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)

Dark Skies Ahead for US Solar Panel Installation Industry?
Seth
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Tariff proposal on President Trump’s desk puts future of US solar panel industry in jeopardy
Walmart Sustainability Hub, the “village” for Climate Change aware companies that want to save the planet
MD
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:55 pm
Walmart wants its own supply chain to reduce GHG emissions by 1 Gigaton, the equivalent of removing the annual emissions of Germany — the world’s fourth-largest economy — from the atmosphere. Will everyone follow?
CVS Health: Can It Disrupt the Health Care Sector and Beat Amazon?
E-nonymous
Last modified on November 28, 2017 at 9:35 pm
CVS Health has transformed itself into the largest health care conglomerate in the United States. Do its size and supply chain integration drive further competitive advantage, or leave it open to disruption?
Reforming Retail: Reformation’s Fashion-Forward Approach to Sustainability
Lawren
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:44 pm
Fast fashion retailer Reformation wants to be the "Tesla of Clothing" — both innovative and environmentally conscious. But can this small company succesfully clean up the apparel industry?
Getting A Mortgage Without Leaving Your Couch
J K Rowling
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Wells Fargo, the US leader in mortgage lending, announced the upcoming launch of its digital mortgage application. But how quickly can Wells develop a full end-to-end digital mortgage origination and servicing experience, and can it fend off digitally-savvy competition?
Walmart: Managing Food Safety through the Internet of Things
Calvin
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:04 pm
Walmart is combating food safety risks through the use of IoT (Internet of Things)
The Vikings Attack Climate Change: Statoil’s Quest to Reduce Emissions.
Raffaele
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Can oil and gas companies adapt their ways of working to the pressure resulting from climate change? Norway’s Statoil thinks the answer is yes!
R.I.P.(A) – Can Sierra Nevada lead the charge to give us cool craft IPA in a hotter world?
Fritz vG
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:45 pm
How kegsistential is the threat? When brewing is your business, change in the supply of hops and water is bad news. The last five years have seen a ~250% increase in the number of US craft breweries [1], whose success [...]
How can Ecolab (ECL) – a $38B global conglomerate – continue to increase shareholder value while minimizing its impact on the environment?
Andre Romelle Young
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Delivering shareholder value while minimizing the impact on global water usage - are they mutually exclusive?
Diamonds Are Forever…But Their Supply Chains Are Not
Jane Doe
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 11:42 pm
This post explores how blockchain technology is being used to digitalize the procurement of diamonds and enhance industry transparency through the lens of major Asian jeweler Chow Tai Fook.
Ralph Lauren’s Way Forward: A Move Toward Demand-Driven Supply Chain
SG
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 11:41 pm
Ralph Lauren takes steps to stay relevant in the digital era by enhancing its supply chain efficiency.
Economic Protectionism: A Weed Choking Monsanto’s Supply Chain?
Sarah McIntosh
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:58 pm
Is agribusiness threatened by its dependence on innovation and intellectual property in an age of economic protectionism?
Climate Change and H&M: Is Sustainability the Answer?
AN
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 6:39 pm
H&M has committed to operate a more environmentally sustainable fast fashion business, but as climate change looms over the complex supply chain of apparel production, are these efforts enough?
Flywheel Anywhere: The Digitalization of Flywheel Sports
HeidiRoizensUncleHoward
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:47 pm
This posts examines how Flywheel Sports, an indoor cycling company, is responding to competition and the demand for digitalized wellness solutions.
3D Printing takes off in the Aviation Industry. How Additive Manufacturing is shaping Airbus’ Supply Chain.
John Power
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 10:34 pm
3D Printing has the potential to emerge from a niche status to become a game changer in aircraft manufacturing by reducing production costs, increasing product performance, improving supply chain flexibility, and reducing inventory costs.
Amazon: Winds of change
DCS
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 11:19 pm
Amazon, the online retail giant, reaffirms its commitment to Sustainability, and advances on its goal of using 100% renewable energy on its Amazon Web Services business.
Feeding the world one ugly potato at at time!
EF
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:38 pm
How one grocer revolutionized their food supply chain to save money and feed the hungry.
How can Vietnam’s government integrate into global supply chains after American abandonment of the TPP?
David Maher
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:00 pm
When President Trump walked away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership to put America First, the biggest loser was the people of Vietnam. But the Vietnamese government has other means to integrate into global supply chains.
American Eagle Outfitters flying high on digitization
Andrea Frederick
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:38 pm
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has soared above its competitors thanks to its digitized distribution network and optimization engine for order fulfillment. AEO has a bird’s-eye view on its inventory across distribution centers and retail stores and has translated efficiencies into [...]
Big Nightmare for the Big Easy: The Effect of Climate Change on the Port of New Orleans
Anonymous_HBS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:29 pm
Rising sea levels and more frequent and severe storms resulting from climate change are threatening the integrity and existence of our nation's coastal land and infrastructure - and the Port of New Orleans is no exception.
Hot cups of coffee need cold climates
RoundRobin
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 2:18 pm
Starbucks actively mitigates climate risk to maintain coffee supply chain
The Best Supply Chain in The World
Victor Oliveira
Posted on November 11, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Johnson & Johnson has committed to become the best supply chain in the world. Will digitalization and IoT help them achieve this challenging objective?
Rio Tinto – Digging into the Data and Autonomous Vehicle Technologies
Andrew DeSantola
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 8:51 pm
Leading mining companies like Rio Tinto are developing and deploying autonomous haulage technologies in-house and using big data to make smarter real-time decisions at the rock face. What are some of the opportunities and challenges presented by these advances?
Economic Isolationism and America’s Biggest Rival: Canada
marklennox
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:33 pm
Cayuga Milk Ingredients from New York is fighting isolationist policies in Canada and hoping for dramatic changes for the dairy industry in the renegotiation of NAFTA.
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