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RC TOM Challenge 2018

November 13, 2018

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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)

Sneakers on Demand
Maurice Martin
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 10:44 pm
3D printing promises to allow sneaker manufacturers to print customized shoes at a moments notice. Now the race is on to see who can develop the technology the quickest.
The Regulatory Challenge of Autonomous Vehicles
Frank Roberts
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:01 pm
The rapid rise of Autonomous Vehicles will require a rapid and wise regulatory approach to foster innovation and protect safety.
Can Machine Learning Save Innovation in Pharmaceuticals?
Camille
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 4:42 pm
Have the economics of investing in new drug discovery and development become so unattractive that investment in new drugs will come to a halt? GlaxoSmithKline and other bio-pharmaceutical companies are turning to machine learning as a potential solution to make [...]
I, Banker
Baker Flagg
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 3:48 pm
JP Morgan, Machine Learning, and the Future of Finance
MetLife: A Case Study in Customer Segmentation
R Waitumbi
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:38 pm
In 2015, MetLife began a year-long brand discovery process that centered around using data and machine learning to develop a more refined view of their customer segments and enable a more nuanced go to market strategy. By better understanding their [...]
Discover Weekly: How Spotify is Changing the Way We Consume Music
BCA
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 5:54 pm
Spotify has invested heavily in machine learning to differentiate its product offering and change the way consumers experience music.
3D Printing Straighter Smiles
Jane Harvard
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:54 pm
"Align Technology disrupted the orthodontic industry by creating a digital approach to straightening teeth that makes treatment possible for more people than ever. None of what we have been able to achieve would be possible without 3D printing technology" - [...]
Open Innovation Startup Quirky Couldn’t Crowdsource Its Way to Success.
Z
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 7:58 pm
Quirky launched in 2009 to make the invention of consumer products more accessible. Open innovation helped usher in ideas from the masses and some would argue that crowdsourcing led to the company’s untimely demise.
Will the Sport of Football Survive? VICIS Says Yes.
Bueller?
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 2:54 pm
Can additive manufacturing help a helmet company named VICIS save the sport of football from going extinct?
CircleUp: Riding The Wave of Machine Learning Into Your Pantry
tpotter
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:26 pm
CircleUp is ambitiously bringing a machine learning platform to life to enable the company to be more intelligent about sourcing, evaluating, and investing in CPG startups.
2018: A Space Odyssey – How NASA uses Machine Learning for Space Exploration
Cherish Weiler
Last modified on November 15, 2018 at 1:45 am
Neural network machine learning algorithms are revolutionizing the classifications of galaxies and giving us a deeper understanding of the origins and evolution of the universe.
A 3D-printed liver: not ready for prime time?
Bernie Siu
Last modified on November 15, 2018 at 6:42 pm
Additive manufacturing – also known as 3D-printing – has gained significant traction in commercial industries. In the medical community, there is promise of applying additive manufacturing techniques to tissue engineering, with the hope of developing replacement organs, ending the current [...]
Minimizing Decision Fatigue Through Machine Learning @ TripAdvisor
Jad
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Despite the many convenience benefits of the internet, information overload is real. And with that comes decision fatigue. Machine learning is helping review platforms, like TripAdvisor, cut through all the fluff to get you to a decision faster.
Adidas and Additive Manufacturing
<3
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:55 pm
Explores Adidas's push to mass-produce 3D-printed shoes
Affectiva’s emotion AI humanizes how people and technology interact
Jona Babi
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:55 am
When machines understand human emotions ...
Ellevest: Can machine learning reverse gender biases in investment management?
Tom_Student
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 3:24 pm
Ellevest is developing a robo-advisory platform designed to meet women’s unique financial needs.
Help You Help You: Navient’s New Reliance on Open Innovation
avisa
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:55 pm
Using innovation to improve the debt crisis
Can Artificial Intelligence Save Healthcare? Medtronic and IBM Watson: A Perfect Match
Logan Joseph
Posted on November 9, 2018 at 4:30 pm
Medtronic is a first mover in diabetes care with the use of artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes.
Straight to the Source: Open Innovation at Buzzfeed
Tyrion Lannister
Posted on November 14, 2018 at 8:34 am
Buzzfeed uses social media to stay abreast of viral trends. Can they do the same with credible news?
Are Algorithms the Hiring Managers of the Future?
Catherine Evelyn
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:10 pm
In the war for talent, companies are looking for an edge as they recruit new employees. Some innovative firms are combining data and machine learning to streamline their hiring processes and replace the traditional resume screens of days past.
Slack’s Battle Against Information Overload
Tanay Jaipuria
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Slack was supposed to make businesses more productive but instead made information overload worse. Could it use machine learning to fix this information overload problem?
Adidas Brings Customized Footwear to the Masses
Hanyin Cheng
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 11:46 pm
Adidas is leveraging 3D printing to bring to market customized footwear
Using 3D Printing to Break the Iron Triangle
Mark T
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 7:42 pm
The days of easy oil are over. No longer can a wildcatter don a hardhat, set up a derrick, and strike it rich in Oklahoma. Operators must now use 3D printing to unlock hard-to-reach resources.
LexisNexis and LegalTech: Automation of Legal Services
Anonymous_HBS_Student
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 6:02 pm
Most discussions of job automation tend to focus on relatively unskilled labor - self-driving cars, factory automation, etc. However, companies applying technology toward the automation of white collar jobs are gaining traction - this piece examines progress in the Legal [...]
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