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)

Airbus: Digitization on the fly
TOMorrow
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Airbus needs to achieve one of its steepest production increases since World War II to keep abreast with surging demand. Its answer: revolutionize the industry through digitization.
Facebook wants to bring the world together – but isolationism could tear it apart
MY
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 9:33 pm
Amid a tense global climate, countries are increasingly enacting "data localization" laws. Will Facebook respond to Russia's latest request by investing in local data centers?
A World without Chocolate? What Cargill is doing to Ensure we can get our Sweet Fix.
ELH
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Cocoa production is highly concentrated in two countries and is exposed to the risks of climate change, particularly in reducing the available arable land for production. Cargill one of the largest producers of cocoa is focused on improving sustainability of [...]
L’Oreal’s Quest to Beautify Their Carbon Footprint
Bridget Nyland
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:49 pm
This piece explores L'Oreal's decision to make reducing their impact on climate change a core company value, their current plan as they take a holistic look at sustainability and recommendations for their next steps.
Why Big Oil Executives are finally concerned about Climate Change
AdamH
Last modified on November 19, 2017 at 12:14 pm
With rising ocean temperatures, dropping oxygen levels, and carbon taxes on the horizon, will sushi still have a place twenty years from now?
Sorry CVS, Maybe I’ll Ask Alexa?
John Harvard
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:57 pm
In 2016, 4 billion prescriptions were filled in retail pharmacies. Technology is changing this process.
Hitting Guac Bottom: Agricultural Consequences if Climate Change gets Avocontrol
GF
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 10:37 pm
Avocados are the newest trendy food - but will climate change eventually make them extinct?
A Green Merchant of Death?
Nate Reeve
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:31 pm
Long portrayed as a villain, Philip Morris International leads the way on climate change (and gets little credit for it).
GE: Adapting to Isolationist America and its Workforce
Kylie Lucas
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 2:27 am
As the US becomes increasingly isolationist, manufacturing companies like GE are forced to determine where to locate their factories and to reckon with the STEM skills gap in the US.
The End of Everyday: Isolationism’s Potential Impact on Walmart’s “Everyday Low Prices”
Dr. Christina Yang
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
As Trump raises skepticism on China's trade practices and promotes isolationist investment, Walmart should rethink its strategy away from reliance on low labor and manufacturing costs found in China, potentially to invest in its loyal customer base - the everyday [...]
Disney n Chill
Malavi
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:16 pm
The Walt Disney Company's plan to build a digital distribution platform for all Disney movies will rival Netflix but may also prove to change how and where we watch the newest movies release coming to a theater near you.
How can Ecolab (ECL) – a $38B global conglomerate – continue to increase shareholder value while minimizing its impact on the environment?
Andre Romelle Young
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Delivering shareholder value while minimizing the impact on global water usage - are they mutually exclusive?
Keeping Bees Buzzing: Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Edwards
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 3:49 pm
How Häagen-Dazs is reviving bee populations to support its suppliers of critical ice cream ingredients
Supply chain digitization: From fabric manufacturing to downward dog
lasq
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 6:09 pm
Lululemon, a Canadian athletic apparel retailer, has been focused on improving their supply chain with new technologies and data after inventory issues impacted margin in 2015.
Disney’s late move to derail Netflix in direct-to-consumer race
Matt Poreda
Last modified on November 30, 2017 at 11:42 pm
Following Netflix's success, over-the-top platforms are mushrooming, winning the battle for viewers attention with traditional media networks. Disney, unparalleled king of content, is finally adjusting its strategy to compete for audiences switching to digital space.
A Small Company Setting the Standard in a Big Way
MDB
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:12 pm
Patagonia, Inc. has taken a hard look at the way they do business, and ensuring they make the necessary changes to ensure our future.
Reforming Retail: Reformation’s Fashion-Forward Approach to Sustainability
Lawren
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:44 pm
Fast fashion retailer Reformation wants to be the "Tesla of Clothing" — both innovative and environmentally conscious. But can this small company succesfully clean up the apparel industry?
Exx-on, Exx-off: How Global Climate Change Could Wipe Away Big Oil’s Profits
Daniel Henley
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 6:56 pm
The connection of ExxonMobil to climate change is more than just causal. Changing weather and landscapes will have a profound impact on Exxon's ability to profitably produce oil.
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.
Drummond Company: Will an old industry be able to adapt to new climate regulations?
M. Diaz
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:44 pm
The coal industry is under pressure to renew and optimize its supply chain as climate regulations get tighter and demand and coal prices shrink every year.
Using Blockchain to Tackle Fraud in the Wine Supply Chain
D
Posted on November 10, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Wine collectors are being duped by fake wine in the supply chain. Blockchain offers a potential digitization solution to ensure transparency and authenticity in the supply chain.
A Pricier Pint: How Tighter Borders Could Increase Your Bar Tab
srs513
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 7:43 pm
Diageo Plc, owner of Guinness, must create a plan to mitigate the looming trade effects of Brexit.
The New Healthcare
Matt Sulentic
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Telemedicine is changing lives for the better in many places across the U.S.
Did you just buy snake oil made by slaves?
JV
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:41 pm
End-to-end supply chain control, achieved through digitization, has benefits beyond compliance with regulators: increasing patient safety by making it harder for counterfeiters to operate, decreasing use of forced labor by verifying the origin story of raw materials, and 9 percent [...]
1 … 12 13 14 15 16 … 39