RC TOM Challenge 2017

November 15, 2017

Read The Full Prompt

The TOM Challenge provides an opportunity for students to learn more about supply chain management by exploring how organizations are grappling with some megatrends: climate change, digitalization, and the growing influence of isolationist political movements on international trade policies.  These 700-800 word essays should address four questions:

  1. Why is (or should) your particular aspect of one of these megatrends be of concern to the management of the organization you have selected?
  2. What is the organization’s management doing to address this concern in the short term (the next two years) and the medium term (3–10 years out)?
  3. What other steps do you recommend the organization’s management take to address this concern in the short and medium terms?
  4. What are one or two important open questions related to this concern in the context of the organization you selected that you are unsure about, which merit comments from your classmates?

When posting your essay to Open Knowledge, be sure to enter “Climate change”, “Digitalization”, or “Isolationism” in the Topics field.

More details on research, sourcing, deadlines, and other matters are provided in the RC TOM Challenge: 2017 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://goo.gl/yyXK2H.

Submitted (924)

It’s Complicated: The Global Relationship between Boeing, its Customers, and its Supply Chain
Chris
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:00 pm
Boeing has depended on a network of suppliers across the globe to fuel decades of growth, now those suppliers threaten to begin producing their own aircraft, upending the Boeing-Airbus duopoly.
Digitalization of Integrated Healthcare Systems’ Supply Chain Management
Ashley Shaw
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:32 pm
How digitalization may affect integrated healthcare systems' supply chain management
Taking a Bite out of Apple: Fighting the Tides of Isolationism
Chris Sun
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:24 pm
Apple operates one of the most complex supply chains globally and epitomizes the power of globalization - and its pitfalls. Can the re-emerging forces of isolationism derail Apple's success?
Supply Chain Sustainability at Intel
BC
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 10:14 pm
"Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now." -Barack Obama Intel believes climate change presents a serious threat and is working to address this concern in the short, medium and long term.
Adidas SpeedFactory: “Shoe”rtening Its Supply Chain with 3D Printing
TOMsupplychain
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:10 pm
Is the promise of 3D printing finally becoming an operational reality? Here's how Adidas is using 3D Printing to re-imagine its supply chain.
7-Eleven in China: How Should Chinese’ Choice of Convenience Store Respond to Digitalization?
Philip Xiao
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:29 pm
Given the digitalization wave and intensified competitions from e-commerce players, Chinese’ Choice of Convenience Store —— 7-Eleven is reevaluating its strategy and relevant implications on supply chain.
Clinical Trial Recruitment at Acurian in a Digital Age: Lives and Millions of Dollars are at Stake
CE
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:18 pm
Clinical trial delays can result in lost revenue to drug firms of $600k - $8 million per day, not to mention additional lost lives as life-saving treatments wait in the wings . Patient recruitment is the number one cause of [...]
Equifax – lessons to be learned about online security
Peter Koneris
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 10:56 pm
Equifax security breach- a few lessons that we can learn about online security
Building a Digital Supply Chain in the Building Industry
JMC
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:11 pm
While the construction industry has historically consisted of a very inefficient supply chain, some multifamily builders are embracing digitalization to take their operations to the next level.
But I thought jeans were tough? How could climate change harm them too?
Climate Commentator
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:01 pm
The jeans made by Levi Strauss & Co. are known for their high quality and durability. However, they are facing a major threat from an unlikely opponent, climate change. Can Levi’s protect their prized product from this threat?
McDonald’s: can fast food be sustainable and profitable?
Eliza
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 12:09 am
With animal agriculture increasingly recognised as the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, will McDonald's make meaningful changes to its supply chain and business model?
Does a Trump presidency mean fewer free t-shirts?
bmjetienne
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:36 pm
Did you ever think about the impact that Making America Great Again would have on your ability to collect free t-shirts at every conference you go to? I’ll bet that was the last thing on the minds of most people [...]
An iPhone Made in India: Should Apple Accommodate India’s Protectionist Agenda?
aboyajian
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:07 pm
The "Make in India" initiative is forcing smart phone manufacturers such as Apple to consider disrupting their supply chain in order to better access the second largest smart phone market in the world. But is producing an iPhone with Indian [...]
Meat Production Meets Digitization at Tyson Foods
James
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 9:32 pm
This post delves into the role that supply chain digitization and software innovation will play in the meat production industry, specifically at Tyson Foods.
“I wouldn’t trust them to build a canoe”: Building the Australian Navy
PT
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:07 pm
The rise of isolationism is putting pressure on the Australian Government to construct new Navy warships and submarines domestically. But can the Government really give a US$89B contract to an organization the Defence Minister has previously said he "wouldn't trust [...]
Clever Ed Tech: Breaking Down Barriers
Tommy F
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 12:13 am
How has the company Clever managed to digitize the ed tech supply chain and become the largest ed tech ecosystem? Can they continue lead the segment or will they be overtaken by larger firms like Amazon and Google?
Is global warming always bad news? Arctic shipping industry proves otherwise.
Lev
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:04 pm
Sovcomflot, Russia's state-owned shipping company, leads the industry trend of entering trans-Arctic sea shipping, taking advantage of acceleration of melting Arctic ice.
Making Hay: How Drought in California is Affecting Chinese Dairy Farmers and What the Chinese Government is doing about it
Joey McLaughlin
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Drought in California is threatening Chinese dairy farmers. What is the Chinese Government doing about it?
Let’s Get Physical (and Digital): How GE is Shaping The Industrial Internet
Gene E. Lectington
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:51 pm
General Electric has shocked the world by transforming from an industrial production conglomerate to a digital industrial product-as-a-service provider.
General Motors: Cars that kill the planet, or cars that kill you?
JasonChang
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:06 am
General Motors (“GM”) has committed to a lower-carbon future, making all its 350 facilities 100% powered by renewable energy by 2050 and released an eight-point plan to do so. However, this will most likely force the GM to make a [...]
Monsanto: Our climate change Messiah?
Aaron Schmidt
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:00 am
When you eat a bagel, you thank a farmer. When you pop an aspirin, you thank a scientist. So why don't we thank Monsanto for perfecting the mix between these two?
How to lose $1 trillion: Boeing’s struggle to capture China’s commercial jet market
Samir
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:44 pm
Boeing is trapped between a groundswell of “America-first” manufacturing sentiment at home, and a fiercely competitive environment in China—its largest growth market for commercial jets. How the aerospace juggernaut handles this politically charged opportunity will determine the company’s growth prospects [...]
Industry 4.0 in India
Paris
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:19 pm
This essay explores the application of industry 4.0 in the automotive industry in India through the lens of one particular factory.
H-E-B vs. Hurricane Harvey: A Case Study in Crisis Response
Graham Thomas
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 12:16 am
How do you inspire an outpouring of love from the state of Texas? For H-E-B, a Texas-based grocery chain, the answer lay in keeping Texans’ pantries stocked with canned tuna and Doritos when no one else could.
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