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)

Could a Srirachapocalype be on the Horizon?
hak
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:56 pm
The negative effects of climate change on jalapeno production in California could lead to a global shortage of Sriracha.
A “Target”ed approach to supply chain digitalization
RocknaFormerlyKnownAsRachna
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:46 pm
With the slogan, “Expect more, pay less,” Target has grown to become the second-largest discount retailer in the United States. As retailers across the country continue to digitize, how can Target continue to ensure that its customers can expect more?
From Garbage to Mining – Volvo Gears Up for Growth in Autonomous Trucking
Violina
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:32 pm
Volvo Group, the Swedish multinational manufacturing company, has been testing a multitude of driverless truck applications, ranging from urban waste management to transport flow optimization in underground mines, in hopes of becoming a forerunner in the autonomous trucking industry in [...]
More than Looks: Audi’s Smart Warehousing Disrupting Automotive Industry
Ana Cristina Gadala
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:35 pm
Can the industry that created the assembly line adapt to an ever-changing digital world? What exactly is inside Audi's smart factory?
Preventing the next E. Coli outbreak with Blockchain
Wade Ryan
Posted on November 9, 2017 at 9:02 pm
In 2016, 55 people were infected by E. Coli after eating food at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Walmart doesn't want to be the next Chipotle and they are using Blockchain to ensure they don't.
Can Egypt Weather the Next Round of High Wheat Prices?
Eric Justin
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:16 pm
Back in 2011, Egypt was rocked by social protests partially caused by climate change-related weather patterns effecting the global wheat market. Has Egypt prepared for the likelihood of a return of high and volatile wheat prices?
J.B. Hunt: Leading the Way into the Age of Digitized Trucking
Sarah Jewett
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 1:16 pm
As freight trucking supply chains are pressed for efficiency gains, what are the digital innovations that will set the industry leaders apart from the obsolete?
FaceTime Meets Healthcare
Bill Nye
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 6:38 am
Supply chain digitization at Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest health systems promises to bring healthcare to your fingertips.
Is Amazon also a last mile delivery company?
JJFG
Posted on November 7, 2017 at 11:50 pm
To cope with their aggressive growth and product expansion, Amazon is reinventing last mile logistics.
In the Eye of The Storm: An Energy Giant´s View on Climate Change
JAC
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 1:09 am
Climate change is disrupting the supply chain of Oil & Gas companies located along the Gulf of Mexico, how is a major player adapting to the rising temperatures that it has allegedly helped foster?
Digitalization: Enabling A Home (Depot) Run in eCommerce Fulfillment
M V
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:02 pm
How supply chain enhancements enable The Home Depot to better serve its online customers.
Live from New York it’s Gotham Greens….Optimizing Crop Production, Crop Quality, and Food Safety in the Face of Global Warming
11589
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 3:56 pm
“We are farmers that live in apartments. We see green fields where others see rooftops. We fuel blooming communities where others fear urban decay. And we purvey the freshest produce grown on earth.” As droughts and storms become more prevalent [...]
Adidas: Racing to Supply Chain 4.0
Zach Stolzenberg
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 6:08 pm
Adidas is taking the lead in revolutionizing an industry supply chain that is known for relying on manual labor and having extremely long lead times.
It’s time for Red Lobster to be a little less shellfish
Shalei Holway
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 3:22 pm
Red Lobster needs to start pressuring its suppliers to engage in sustainable fishing practices, before it’s too late.
Don’t mess with Dallas: How the city of Dallas is tackling climate change
Shrkatck
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 1:10 pm
The city of Dallas is home to over 1.3 million people and boasts a GDP of $512 billion as of 2016. Climate change could change all of that. What is the city doing to ensure it remains an economic powerhouse [...]
Make Oxford Great Again: An Elite University in the Era of Protectionism
Francois
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 6:42 pm
How can Oxford University maintain its global influence after the Brexit vote?
“Delivering Happiness” – Serving Customers Without a Storefront
Nicholas Ongkowijaya
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 12:23 am
Digitalization of food delivery through the emergence of food-delivery platforms enables small business owners to operate without a physical store. As the popularity of these services continue to grow, how should restaurants adapt to stay competitive?
Tesla: Building the Machine that Builds the Machine
LP
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 10:47 pm
Tesla's mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy will require them to be able to produce more vehicles at a faster rate and lower cost, and they believe factory automation is the solution.
The Future of adidas
GA
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Are robots the solution to adidas' need for speed?
“Are We There Yet?”: Solving the Los Angeles Congestion Indigestion
Cindy Ju
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:48 pm
Los Angeles has one of the world’s worst traffic congestion problems. In an effort to alleviate the “car-mageddon”, the City has started to digitize traffic patterns through partnerships with various information systems companies.
Brexit and the future of the all-electric Mini Cooper
Michal T Leszczynski
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:40 pm
Uncertainty introduced by Brexit is killing the UK auto industry. Can carmakers do anything to mitigate it? In doing so - how far can they go? Do they have the mandate to attempt coercing governments?
Inditex/Zara: Fast is the new slow
HansFuruseth
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:34 pm
Inditex(Zara) revolutionized the fashion industry with their fast supply chain. Now there is a new breed of competitors entering the market beating Inditex(Zara) at their own game.
Wait, Who Owns What? Oseberg’s Digitalization of America’s Land Records
Tom C. Thompson
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Oil and gas companies deal with a land recording system that is hundreds of years old, startup company Oseberg is here to digitalize and modernize that system.
Super Mario, Zelda, and a Broken Supply Chain
Mark Leahey
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:54 pm
On March 3, 2017, Nintendo released Switch, an innovative video game system that provided both mobile and living-room gaming access [1]. Video: Nintendo Switch [2] Only weeks after the release, Switch was out of stock at most retailers [3].  Nintendo cited [...]
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