparing the IT case and neglecting the business case when your posting includes one.
The second point deserves attention. Candidates with strong technical backgrounds sometimes receive positive feedback on their expertise and their manner, then are rejected for lack of structure and synthesis. Practising the case format, with someone who interrupts and asks for the "so what", is usually the fastest way to fix it.
How to answer "why Platinion"
Two questions sit inside "why Platinion": why combine technology with consulting, and why this specific role. Interviewers want to see that you understand what the work involves, for example moving between clients and explaining technical choices to non-specialists, and that it fits what you have done and want to do next.
A good answer connects your experience, the work you want to do and what you have learned about Platinion, ideally from conversations with people who work there or from its published work in your field.
"Platinion combines BCG's strategic excellence with deep technology expertise, and I am passionate about digital transformation and want to work on high-impact projects."
"For five years I've implemented ERP systems for one software vendor, so I've seen many projects from the inside, and the most expensive problems always started with decisions made before we arrived. I want to work earlier in that chain, where the architecture and the business case are decided. I looked at moving to a client's IT department, but I'd see one company only. Platinion's ERP work is close to what I know, and the two people I spoke with described working with BCG teams on the business side of the same programmes. That combination is what I'm looking for."
The stronger answer explains why consulting rather than a vendor or an in-house role, connects the choice to specific experience, and refers to concrete conversations. The interviewer can test every part of it.
A preparation plan for BCG Platinion interviews
The plan below assumes about three to four weeks before the first round. Shorten it if you already practise cases, and bring the logic test forward if your invitation includes it.
| Week | Focus | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm the format; prepare two projects with the five elements; draft "why Platinion" | You can present each project in two minutes |
| 1 to 2 | Logic test practice if your posting includes it; timed calculation drills | You finish on time with few errors |
| 2 to 3 | Two or three IT cases a week in your field, with feedback | Every technical point reaches cost, risk and implementation |
| 2 to 4 | Business cases and technical deep-dives on your projects | You lead the case and answer probes directly |
| 4 | Full mock interviews, including a senior-style challenge | Same structure and synthesis under pressure |
Preparing with a former BCG interviewer
Technical colleagues can check whether your solution is sound. What they rarely see is how a consulting interviewer would read your answer: whether the structure holds, whether the numbers are explicit, whether the recommendation answers the question and whether your project story shows your own decisions.
Franco interviewed many BCG Platinion candidates as a BCG Principal and global lead recruiter, and still works with BCG as an official coach for new hires. Sessions use original IT and business cases, never real interview material, and focus on what decides the outcome for candidates with strong technical profiles: structure, synthesis, quantified recommendations and project stories that hold under follow-up questions.
1:1 coaching for BCG Platinion interviews
Practise IT and business cases with a former BCG Principal
Franco Borgonovo spent ten years at BCG and has conducted more than 1,500 interviews, over 800 of them for MBB firms. Every session is with him and is followed by a written report with your scores and priorities.
- IT cases, business cases, project deep-dives and "why Platinion", adapted to your role and round
- Start with one session (US$249) for a diagnosis and a plan; packages of 3, 5 or 10 sessions add a progress dashboard, practice materials and email support
- Money-back guarantee if the coaching does not meet your expectations
Not sure what you need? Use the free call to tell Franco your role, your interview dates and where you feel least prepared.
Frequently asked questions
How many interviews are there at BCG Platinion?
Platinion's official page describes at least two rounds, typically with two interviews each, and notes that additional interviews may be needed. Candidates report variations by market and level, so ask your recruiter for your format.
Is the BCG Platinion case technical?
Usually it is about a technology decision, such as a cloud migration, an ERP programme or IT costs. It is solved like a consulting case, without code: structure, explicit numbers, and a recommendation linked to cost, risk and implementation.
Do I need to prepare a generalist business case?
If your posting includes a BCG business case in the second round, yes, and it is assessed like a BCG generalist case. Even when it does not, the case skills are the same.
What is the logic test?
Platinion says that, for some postings, a virtual logic test is completed in the week before the first-round interviews. It does not publish the format. Check your invitation and practise general timed reasoning exercises.
How much maths is there?
Usually less than in some generalist cases: total costs, the cost of downtime, comparisons of options and reading tables or charts. The calculations still drive the recommendation, so they need to be accurate.
How should I discuss a technology I don't know well?
Say so calmly, explain what you do know and how you would find the answer. Depth is expected in your own area, not across all of IT.
Final checklist
Your next step
Confirm your format with the recruiter, write out your two strongest projects with the five elements, then practise one IT case aloud this week and note where you lost structure. If you want a former BCG interviewer's view of where you stand, one session gives you a realistic mock, a debrief and a written plan.
Coaching with Franco
Get a precise diagnosis before your Platinion round
A realistic interview, a debrief and a written report with your priorities. Start with one session, or talk it through for free first.
About Franco
Franco Borgonovo
Former BCG Principal · 10-year tenure · Official BCG coachFranco spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, interviewing and selecting candidates as a global lead recruiter. He is still an official BCG coach for new hires, and today works one to one with candidates on applications, McKinsey Solve and interviews.
More about Franco →- BCG Platinion: Application process (careers page) · CV with project list, introduction call, two rounds of two interviews, logic test for some postings, round-two variants; read 3 November 2026
- BCG Platinion: Prepare (careers page) · case approach, what interviewers look for, presenting case studies; read 3 November 2026
- BCG Platinion: Home page · focus areas and size as stated by the firm; read 3 November 2026