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)

Climate change: BMW’s supply chain strategy to reduce CO2 emissions
Juan A
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:06 pm
The article explores how BMW, the most sustainable automotive company based on the Down Jones sustainability index of 2016, is able to use its supply chain as a lever to reduce CO2 emissions.
Does a Trump presidency mean fewer free t-shirts?
bmjetienne
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:36 pm
Did you ever think about the impact that Making America Great Again would have on your ability to collect free t-shirts at every conference you go to? I’ll bet that was the last thing on the minds of most people [...]
Defending a Global Business Model in Turbulent Times
Nicolás
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:28 am
“Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more” ¿How isolationist political momentum across the world is threating Microsoft of accomplishing its mission? ¿Will the company be able to defend its global business [...]
Netflix Can’t Afford to Chill: Content Wars in Digital Streaming
Artemis
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 11:11 pm
As Netflix faces increasing competition from fellow media titans, can its original content production supply chain become a competitive advantage?
P&G China: Reinventing the Offline B2B Distribution Network
EL
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:17 pm
In the midst of China’s massive digital transformation, how does P&G reinvent its 20-year-old offline B2B distribution network to sell P&G products into almost 7 million independent mom-and-pop stores across China?
Wells Fargo: What Are The Obligations of a Financier?
Moliu
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Wells Fargo claims to be a leader on environmental sustainability among banks, but does it have an obligation to go farther?
Unlocking Telemedicine: Building a 4th dimension in Care Delivery
MS
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:53 pm
Digitalization of Healthcare services--Cleveland Clinic ventures into telemedicine
Casa Luker: Unveiling the sweet future of Colombian Cocoa Production
mp.osorio
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:00 pm
How could Casa Luker, a successful colombian 🇨🇴 family business in the cocoa products industry, secure the sustainability of its supply chain in times of environmental change leading to scarcity of the cocoa bean? Will the country's potential in this [...]
Why your chocolate bar could become a luxury purchase.
Michelle Davis
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Global warming is putting the chocolate supply chain at risk. Here's how Mars is tackling the problem.
Coca-Cola’s Vending Machines Get Smart
Monica
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:29 pm
The Coca-Cola Company introduces smart vending machines that report inventory levels, control temperature, change prices, take mobile payments, and someday may even start talking.
Bitcoin Mining and the War Between Digitalization, Environmentalism and Profitability
WL
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 11:27 pm
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have become one of the hottest industries in the global markets today, but do the little-known underlying environmental costs of producing them challenge the existence of the industry?
Under Armour: Chasing Digitization
TOM Challenge #10027
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:26 pm
In order to remain competitive with it's larger peers, Under Armour must digitize it's supply chain.
El Niño Food Crisis in Southern Africa
Yuwa
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 10:52 pm
In response to severe drought in Malawi, state-owned Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation comes in to mitigate the countrywide food crisis.
Will Digitization Eat Blue Apron for Lunch?
Patrick Gordon
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Will a newly implemented automated fulfillment center and inventory management system be Blue Apron’s undoing?
#hacked: the proliferation of fake news bots on Twitter
Lilian Smith
Last modified on November 25, 2017 at 1:58 pm
Twitter supplies content to the news cycle through their highly influential social platform. But they are increasingly victimized by the dark side of technology: malicious bots. What should they do to protect their supply chain, their reputation, and the sanctity [...]
GameOver for GameStop?
S
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Suppliers and customers agree that digital distribution is the way of the future for videogames. So what should GameStop, the industry's leading physical retailer, do?
Will climate change dampen Inditex (Zara)´s rapid-fire supply chain?
Swan
Last modified on November 22, 2017 at 4:59 pm
How to manage inditex´s unique supply chain design under climate change?
GOOGLE GLASS: WEARABLE TECH IN THE WAREHOUSE
Noga Ratner
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 7:05 am
How Google Glass may transform digital supply chains.
The US Navy’s War Against Climate Change
MS
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 12:41 am
As climate change threatens to alter the ocean environment, the Navy must strategize for the future.
A Perfect Storm: When Hurricanes Hit the Medicine Supply
Daniel Gastfriend
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:58 pm
On Sept. 20th, Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, disrupting a major pharmaceutical manufacturing base. If the FDA is to prevent future medicine shortages in the face of climate change, it must heed the warning.
Raksul, Japanese Uber for Printing
S. Nakamoto
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 11:00 pm
While everyone thinks printing business is dying, Raksuk, a Japanese startup thinks differently.
Pfizer’s Prescription For A Digital Supply Chain
Foran Gumic
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
This post explores the steps Pfizer is taking to digitize its supply chain in order to better respond to evolving pharmaceutical industry dynamics, customer needs, and regulatory requirements.
Driving Evolution in Nordstrom’s Customer Service Model through Shared Inventory Visibility
GB
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
An increasingly competitive retail landscape and the need to better serve constantly changing consumer demands will force Nordstrom's inventory management model to evolve.
Onwards, Upwards: How Delta Air Lines Can Seize Supply Chain Digitalization
Jen
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:54 pm
The airline industry is notorious for losing money -- can supply chain digitalization reverse this phenomenon for the long run?
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