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)

Cimpress: Custom Products on a Mass Scale
TOM Lover
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:19 pm
From sneakers to suits, consumers today are demanding more and more customization in the products they purchase . How can companies access the scale benefits of high-volume, mass production while still providing customers a highly unique, individualized product?
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
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?
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?
Strawberries in January: Can NAFTA renegotiations challenge Driscoll’s supply chain?
Sara
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Americans enjoy berries year-round in large part due to Driscoll’s presence in Mexico. How will this change if NAFTA renegotiations lead to an increase in Mexican import prices?
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.
Indonesia’s Ore Export Ban and its Impact on Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg Mine
Sean Bracken
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 8:10 pm
How will Indonesia's ore export ban impact the world's largest gold mine and second largest copper mine, Freeport-McMoRan's copper concentrate supply chain, and the global base metals market?
Navigating Tricky Terrain: Toyota In An Isolationist World
Ko-Lee
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:16 pm
In an increasingly inward-looking world, corporate CEOs need to reach out more than ever before.
Adidas: Revolutionizing the Supply Chain with SPEEDFACTORY
hchoi
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 7:02 pm
Adidas is turning to digitalization of footwear manufacturing to improve speed to market, enhance customization, and increase flexibility with greater automation through its SPEEDFACTORY project.
Maersk’s Shipping Lane in the Fight Against Global Warming
Viper
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:34 pm
Global warming presents an unique set of challenges and opportunities for Maersk, the world's largest shipping line.
Convoy: ‘Uberization’ of Trucks
RHT
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:15 pm
How Truck Tech will change a highly fragmented, aged, $700 billion industry?
The Uberization of Uber: Rebounding from a Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
alisonboreh
Last modified on November 8, 2017 at 3:12 pm
Can Uber fight financial risks and competitive forces with (even more) digitalization?
Ford: Building a Cleaner Fleet of Vehicles
AS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:44 pm
Ford is making bold moves to improve vehicle fuel economy in the face of environmental regulations.
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
SunPower: Dark Clouds Over Sunny Future
Jason Bourne
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 4:28 pm
The growth of the solar industry is under threat because of Tariffs being proposed on imported solar cells, which had contributed greatly towards getting cost of solar energy down to a level conducive for mass adoption.
Digitalization In the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry
Khush
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:22 pm
Although leading Digital transformation in the predominantly old school Oil and Gas Industry, Schlumberger is still fighting its internal battles.
A Whole New World: The Digital Evolution of Disney
Matt
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Facing an exodus of subscribers and a decline in ratings for its sports programming, Disney has been forced to re-think its content distribution model. Can Disney pull off the magic trick?
Clouds on the horizon? Nestle, climate change, and the future of bottled water.
ABuck
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:13 pm
As climate change increases droughts near Nestle's water resources, how can they respond to ensure a future for the bottled water industry?
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Contribution to – and Solutions for – Climate Change
Alex Tisdall
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 4:58 pm
Anheuser-Busch uses a lot of water in the production of beer. From growing crops to fermenting in the brewery, creating a sustainable way to use water and electricity is a crucial part of the company's long term strategy.
Drought and Draught – Climate Change’s Impact on Molson Coors
Pseudo936
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 8:05 am
This paper examines how the supply chain and manufacturing process of a key player in the U.S. beer making industry, the Molson Coors Brewing Company, is being (and will be) impacted by climate change, how the company is responding, and [...]
The effect of digitizing one organization, on over a billion people
Kunal
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:59 pm
How will the Railways overcome its lagging infrastructure to help India realize its economic ambitions?
Smart Contracts To Disrupt Energy Trading
Kyle Tobin
Posted on November 11, 2017 at 11:33 pm
Blockchain-based applications present compelling short-term efficiencies for trading energy commodities, but their potential for long-term market disruption faces significant challenges.
A Patient’s Perspective – How Antidote is Digitalizing Clinical Trial Patient Recruitment in the US
Laura E
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:48 pm
80% of clinical trials shut down prematurely due to an inability to recruit sufficient patient numbers. Antidote is empowering patients to find relevant clinical trials, shifting the supply chain of patient enrollment.
Beating the Global Hunger Crisis through Digitalization
Anonymous Fuego
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 7:04 am
Are the government and the United Nations the only means to solve global hunger? Maybe not.
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