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)

Ready Logistics, Set, Go! A drive through changes in the automotive landscape
SR
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:19 pm
Will traditional automotive partners rise to meet emerging connected-car technology?
Enjoy that cup of coffee, it may be your last…
Chi
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:22 pm
Can Nestle save the coffee industry from climate change?
Ford Motor Company: supply chain uncertainty in a post-NAFTA world
UserError
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:41 pm
The US auto industry is bracing for changes in trade policy that will ripple through North-American supply chains, affecting both the wallets of domestic consumers and the future of company employees.  
CEDIAM: a fruit processor sees its future in banking
Abdoulaye
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 5:39 pm
This article provides an overview of how climate change may frame smallholder mango farmers’ approach to irrigation technology selection in Mali and argues that leading mango off-takers such as CEDIAM, a privately-held fruit processing company, have an incentive to provide [...]
The impact of Brexit on Kerry Group
RKR
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:17 pm
The impact of Brexit on Kerry Group Ireland has incredibly close geographic and economic ties to the UK, with Irish exports to the UK representing 35% of total Irish exports[1]. As such, Brexit was always going to have significant impact [...]
Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo’s move to a sustainable supply chain
montbm9
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:20 pm
PepsiCo's size, brand power, and ambitious renewable energy targets could create a domino effect that has a widespread impact on the energy efficiency of supply chains and increased clean generation capacity.
Disruption of Video Game Retailers
TOM_Section F
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Issue How will digital innovation in the video game supply chain impact traditional brick and mortar gaming retailers like GameStop?   GameStop relies on the traditional brick-and-mortar distribution model for video games Historically, GameStop played a key role in the [...]
Schneider National and Technological Advancements in the Trucking Industry
mattasperheim
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 8:16 am
With advancements in customer technology platforms and the rise of e-commerce players such as Amazon, the trucking industry has been forced reevaluate the way it does business. What investments must carriers make now to stay competitive, and how should they [...]
The Doctor will Skype you now — The Digitalization of Medicine
AC
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:35 pm
Partners Healthcare, one of the pre-eminent US hospital systems, has started to use TeleHealth to ease access issues, improve efficiency and extend reach in the healthcare field. But what are the longer-term risks of this trend?
From farm to table: supply chain digitalization at Cargill
OhianiD
Last modified on December 6, 2017 at 10:30 am
In an example of how food processors and manufacturers are catering to consumer desire for increased food supply chain transparency, Cargill is piloting a blockchain-based, farm-to-table traceability program on select Honeysuckle White turkeys this Thanksgiving season.
Colgate is Conquering Climate Change with a Smile, Michael Phelp’s Support, and a Mouthful of Corporate Initiatives
Thomas C. Cranberry IV
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:20 pm
Colgate-Palmolive is driving multiple sustainability initiatives to compensate for the water over-consumption of its end-consumers when using their products.
Keeping Bees Buzzing: Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Edwards
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 3:49 pm
How Häagen-Dazs is reviving bee populations to support its suppliers of critical ice cream ingredients
Mission Impossible: JD’s Same-Day Delivery Promise in China
Mengwen Zhao
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 6:32 pm
How does Chinese biggest B2C E-commerce company realize same-day delivery for 85% of all products in a country with vast territory, millions of product orders per day and serious traffic jam?
Danone: Operating within the Tragedy of the Commons
EMC
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:13 pm
How can Danone increase supply chain sustainability without becoming less profitable than its competitors?
Humans vs. machines – who will manage the factory of the future?
Pascal Kriesche
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:04 pm
“Industry 4.0 is the vital question of Germany’s manufacturing industry” [1] states Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens AG, Europe’s largest industrial manufacturing company. Siemens’ Amberg plant became playground and showcase for the factory of the future. What will be the long-term implications?
DIGITALIZATION RADICALLY CHANGES THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Seo
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:57 pm
Digitalization has brought radical changes to the music industry. At a supply chain management standpoint, digitalization removed raw materials, such as CDs and LPs, and transformed traditional distribution channels to online thus making substantial cost savings. It also increased the [...]
How HMG makes an (olive) oil and water relationship work
Carolina Perry
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:07 pm
Herdade Maria da Guarda (HMG) has been able to keep its olive oil production during the last years, while some of the largest european producers have faced decreasing productions as a result of extreme heat waves and water shortage. Is [...]
The (Data) World Is Not Flat: Microsoft, Isolationism, and Data in the Age of Cloud Computing
imapc
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
How can Azure and cloud services compete against rising international data protectionism?
Digitalisation at Nordea – Time to Cash Out?
Simon Pellas
Posted on November 3, 2017 at 5:50 pm
The digital payments revolution is challenging traditional banks to remain relevant to their customers.
Cerner and Interoperability
AE75
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:00 pm
Interoperability's impact on EMR vendors like Cerner in healthcare.
Bombard(ier)ed by Tariffs: The Challenges of Protectionism in the Age of Trump
Section G TOM
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 2:19 am
Bombardier's efforts to meaningfully enter the U.S. market with its low-priced, high-tech C-Series recently stalled when the U.S. Department of Commerce recommended a 300% tariff on each imported jet. In this new age of American economic isolationism, can Bombardier break [...]
The Bottomless Cup: Nespresso’s Bid to Save Coffee From Climate Change
TJ R.
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:09 pm
Nespresso is racing to save coffee from climate change.
Land Ho! Howard Hughes Should Keep Watch for Drier Real Estate
DM
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Will waterfront properties continue to trade at a premium given the rising frequency of superstorms? How should real estate developers, such as Howard Hughes Corporation, re-think inventory and portfolio allocation?
Coca-Cola’s Vending Machines Get Smart
Monica
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:29 pm
The Coca-Cola Company introduces smart vending machines that report inventory levels, control temperature, change prices, take mobile payments, and someday may even start talking.
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