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)

Daimler Autonomous Truck – digitizing freight miles
Badar
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 4:39 pm
What business model should Daimler's Autonomous Truck choose for its market?
The battle for the skies: Is free trade losing ground to protectionism?
Sergio Porres
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:08 pm
The large commercial aircraft manufacturing market is increasingly threatened by trade barriers that can disrupt significantly a business until now dominated by Airbus and Boeing
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?
The Impact of Isolationist Trade Policies on Retailers and the Communities they Serve
Operations Student
Last modified on December 7, 2017 at 1:44 pm
From the critically acclaimed author of "Type B at HBS" comes the compelling story of Michael Smith, a senior sourcing manager at Target struggling to navigate the uncertain and ever-changing landscape of international trade policies. This piece explores how isolationist [...]
Globalization with Apple
Ruby Lak
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:15 am
If the cost of manufacturing continues to increase in China as predicted, will it continue to be the best place to manufacture for Apple products?
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB-InBev): Trouble’s brewing as climate changes impact the beer industry
TOMSavesTheWorld
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:48 pm
With water being a critical part of the beer making process, ABInBev takes charge of reducing its Water footprint in a changing world where water demand may soon overtake supply.
Supplying the World’s Thirst for Data… Storage
Peter Hong
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:51 pm
As consumers and enterprises demand more data and subsequently data storage, IBM is in a prime position to be the leader as a solutions provider.
Isolationist Trade Policy Drives General Motors to Narrow its Scope
Eleonora Bershadskaya
Last modified on November 23, 2017 at 5:02 pm
Protectionist trade policy drives General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, to localize its global supply chain.
Will Typhoons in Southeast Asia Stop You from Staying Hydrated This Summer?
Erin
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:06 pm
Climate change is increasing the severity of typhoons in Southeast Asia -- what does this mean for PepsiCo. as it looks to capitalize on exponential growth in the coconut water product category?
Re-inventing NYT: Impact of digitalization on news media
Shruti
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:44 pm
How can NYT compete with connected devices on delivering news?
The impact of 3D printing on innovation and supply chain logistics at Medtronic
$$$=Culture
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:39 pm
3D printing or "additive manufacturing" is positioned to revolutionize the face of medical device manufacturing and could be a great opportunity or a significant disruptive threat, depending on how they respond.
Nespresso: Protecting the World’s Best Coffee
Brooke Callahan
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 2:44 pm
Given Nespresso’s insistence on the best quality, are its sustainability programs enough to protect its supply chain in the long-term?
A.P. Moller – Maersk and the Future of Shipping in the Digital Age
Walter H. Haydock
Last modified on November 26, 2017 at 6:04 pm
How will a global shipping company simultaneously capitalize on the efficiency gains afforded by digitization while navigating the relevant safety, cybersecurity, and regulatory hurdles?
Solar Wars: the Battle for the US Solar Industry
Kyle Teegarden
Posted on November 11, 2017 at 12:53 pm
American solar manufacturers are struggling against Asia-based competitors who have flooded the US market with a glut of low-priced solar panels. How should the federal government respond to the failure of American industry to compete in this global supply chain?
Collaborative Robots as a hedge against Isolationism
hs14
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:46 pm
As Isolationism makes global production difficult and policies unpredictable, Collaborative Robots could offer a bridge gap solution.
Sustainability: When Doing Good Is Good for Business
CVL
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:26 pm
As countries, corporations and consumers band together to address increasingly severe climate change, several retailers, including Gap, are leading the charge in supply chain sustainability.
General Mills UK and the Potential Impact of Brexit on the Dairy Industry
Luke
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 11:05 pm
As Brexit looms, the dairy industries of the UK and EU-27 are concerned with potentially huge WTO tariffs, but how might this also affect General Mills's French produced Haagen-Dazs and Yoplait?
Digitization at Boeing: Printed Parts and Just in Time Maintenance
CBrowne
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Boeing's use of 3D printing and RFID technology in its production process has allowed for shorter lead times and less complexity in their supply chain.
Combating Digital Darwinism: Four Eyes on Augmented Reality
EE
Last modified on November 28, 2017 at 12:47 am
This is a time of digital Darwinism — an era where technology and society are evolving faster than businesses can naturally adapt. Can DHL a leading global logistics company rise up to the challenge to remain competitive?
Foxconn: Out-Foxing Protectionism
Sam Weil
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 8:37 am
The 800-lb gorilla of Chinese electronics contract manufacturing prepares for life under Donald Trump's trade policies
Why Wal-Mart will Beat Amazon in E-Commerce
atsinikas
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Why Wal-Mart's physical footprint and employee base will allow it to beat Amazon in e-commerce over the long term
Brexit’s Nuclear Isolationism Threatens UK Cancer Patients
Anna Ponting
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 9:00 pm
Withdrawing from the little-known Euratom Treaty jeopardizes the NHS's supply of medical radioisotopes -- a quintessential case of "you don't know what you've got until it's gone."
Let’s Talk Turkey: Cargill’s Blockchain Supply Chain of The Future
Justin Blumenthal
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:58 pm
Blockchain digital supply chains can help global food companies like Cargill build consumer trust and drive operational efficiency. This seems like a no-brainer, but the devil will be in the details. How will Cargill implement blockchain to disrupt how food [...]
Feeding a business abroad – Can Saudi dairy giant Almarai bet its business on a fully global feed supply?
Christine Busaba
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:31 pm
Farming the desert       The desert is an unlikely place for a dairy farm, but for Saudi-based Almarai, when you source everything but the cows abroad, suddenly you can create the most productive dairy farm in the Middle East[1]. Food [...]
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