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RC TOM Challenge 2018

November 13, 2018

Read The Full Prompt

The TOM Challenge provides an opportunity for you to continue exploring organizational learning and innovation through the lens of process improvement and/or product development, the focus of RC TOM’s second module. In this challenge, you will investigate how an organization is grappling with machine learning, additive manufacturing, or open innovation. These megatrends are likely to significantly affect how organizations manage process improvement and product development in the coming years of your career. The TOM Challenge requires you to (1) conduct research and write an essay that examines how one organization is facing a particular aspect of one of these megatrends, and (2) write six comments that share your reflections on some of your section mates’ essays.

Your essay should address four questions in the context of the organization you choose:

  1. Why do you think the megatrend you selected is important to your organization’s management of process improvement and/or product development?
  2. What is the organization’s management doing to address this issue in the short term (the next two years) and the medium term (two to ten years out)?
  3. What other steps do you recommend the organization’s management take to address this issue in the short and medium terms?
  4. In the context of this organization, what are one or two important open questions related to this issue that you are unsure about that merit comments from your classmates?

Your essay should convey facts, analysis, and your recommendations. It should focus on a single organization (e.g., a single company, non-profit organization, or government agency) and a concern related to one megatrend. It is fine if the concern you choose relates to other megatrends that the organization is facing, but that’s not required. Roughly a third of your essay should be dedicated to each of the first three questions, with just a few sentences dedicated to the fourth question. Your essay should be at least 700 words but no more than 800 words, and must conclude with a word count in parentheses (such as 778 words).

When posting your essay to Open Knowledge, be sure to enter “Machine Learning”, “Additive Manufacturing”, or “Isolationism” in the Topics field.

More details on research, sourcing, deadlines, and other matters are provided in the RC TOM Challenge: 2018 note.  For assistance with the Open Knowledge platform during business hours (9:00 am – 5:00 pm M-F), email openknowledge@hbs.edu. A short video with instructions on how to post an essay to this platform is available at https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-rctom/how-to/.

Submitted (926)

Waze: the application which supports (or even incentivizes?) its users to break the rules
Pocahontas
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:19 pm
Waze is already very advanced in several areas, including the accuracy of its recommended route choices, the flexibility it provides by rerouting seamlessly in seconds, and its established user community with incentives for crowd sourced contributions. But what about user [...]
Operation Love Serenade: Fighting corruption in Brazil with an open-source, Machine Learning-powered robot
FRomano
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:28 pm
Motivated to fight corruption in Brazil, tech-savvy citizens used crowdfunding to start a non-profit, open-source project that uses data science for the purpose of monitoring public spending.
🍕 Pizza & 🤖 Robots: How Zume will change future meal consumption and the food supply chain
Nancy Dong
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:50 pm
A robot throws on your last mushroom and pepperoni toppings before whisking your pizza into an oven in a delivery truck -- after some driving, the oven senses when your pizza is done, and cuts your pizza into perfect slices... [...]
3-D Printing and the Future of Joint Replacement: “Knee”rly There or Ready For Total Replacement?
RL10
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:55 pm
What role is 3D printing playing in commercializable knee replacement implants?
Shazam for Clothing – Making ‘Inspiration to Purchase’ Possible
Prachi Pawar
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:11 am
Visual Search is changing the way people shop online and is becoming a must-have tool for a business online. Why?
The Additive Artisan: Richemont’s Use of 3D Printing in Mechanical Watchmaking
Rick & Morty
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 9:50 pm
Will Richemont’s investments in 3D printing technology breathe fresh air into an industry steeped in tradition?
Partners HealthCare: Leveraging Machine Learning to Predict Heart-Disease
cjames
Last modified on November 15, 2018 at 8:07 am
Faced with ongoing U.S healthcare reform that forces hospitals to bear financial risk for patient outcomes, Partners Healthcare should embrace the power of machine learning to cut costs and improve quality of care
Resurging Queen: Singapore Airlines and Its Open Innovation Scheme
Ahcaros18
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:54 pm
Can crowdsourcing launch Singapore Airlines into the digital age amid competitors closing in?
John Deere – Bringing AI to Agriculture
Kate Grosch
Posted on November 7, 2018 at 6:58 pm
John Deere, known for its iconic green tractors, has been making big strides into AI-driven precision agriculture.
Will 3-D Printing Take Us to Mars? Relativity Space Thinks So.
Mario Malave
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Relativity Space is trying to 3D print a space rocket, and if successful, could revolutionize the space launch industry
The Rise of Automotive Additive Manufacturing
9315
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Mercedes Trucks Coming to a 3-D Printer Near You
LinkedIn: Leveraging machine learning to solve the modern talent acquisition challenge
AH
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:56 am
Sending an email via Outlook and want to check the recipient’s alma mater? Check. Editing your resume and want to know how others have described the role? Check. Applying for a job and want to get a sense of what [...]
Applications of Machine Learning in the US Criminal Justice System
anonymous_student
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 9:54 pm
Applications of Machine Learning in the US Criminal Justice System   The criminal justice system ostensibly protects all Americans and enforces laws in our communities to allow all “law-abiding” individuals to flourish equally. But in practice, its impacts are far [...]
The Free Hand of Mickey Mouse & The Hobbyist Printer
abc123
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 4:29 pm
The effects of at-home 3D printing on licensed merchandise through the vantage point of Disney
How Machine Learning is Changing the Way People Explore the World at Airbnb
DeWalt Watson
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:06 pm
Guests have checked into Airbnb properties 300 million+ times, in 4.5 million locations across 81,000 cities, and the company collects more than 15 petabytes of data each day. How can Airbnb leverage this data to change the way we travel [...]
Nike’s Stance on 3D Printing: Just Do It
Melcolm Ruffin
Last modified on November 14, 2018 at 3:47 pm
Nike has dominated the global shoe and apparel market for decades. However, a period of revenue stagnation has led the brand to develop a new corporate initiative and strategy that will rely on investments in 3D printing.
Breaking the Molds: 3D-Printing and The Future of Shoemaking
James Eckfeldt
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 8:16 pm
“Imagine walking into a store, running briefly on a treadmill and instantly getting a 3D-printed running shoe”. This is the ambitious goal that Adidas has set itself for the future. What role will additive manufacturing play in making it possible?
Leveraging Machine Learning to Reduce Spam on Twitter
aerochef747
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Engineers at Twitter have leveraged machine learning techniques to reduce the incidence of spam on the popular social networking site.
Chez Glossier: How the Millennial Beauty Brand Built a Community Prime for Collaborative Innovation
S.P.
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 5:53 pm
On a mission to democratize beauty, cult makeup and skincare brand Glossier leverages their Into The Gloss blog, social media pages, and Glossier.com platforms to crowdsource product ideas from a community of highly loyal beauty lovers - yet maintains the [...]
Spotify: Jammin’ Away with Machine Learning
Eager TOM student
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:32 pm
How Spotify uses machine learning to create personalized experience
The Death of the Starving Artist: Patronage via Patreon
VI Yap
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 11:18 pm
Subscription-based crowdfunding platforms like Patreon claim to help artists to make a fair living through fan support - but is that truly the case?
You’re in Good [AI] Hands: Machine Learning Implementation at Allstate
MrMayhem
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 6:12 pm
Insurance companies are increasingly relying on machine learning to create cost efficiencies. Allstate is seeing success in its machine learning implementation to date, but what are the implications for its employee base and long term competitive advantage?
Machine Learning Reduces Dropouts at the University of Arizona
J.W.P.
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:11 pm
The University of Arizona has leveraged machine learning to push student retention to all time highs, but some critics have concerns about data privacy.
Using Machine Learning to Improve How Energy Gets to Market
CAR
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:41 pm
By collecting data and utilizing machine learning, the midstream oil and gas industry is improving operational efficiency.
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