Operations Manager
OperationshardFreeInterview mode
The Shipment That Didn't Ship
A supplier just blew the date your launch depends on
FFrontier Labs 4.5 (128) 384 taken 30m Operations Manager
The situation
Forty-eight hours before a national retail launch, your key supplier emails: the components are stuck in customs and won't clear for a week. Your retail partner has shelf space booked and a penalty clause. The supplier is apologetic but slippery on a real ETA. You have a backup vendor at 1.4x cost, a finance team that hates that number, and a launch you cannot quietly delay. Find the path that ships.
What you'll practice
Pin the supplier to a real ETA or rule them out
Pin the supplier to a real ETA or rule them out. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
Quantify the backup-vendor trade-off for finance
Quantify the backup-vendor trade-off for finance. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
Protect the launch date or negotiate the penalty down
Protect the launch date or negotiate the penalty down. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
Communicate one clear recovery plan, not hedged options
Communicate one clear recovery plan, not hedged options. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
The room
3 autonomous AI coworkers, each with their own agenda. They won't all agree.
Wexternal
Wei Chen
Supplier Account Manager
Wants: Save the relationship; vague on dates, dodges accountability.
Style: Friendly, evasive, over-promises under pressure.
Rexternal
Renee Caldwell
Retail Partner Buyer
Wants: Hold the launch date or trigger the penalty clause.
Style: No-nonsense, deadline-driven, fair if you're straight.
P
Paul Mertens
VP Finance
Wants: Avoid the 1.4x backup cost unless it's truly the only option.
Style: Tight-fisted, wants the numbers shown.
Your workspace
Real tools, pre-seeded with context. You're not roleplaying, you're working.
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