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)

Infosys: Can “Coders” become “Creators” in the new digital world
AI Bot
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:52 pm
How Infosys is trying to keep its 300,000 employees from becoming irrelevant in the Digital Era?
The Emergence of Off the Grid Agriculture
MZ
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:13 pm
Taking Agriculture into the dessert - How could this save farmers from the impact of Climate Change?
US Isolationism Takes Flight to Ground Bombardier
Judy Payen
Last modified on December 9, 2017 at 1:23 am
The USA, keen to enact an “aggressive defence of US trade remedies laws”, attacks Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier – landing a direct blow to both of its closest allies.
Adidas: Fighting Climate Change in the Name of Sports
Student 2019
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:28 am
To take an analogy from soccer, Adidas is doing the talking on the pitch when it comes to combating climate change
German Railway “Deutsche Bahn:” Train-ing for the Future?
SW
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:56 pm
The industry-wide vision for the future of rail provides great potential for digitalization along the entire supply chain. Is Deutsche Bahn on the right track?
Magazine Luiza 4.0: the Brazilian Amazon?
fc
Last modified on November 6, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Magazine Luiza has been thriving in the complex Brazilian market for the past few years with impressive share price performance - can this brick-and-mortar retailer survive Amazon's increasing local presence?
Constellation Brands: does Corona have to be Made in Mexico?
Alex Robinson
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 11:25 pm
Mexican beers such as Corona are growing the US beer market - but can their maker adapt to a new world of trade?
Unilever – Tea Saving Superhero?
Alicia
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Climate change has the potential to drastically reduce tea yields - are CPG companies doing enough to ensure the industry's survival?
A Perfect Storm: When Hurricanes Hit the Medicine Supply
Daniel Gastfriend
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:58 pm
On Sept. 20th, Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, disrupting a major pharmaceutical manufacturing base. If the FDA is to prevent future medicine shortages in the face of climate change, it must heed the warning.
Starship Technologies: Last-Mile Delivery at the Ground Level
Brandon R.
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:47 pm
U.K. based startup, Starship Technologies (Starship), is tackling last-mile delivery for retailers.
Disrupting Material Handling in India Through Digitalization
Nirav
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 5:40 pm
The crane and hoist industry in India is an extremely complex supply chain challenge. Communication is the driver to success and capitalizing on digitalization will help stay ahead of competition, along with helping to build vendor-to-customer efficiency and confidence.
The last dance of Just-in-Time?
Giovanni
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:35 pm
A Tsunami struck Japan in March 2011 generating a collapse of Toyota supply chain. Starting in 2011, Toyota decided to completely revise its famous Toyota Production System and forced suppliers to hold a few months’ worth of inventory, threatening the [...]
Can the World’s Largest Retailer Scale Farm to Table?
Caroline Hornok
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:16 pm
To sustain growth in China Walmart needs to manage a reliable and safe food supply. Their solution partnering with IBM is blockchain. Blockchain will allow consumers to trace the source, environmental impact, treatment, and transactions of any product they buy.
Tire Manufacturing Industry Familiar with Protectionist Policies… Will they Expand?
Jane Doe
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 12:42 am
It has been a roller coaster ride for trade regulation in the U.S. tire industry over the last eight years. With Chinese tariffs renewed in 2015 and manufacturers pivoting production towards other Asian countries in order to continue to import [...]
Starbucks: Loving the Planet a Latte
Kathryn
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:12 pm
Starbucks is working to help farmers grow coffee beans in a sustainable way, as climate change and unpredictable weather events threaten its supply chain.
Will Climate Change Lead to an Independent Greenland?
Matt Michel
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:09 pm
No place on earth will be more affected by climate change than Greenland, is it ready to handle the economic and political implications?
Airbus: Digitization on the fly
TOMorrow
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Airbus needs to achieve one of its steepest production increases since World War II to keep abreast with surging demand. Its answer: revolutionize the industry through digitization.
Smart Pasta: Barilla’s Digitization of the Food Supply Chain
AYZ
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:51 pm
Barilla Group is employing digitization in its food supply chain to increase consumer transparency and enhance food safety.
Should I Stay or Should I Go Now: Ford’s Quest for an Optimal Tax-Efficient Global Supply Chain
larosed
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:36 pm
How will multinationals with complex global supply chains like Ford adapt to a world with increased political volatility and nationalism?
Holy Guacamole! Your Super-Bowl snack is about to get pricey.
AF
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 12:19 am
The U.S. demand for avocado cannot be met by domestically-grown product. With an extremely high dependance of imports from Mexico, who would be mostly affected by Trump walking away from NAFTA, Mexican producers and exporters or U.S. consumers?
Digitalization for survival – Halliburton’s attempt at transforming the oil and gas industry
W
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:39 pm
A world of fully automated robotic rigs may be around the corner. Read how Halliburton plans on going about doing it.
Smart Contracts To Disrupt Energy Trading
Kyle Tobin
Posted on November 11, 2017 at 11:33 pm
Blockchain-based applications present compelling short-term efficiencies for trading energy commodities, but their potential for long-term market disruption faces significant challenges.
“Climatitis!” Global Warming Meets Healthcare in the Big Apple
Anmol Gupta
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 8:34 pm
What does climate change have to do with the hospital design and construction of Mount Sinai's newest hospital?
The Mining Industry in Chile and its Solar Bet
F1991
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:49 pm
The Chilean energy landscape has changed. In 2014 governmental policies allowed the competitive entrance of clean energy to the Chilean market with solar energy at its center. This creates an opportunity for Antofagasta Minerals, a private copper mining group, to [...]
1 … 12 13 14 15 16 … 39