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)

Who is making your next iPhone?
V
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:17 pm
With the rising protectionism in the world, where is Apple manufacturing its next iPhone? Would Apple be forced to price this already high-end device even more expensive? Or robots will help reduce the cost?
Caterpillar: Building the Supply Chain of the Future
GR
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Caterpillar is using data and analytics to manage its complex supply chain and reduce costs.
Ford Motor Company Faces Steel & Aluminum Supply Price Headwinds
DM
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:23 pm
The recent Chinese curtailment of steel and aluminum production has created a $1.2 billion pricing headwind for the Ford Motor Company that threatens to lower profitability for years to come.
Birchbox: Suffering From An Identity Crisis?
SJ
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:29 pm
What will Birchbox's competitive edge be as it looks towards a hybrid box and retail identity?
Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Digital Education.
FCP
Posted on November 9, 2017 at 1:42 pm
MIT is teaching the education industry how to modernize its distribution model.
RFID ENABLES INVENTORY ACCURACY AT MACY’S
201901730
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:02 pm
E-commerce/m-commerce mean retails must embrace multichannel operation. Millennials get what they want, when they want it – delivered how and where they need it. How can RFID help Macy's make the shift?
As Temperatures Warm, Your Favorite Warm Beverage is Under Threat
Sarah_Kramer
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Coffee supply chains are already feeling the impact of climate change
McMaster-Carr & 3D Printing: What Happens When Your Product is Digitized
dcook8872
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:30 pm
How should McMaster-Carr, a beloved fastener manufacturer and distributor, react as their core product can be easily printed by their consumers within 5 years time?
A taste of their own medicine – GSK disrupted by 3D printing
KS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:35 pm
GSK needs to carefully evaluate incorporating 3D printing in its supply chain before disrupters steal its market share.
Free Apple Watch! and other ways Aetna is embracing digitization
Christina Chew
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 5:51 pm
Aetna is using digital technologies to create efficiencies in the health insurance supply chain.
JD.com – Smart Warehousing For The Future
yoyo0808
Last modified on November 12, 2017 at 9:43 pm
As the express delivery market grows rapidly, JD.com is investing in smart logistics capabilities to meet demand.
The Internet of Things (IoT) will help DHL deliver you things
Alexander Vidiborskiy
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:27 pm
IoT is taking over the logistics business
Tesla: A supercharged response to global climate change?
Lucas Gebhart
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:23 pm
Do we really understand the ecological impact of so-called "green" industries? Is Tesla a panacea or just another part of the problem?
“America First” Leaves Bombardier Aerospace Scrambling for Help
Rob S
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 6:28 pm
Following a 300% tariff hike on the C-Series aircraft, Bombardier entered a joint venture by giving a majority stake in the program to Airbus for free. Their combined supply chain poses a threat to Boeing in the single-aisle market.
Is Brexit Restructuring the World’s Largest Specialist Car Sector for the Better? The Case of McLaren Automotive
Tabatha
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:15 pm
McLaren Automative is one of the UK's specialist car manufacturers. Its supply chain will have to be altered in order to adjust to a post-Brexit environment.
“Making every pill exactly right”
aj
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:26 am
Pharmaceutical companies are transitioning to continuous flow manufacturing, using digital technologies to deliver consistent quality at lower costs
Will we be able to Amazon prime prescription drugs soon?
stgupta
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:16 pm
Amazon is rumored to have taken measures to enter the pharmacy supply chain market. Can it be successful in pulling off yet another disruption?
Brexit: another challenge for Amazon?
Hortense
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:12 pm
The UK's decision to leave the EU will have a significant impact on the British retail sector. How should Amazon respond?
Navigating New Storms: How The Body Shop is Building a Resilient Supply Chain
Grant Tudor
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:11 pm
The Body Shop's global supply chain relies on thousands of smallholder farmers -- among the most at-risk groups to a changing climate. How is the company transforming an emergent threat into a competitive advantage?
Adidas’ Manufacturing 4.0: An opportunity to adjust to more restrictive trade agreements?
Patrick Wilde
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:08 pm
Adidas’ new bets on localization, automation, and customization not only provide competitive advantage in the sportswear industry but may also help the company build resilience to more restrictive trade agreements.
Which cow provided the milk for my Hershey’s chocolate bar?
EK
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Consumers are increasing their demands for transparency in the food they eat, and digitalization trends are poised to deliver the solutions.
Could isolationism be a drag on H&M’s fast fashion?
E.C. Scott
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 2:53 pm
H&M delivers fast fashion to the shelves via an agile, global supply chain network. But could isolationist trade policies disrupt the JIT delivery model?
Gig economy at Uber: digitalization and data won’t be enough to make it sustainable
Alexandre
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:13 pm
Gig economy at Uber: digitalization and data won’t be enough to make it sustainable
Elon’s missing ingredient: the human and political challenges of Tesla’s supply of Cobalt
fdelabalze
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 2:44 pm
In the Fall of 2017, as Tesla prepares its ambitious rollout of the Model 3, the reality of mass market electric vehicles (EVs) seems closer than ever. To tackle climate change –and pollution—many countries (e.g., France, UK, India, Norway, China) [...]
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