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)

A smarter track for baggage handling at Dubai International Airport
Mkeulen
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Dubai International Airport's advanced baggage handling system enables operational excellence and a better guest experience
A love affair in peril: Starbucks’ impending battle with climate change
Nikhil
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 12:02 am
Climate change is poised to halve the arable land available to grow coffee by 2050; meanwhile, demand for coffee in the United States continues to grow rapidly. In 30 years, will Starbucks have enough coffee beans to meet demand? What [...]
A Perfect Fit: 3D Printing Custom Medical Devices
Marissa
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 7:18 am
3D printing is poised to revolutionize supply chains in life sciences. Medical device and pharma giants are preparing to leverage this new technology to deliver customized medical implants with localized, just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing.
Retail’s role in eliminating Global Food Waste
Christina
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:52 pm
An estimated one third of food produced for human consumption goes to waste; and you might be surprised by the amount of carbon emissions this waste emits. Tesco, a British multinational grocer, is leading the retail industry in an attempt [...]
Digitization at Intel – the company that ‘created digital’
Anthony.T
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:13 pm
Intel, the world's semiconductors pioneer, is leveraging digital supply chains to optimize its manufacturing.
Gap: Making Supply Chain Fashionable
Steve Hopper
Last modified on November 11, 2017 at 10:38 am
Inspired by Zara, Gap Inc. has undergone a digital transformation in their supply chain to reduce product development and distribution lead times, thus enabling Gap to be more responsive to customer preferences. Early financial results seem promising, but are uneven [...]
China Goes Green
Tim Pianta
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:44 pm
A Chinese state owned enterprise in power production has a government mandate to clean its energy mix following years of air and water pollution, how well is it executing?
Digitization at Pfizer
Nina
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:39 pm
What Pfizer is doing to digitize its supply chain.
Mayo Clinic: A Digital Prescription
Phil
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:23 pm
While most hospitals are slow to adopt technology, the Mayo Clinic has made strides to implement digital supply chain tools that have saved costs while improving patient outcomes.
Protecting Livestock and Profits at Tyson
jpetsago
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:24 pm
Animal agriculture is not only one of the biggest contributors to climate change, but also potentially one of its biggest victims.
Apple: A Thousand Trees
AA
Last modified on November 10, 2017 at 6:34 pm
On average a single iPhone contains 63 grams of mind material, 17% aluminium, 16% stainless steel, and 12% glass [1]. All three materials are mined and extracted from the earth which causes trapped carbon dioxide (CO2) to be released from the [...]
Fighting Malthus’s Prediction in the New Millennium
Malthus
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:12 pm
Fossil-fuel powered mechanized agriculture has led to rapid growth in the food supply and staved off human starvation for over 200 years. Today, climate change, caused by those very fossil fuels, is leading to undernourishment in vulnerable populations. The Food [...]
Brexit and the UK automotive industry – How can Jaguar Land Rover remain competitive?
Elli Exarchopoulou
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:52 pm
Brexit threatens to disrupt Jaguar Land Rover's cross-border and interconnected supply chain. How can Jaguar Land Rover remain globally competitive in an ambiguous international trade environment?
Sustainability at Unilever: Nebulous or Critical?
Eco-lever
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:17 pm
Who watches the watchmen as it concerns food sustainability.
Climate Change as a National Security threat: The Outlook of the U.S. Department of Defense
Fidel Cashflow
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
The United States Department of Defense considers climate change to be a National Security threat to the US and her allies, and is taking strategic steps to mitigate the effects of those risks.
Amazon’s Last-Mile Delivery is Reaching New Heights
Vanessa Conforti
Last modified on November 12, 2017 at 3:29 pm
Digital technology is transforming Amazon’s supply chain through Amazon Prime Air, an initiative to develop a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to digitize and automate its last-mile delivery process.
BMW using augmented reality to sell customized cars
AS
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 7:58 pm
BMW is piloting the use of augmented reality to enable people to see and experience 3D models of their cars.
“Just Do It” – Nike’s Direct-To-Consumer Efforts, Easier Said Than Done?
WhitneyQ
Last modified on November 12, 2017 at 2:38 pm
Nike has made recent efforts on direct-to-consumer and supply chain transformation, but is still experiencing stalling sales. Are the recent initiatives enough?
The Doctor Can See You Now: Using Blockchain to Fix Provider Credentialing
MG
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 7:08 pm
The medical practitioner credentialing and enrollment process has much to gain from the utilization of the technology that underpins the Bitcoin market. The State of Illinois and Hashed Health have partnered to explore this.
Opportunities for digital enhancements to Google’s Pixel supply chain
chewy
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:23 pm
Can mobile OS giant Google manage its supply chain to become a smartphone hardware leader, too?
ExxonMobil(ize) on Climate Change?
CC
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:03 pm
Amidst allegations of misleading the public over climate change, questions remain for the role that energy giant ExxonMobil will play in the climate change debate. Responsibilities to the planet aside, climate change will have an impact on ExxonMobil’s supply chain. [...]
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.
Crypto-Coffee: How Starbucks Is Using Technology To Stay Ahead Of The Competition
Elliott
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Be honest, how ‘basic’ is your Starbucks order? Whether you ask for a pumpkin spice latte (PSL) or the latest single-origin roast, digital supply chain technologies are making your coffee experience better.
Profits Starting To Wind Down: A Setback for Wind Turbines?
Michelle Czarniak
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:03 pm
Cost reductions in wind power are shrinking profits for wind turbine manufacturers.
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