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)

Scan that drug!
Chris Devine
Last modified on November 10, 2017 at 5:02 pm
With 91 Americans dying every day from opioid overdose and a fragmented pharmaceutical supply chain, a new company is leveraging technology to trace drugs from manufacturer to patient.
IBM: Tracking the Supply Chain Using Blockchain
JS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:48 pm
IBM is trying to use Blockchain to save the food supply chain billions in costs and also it's own legacy in the technology service industry.
Primark: Hitting the Mark on Addressing Climate Change
scolby
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 7:47 pm
Climate change is forcing fast fashion retailers like Primark to confront the environmental implications of their supply chain.
Brexit in full swing – How Nissan UK is forced to `re-think´ its Pan-European automotive supply chain
TOM2017
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:52 pm
In light of highly uncertain Brexit negotiations, the export focus and multi-national supply chain of Nissan UK’s Sunderland plant pose a complex challenge to Nissan’s C-suite.
Donald Trump and Natural Gas – An Explosive Combination? Examining the natural gas industry’s response to NAFTA renegotiations
JS
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:51 pm
An overview of the natural gas industry's response to current NAFTA renegotiations.
American Airlines: Grounded by extreme heat
Eduard Torrella Lluís
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:52 pm
How will the largest air carrier in the world respond to the challenge of rising temperatures?
Cuckoo for Cocoa: One Confectioner’s Push for Sustainability
Choc Talk
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:24 pm
As climate change threatens the future supply of cocoa, one company – Mars – looks to fortify its supply chain.
Big Data and City Government – A Paradox No More for the City of Angels
AJ
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:55 pm
Los Angeles becomes a leader in technological innovation and big data implementation to address continuing problems of traffic congestion, gang violence, and homelessness.
Beyond the Pill: Teva’s Use of Digitization to Add Value Back into Generic Drugs
Keely Langdon
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:13 pm
Connected drug delivery devices are among the many digital supply chain innovations Teva has acquired to drive sales and control operational costs
Tariffs on Photovoltaic Panels could accelerate efforts to unravel previous EPA administration measures to curb emissions.
user2020
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 1:49 pm
Solar tariffs will increase CO2 emissions.
Looking for a high-end watch? How newcomer Filippo Loreti is playing digital disruption to its advantage
Miguel Frade
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Matas and Danielius Jakutis, two brothers from Lithuania and founders of Filippo Loreti (FL), are set to disrupt the watch industry. Their secret? Cut the middlemen and sell high-quality, Italian designed watches directly to the consumer at affordable prices, leveraging [...]
When Rising Tides Don’t Raise All Ships
WKR
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 1:20 pm
The Difference of a Few Degrees on Shipbuilding in the US Navy
Royal Roadblocks: Toyota’s Fight for Auto Primacy In the Age of Isolationism
Jide A.
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:00 pm
The specter of Brexit has upended the U.K. automotive manufacturing industry. How will Toyota UK fare?
Walmart: From Supply Chain to Blockchain
Alec Guzov
Posted on November 10, 2017 at 2:34 pm
A simple question about traceability led one of the world’s most renowned supply chain experts to pioneer a new model of information exchange with its suppliers.
UTX and Carrier in the Context of Isolationism and International Trade
Anonymous
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:48 pm
United Technologies Corp should consider the increasingly isolationist tendencies in the current US political climate that are leading to increasing pressure for American jobs to be reshored/repatriated from Asia and Mexico to the US, as illustrated by the Carrier Trump [...]
Digitizing the Pathway to a Mental Healthcare Professional Drives Improved Patient Outcomes and Enhanced Patient Care
j
Posted on November 11, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Quartet Health is disrupting the primary care physician's pathway to refer patient to mental health providers through the digitization of the referral network.
Isolationism, the Antithesis of Innovation
Justin Timecommentary
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:13 pm
Isolationism & global health: an artificial zero-sum game that no one can win
Designed in California, Manufactured/Assembled in U.S.A.?
abcde
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:47 pm
Since several years ago, almost all the Apple products sold were manufactured overseas, for example, iPhone, which says “designed by Apple in California, assembled in China” on the back of the product. However, maybe soon, iPhone will be manufactured and [...]
El Niño Food Crisis in Southern Africa
Yuwa
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 10:52 pm
In response to severe drought in Malawi, state-owned Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation comes in to mitigate the countrywide food crisis.
Is Alibaba’s Smart Logistic Platform Sufficient?
Lili
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 4:40 pm
With increasing demand for logistics in China and fierce competition coming from JD, is Alibaba's asset-light smart platform model positioning itself well for long-term success?
Walmart’s final stand? The battle for e-commerce revenue through faster delivery
Justice League
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:30 pm
The war for ecommerce continues and Walmart has just entered the fray. The final frontier is speed of delivery. Amazon, once a fledgling startup, is now the incumbent behemoth in online commerce. Can Walmart prevail?
Ciao Metal Molly, I’ll Have Pizza al Taglio, Per Favore
Hannah M.
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:03 pm
Food producers, such as pizza-maker Prodal of Italy, are embracing digitalization to keep pace with evolving consumer preferences.
Some Like it Hot: New Startup Can Deliver Your Pizza in 4 Minutes
A123456
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:11 pm
How Zume Pizza is disrupting your favorite pizza delivery company
The MBTA’s climate challenge
dgoldberg
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:57 pm
Climate change will have a major impact on the MBTA.
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