Competing with Data

November 13, 2019

Read The Full Prompt

Many organizations use large data and data analytics as an essential asset in their business. Think about how Waze collects and analyzes millions of queries every day to estimate traffic flows or airlines organize the requests for seats for hundreds of thousands of users each day to reset their pricing, or UPS uses hundreds of thousands of sensors to track millions of packages each data to feed users information about the progress of their shipments.

For this assignment, please choose a company that uses large data or data analytics to enhance its business. In other words, big data can be valuable in the context of offering a service or as a complement to another business process. How does data serve as an asset in their business? What type of investment are required to build and renew that asset? What type of investments and process put that asset to use, and creates value for the company? How does the company capture value from large data and analytics? What challenges did the company have to overcome to make use of the assets? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the future? Devote most of the space to value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

800 words max

Submitted (23)

Big Data Behind Disney Magic
KO
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 7:41 am
Disney is using advanced analytics to enhance its business and create personalized, special experiences for customers.
23andMe, who does it profit?
CM
Posted on November 13, 2019 at 2:49 am
Combining data analytics and healthcare raises interesting questions of ethics. In a context where consumer data are an increasingly valuable currency globally and concerns for individual privacy becomes widespread, what is 23andMe’s situation?
The Met’s Goldmine of Data Assets
Keagan Pang
Posted on November 11, 2019 at 6:14 pm
The Metropolitan Museum of Art aka “the Met” in New York City is the third most visited museum in the world. Established in 1870, the Met has accumulated a collection of over 2 million artifacts housed in 2.2 million square [...]
Burger King: Leveraging data to guide decisions and enrich the customer experience
Leonardo Leal
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 3:51 am
While most cases at HBS treat Burger King as McDonald's eternal rival, there's a new reason why the competition has increased in the 21st century. By turning details about customer transactions, preferences, and purchasing patterns into actionable insights, Burger King [...]
Devil in data. Monsanto
Theon Greyjoy
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 7:42 pm
Agriculture is among businesses that can benefit from big data the most. In theory. The leader in building infrastructure is a controversial but consistent company
Farm to Data Table: John Deere and Data in Precision Agriculture
C. Williams
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 12:05 am
Farm equipment manufacturer? Data technology leader? How about both? As the global leader in precision agriculture, John Deere is innovating through the internet of things and data analytics to help farmers improve their operations, bottom line, and ability to feed [...]
A Brex of Fresh Air in Corporate Credit Access
Tommy PF
Last modified on November 12, 2019 at 1:48 pm
Brex is a corporate card company that uses bank information to make real-time data-driven decisions about the credit limits that it should set for start-ups and other small businesses. This helps minimize financial risk while increasing the revenue that the [...]
Waze – Get the best route in real time with help from fellow drivers.
Dominika Sarnecka
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 1:28 pm
"While carpooling isn't new, Waze Carpool is a fresh way to share the road and the cost of commuting. A cost-effective alternative to rideshare services, Carpool lets you choose to drive or ride with people already going your way. Use [...]
Tableau: Salesforce’s $16 Billion Analytics Enhancement
Sarkis
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 1:27 am
Breaking down how the near $16 billion acquisition of the data analytics company adds value to Salesforce and its customer through examples and visualizations
Way mo’ miles, way mo’ data
LoremIpsum
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 12:06 am
'Self-driving cars' may well be a misnomer, because data drives them. 🚗🚗🚗 As the pioneer in self-driving technology, how does data set Waymo apart? Can their data capabilities allow them to tip the self-driving market?
Dreambox Learning – A teaching assistant for every student in your math class.
Riddhi Shah
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 7:57 am
DreamBox Learning is an intelligent, adaptive learning platform that sources data points to adjust instruction instantly and provide reports for teachers, parents, and administrators. Will this technology replace teachers or will it be adopted as a compliment or a tool [...]
Wayfair – The E-Commerce Challenger
MAO
Last modified on November 12, 2019 at 11:21 pm
Wayfair is an e-commerce company that specialized in furniture and home-goods. Founded in 2002, it is one of the largest e-commerce companies in the United States with $8 billion of sales in 2018. The company has experienced high growth, and [...]
Combining different data sources creatively
Luca Vendraminelli
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 7:50 pm
Rachio is a company that sells smart irrigation system controllers and creatively combines data from different sources to provide integrated services for its customers.
How can data help solve the logistics problem in one of the most densely populated cities in the world?
Rocco Puno
Last modified on November 13, 2019 at 1:36 am
At 41,515/sq km, the Philippine's capital of Manila is the most densely populated city in the world [1]. In a country of 145 cities, 1,489 municipalities ('barangays'), across more than 7,000 islands, to say that the logistics challenge is an [...]
Esri and ArcGIS
Jackson Howell
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 10:04 pm
ABOUT ESRI Growing out of research conducted at the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics, Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri from here on) was founded as a land-use consulting firm in 1969 with a mere $1,100 of seed capital from founders [...]
Cargill: Revolutionizing Dairy Farming with Magic Big Data
Leo Li
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 9:39 pm
Cargill, a world-leading agriculture conglomerate, has empowered dairy farmers with its big data solutions to make cows happier, healthier and more productive.
Gauss Control: let data drive your logistics safely
Short Apple
Last modified on November 12, 2019 at 5:41 pm
Through data science, algorithms and predictive models, Gauss Control enables to manage operational risks in transportation and logistics.
Kanga – Creating the Ultimate Destination for Gaming Fans
cpassarella@mba2020.hbs.edu
Posted on November 13, 2019 at 7:36 am
Kanga is an early stage New York-based company creating the ultimate destination for gaming fans. The company’s consumer products help fans discover content through aggregation and real-time metadata and drive user engagement through gamification.
Pushing the mantra “data is the new oil” to the limit
Matthieu
Posted on November 4, 2019 at 3:54 pm
Shell, the international energy company, has been an early adopter of data analytics in order to identify potential for improvement in the evolving energy industry. The company constantly tries to innovate, and it does not hold back from investing heavily [...]
Kreditech: Loans based on Facebook posts?
Peter Wintermaier
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 11:51 pm
By using new data sources and employing up-to-date machine learning technology, online loan provider Kreditech hopes to better understand applicant’s financial situation and personality.
SHAZAM – The Rhythm of Music and Data
Kemi Akenzua
Last modified on November 14, 2019 at 11:40 am
The tradeoff between one’s privacy and an enhanced user experience is often considered within the context of such large corporations but there are much smaller companies that also rely on big data to enhance and monetize their business. One such [...]
Skywise: Bringing Data Analysis to the Airline Industry
Crimson_Ranger
Posted on November 13, 2019 at 7:11 am
Airbus launched its Skywise system to allow its airline customers to collect and better analyze their aircraft data with the goal of improving operations and reducing costs.
LinkedIn
Paxton
Posted on November 12, 2019 at 8:26 pm
LinkedIn is an online professional networking site that allows individuals to post resumes and connect with others.