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)

Deloitte’s Blockchain Blues: Will New Technology Render Financial Auditing Obsolete?
Boaty McBoatface
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 1:25 am
Disruptive innovation may force the firm to go short on people and long on technology.
Cholera’s Comeback vs. ICG’s Supply Chain: A Matter of Life or Death
ASJ
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:01 pm
Rising ocean temperatures cause increased proliferation of the Cholera-causing bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, which is “influencing outbreaks on a worldwide scale” [1]. As these outbreaks increase so does the demand for the oral cholera vaccine (OCV). Despite the commitment of organizations [...]
Here Comes the Sun (Tariffs)- How isolationism and the pending ITC ruling could impact SunPower and the U.S. Solar Industry
Angela Hobart
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:39 pm
U.S. solar energy is currently confronting isolationist backlash via trade protection against an influx of inexpensive Chinese-made photovoltaic (PV) panels that have spurred rapid industry growth. Two struggling domestic manufacturers, Suniva and SolarWorld (both owned by international parent companies), recently [...]
Is Fast Beauty the Next Fast Fashion?
cdj
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 6:45 pm
Fast fashion players like H&M and Zara massively disrupted the world of apparel retailing via compressed supply chains. Will beauty be the next category to experience this type of shock?
L’Oréal: A Gorgeous Supply Chain Makeover
Darrin Rahn
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 8:45 pm
L’Oréal, the world's largest cosmetics company, is a global leader in operational innovation and digitalization to serve their ever-evolving fashion customers worldwide.
Ele.me, Digitizing the food delivery service in China
Cissy
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 1:00 pm
The incredible rise of Chinese food delivery giant Ele.ma, and how digitization has helped pioneer the food delivery industry.
Casa Luker: Unveiling the sweet future of Colombian Cocoa Production
mp.osorio
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:00 pm
How could Casa Luker, a successful colombian 🇨🇴 family business in the cocoa products industry, secure the sustainability of its supply chain in times of environmental change leading to scarcity of the cocoa bean? Will the country's potential in this [...]
Nordstrom and Uber: A Match Made in Heaven?
Conner Brown
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:29 pm
How a luxury department store is integrating ride hailing technology into its supply chain
How digitization of pharma R&D can decrease supply chain costs
Monika
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 4:52 pm
Sourcing comparator drugs for pharma research and development process is expensive and there is high risk of receiving a counterfeited drug from a third-party supplier. To reduce these adverse effects, TransCelerate Biopharma started Comparator Network Initiative to introduce a digital [...]
Wal-Mart: Doing Right by the Planet?
Lily F.
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:44 am
Retail giant Wal-Mart sets bold goals to lower carbon emissions in its supply chain, but needs to go further to achieve ambitious targets
From Harvard to HarvardX: Are we there yet?
Blue Ocean
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 4:53 pm
Digitization is reshaping the higher education supply chain and now is the time to choose which side of history to be on.
Apple combats with Protectionism in India
Anuj Shah
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 4:56 pm
Learn more about how Apple combats the protectionist laws in India to fight for growing its market share in the world's second-largest smartphone market.
C.H. Robinson: Responding to Uber Freight
ganeshraj
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:31 pm
C.H. Robinson is the largest freight brokerage business in the United States. How will they respond to the 'Uber-ification' of the trucking industry?
Napa Valley’s Getting Crushed: Will OneHope Winery Survive Global Warming?
ABW
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 8:24 pm
OneHope, a Napa Valley multi-varietal winery is feeling the heat of climate change. They're starting to consider ways to adapt, but is it enough?
Monsanto Predicting Weather: Crazy or Crazily Smart?
AL
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Farming in face of climate change? Monsanto bought a weather predicting technology to manage supply chain risks.
Climate Change is No Walk in the National Parks
Emily Korby
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 12:16 am
Climate change is drastically altering how the National Park Service fundamentally operates - generating large amounts of complexity and questions
Amazon’s Response to the OTT Universe
Michael Rodriguez
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:57 pm
The digital transformation of the entertainment industry has given rise to a gamut of Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming services to rival the traditional pay-tv powerhouses. Starting with Netflix in 2007, OTT services have proliferated to cater to the growing demand base, [...]
Olam: sustaining supply-chain competitive advantage in agribusiness through digitalization
Juan Quiroga Ponce
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:56 pm
Olam has created an amazing success story based on state-of-the-art management of agricultural supply chains. What are its key challenges going forward and why is digitalization a crucial strategic imperative for this company and its industry in general?
Fighting for Freddo: Cadbury’s Fight for Profitability in the Face of Brexit Uncertainty
NAK
Last modified on November 26, 2017 at 7:29 pm
This post examines Cadbury's challenge to maintain profitability in the face of increasing input costs due to Brexit.
Syngenta: feeding future generations?
Maria
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:13 pm
One of the largest agrochemicals businesses wants to address one of the toughest challenges in our generation: feeding the growing world population in a sustainable way.
Climate Crisis or Global Health Crisis? Devastation in Puerto Rico reveals vulnerability of the pharmaceutical supply chain
Ashley V
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 8:03 pm
With its destructive power, Hurricane Maria revealed the fragility of the global pharmaceutical supply chain when it struck Puerto Rico, a major drug manufacturing hub, earlier this year. How can US regulatory bodies mitigate the impact climate change, and the [...]
Walmart: Reducing Carbon Emissions by a Gigaton
Soumaya
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:13 pm
Did you know that the meat and milk we consume emits more greenhouse gases (GHGs) than Exxon’s annual operations? According to the Sustainability Consortium, grocery products emit 1.7 gigatons of GHGs every year, compared to only 577 megatons of GHGs [...]
Cotton in footwear and apparel manufacturing
MC
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 11:58 pm
Cotton, the most widely used natural fibre, is highly susceptible to climate change. What is the response of footwear and apparel manufacturers, who rely heavily on fibres in their production, to the supply chain disruptions?
Not in your Size? Not a Problem
Toffel House
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 1:19 am
3D knit printing has the potential to disrupt the retail clothing industry, and Ministry of Supply is leading out in front.
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