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)

The (Data) World Is Not Flat: Microsoft, Isolationism, and Data in the Age of Cloud Computing
imapc
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
How can Azure and cloud services compete against rising international data protectionism?
Ensuring sufficient supply of healthcare products in an age of extreme weather
Jon Hu
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:54 pm
Drug companies have many tactics as their disposal to minimize supply chain disruptions for critical healthcare products, but should they shoulder all of the costs of doing so?
Efficiencies through digitialization of supply chain at Inditex
Phil Mickelson
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 5:30 pm
The essay explores the supply chain efficiencies that Inditex gains through digitalization
The impact of climate change on Saint-Gobain’s supply chain
Eric
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:56 pm
Saint-Gobain's manufacturing plants have to be included in the company's overall environmental strategy to hedge against the risks created by climate change. Here we discuss a couple of ideas to manage these risks.
Constellation Brands: does Corona have to be Made in Mexico?
Alex Robinson
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 11:25 pm
Mexican beers such as Corona are growing the US beer market - but can their maker adapt to a new world of trade?
Olam: sustaining supply-chain competitive advantage in agribusiness through digitalization
Juan Quiroga Ponce
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:56 pm
Olam has created an amazing success story based on state-of-the-art management of agricultural supply chains. What are its key challenges going forward and why is digitalization a crucial strategic imperative for this company and its industry in general?
Disrupting GM’s Supply Chain One Tweet At A Time
A Vachani
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 7:28 am
General Motors faces President Trump's ire for its globalized supply chain. Yet Trump's "America FirsT" NAFTA renegotiations will only worsen the situation for American jobs.
Will Tesla build the autonomous ride-sharing network of the future?
Tong Xiang
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Tesla Motors has been an auto industry leader when it comes to capturing value from its digital supply chain. Can it maintain this advantage as it ramps up production and moves forward to a vision of an autonomous future?
Tesla’s War on “King Coal”
David Chen
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:27 pm
An introduction to Tesla's vision for and the challenges it faces on the journey towards a solar-powered civilization.
United Launch Alliance: Rocket Without an Engine
Curtis Wong
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:30 pm
The effect of isolationism on the space industry.
Unique QR Code Enables Unilever to Digitalize Channel Management
JerBear
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Unilever puts unique QR codes on each Dove product to digitalize the channel management and incentive system. Anti-fake function and consumer loyalty program can be further added.
Dilemma Facing Banks – Tulip Crisis or Internet 3.0?
TOMChallenge11
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Should banks implement blockchain technology for their cross-border payments business? Should they utilize the technology across all processes?
Building a Better Way to Build at Katerra
John Smith
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:12 pm
By borrowing best practices from the manufacturing sector, Katerra -- a unicorn start-up in the construction industry - is hoping to build a better way to build.
To go or not Tesco? Brexit’s Potential Impact on the UK Food Industry.
amanda_conrad
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:42 pm
Earlier this year, Tesco was the company online users most associated with Brexit. How can Tesco adapt to the uncertainty of Brexit and what changes should they make now to survive in a post-Brexit reality?
Ben & Jerry’s Should Be More Cocoa for Cocoa Sustainability
John Pettifred
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:31 pm
Rising temperatures may support demand for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, but climate change poses a serious threat to the company’s cocoa supply chain.
Steel Tariffs: Making America Competitive Again?
destinykate
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:43 pm
BHP, the world’s largest diversified natural resources company, recently celebrated the 50-year anniversary of its relationship with Japan – the two parties have experienced joint benefits as Japan’s industrialization was enabled by a steady inflow of BHP’s iron ore. During [...]
Throwing Away Billions
Just in Time
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:02 pm
As population and income levels continue to rise in developing nations, what are the risks and opportunities that come with increased consumption and industrialization?
CEDIAM: a fruit processor sees its future in banking
Abdoulaye
Last modified on December 1, 2017 at 5:39 pm
This article provides an overview of how climate change may frame smallholder mango farmers’ approach to irrigation technology selection in Mali and argues that leading mango off-takers such as CEDIAM, a privately-held fruit processing company, have an incentive to provide [...]
The Race to ROI: Can Adidas’s Speedfactory Make Hyper-Customized Sneakers and a Profit?
Watson Donner
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 7:56 pm
Adidas's Speedfactory holds the promise of "radical, accelerated footwear production, with hyper-flexible, localized, open-source co-creation, and athlete data-driven design." While the goal of "mass customized" sneakers is ambitious, will the investment bear returns or burn out?
Functionality and Fellowship: Oracle and the Supply Chain Management Software of the Future
PC
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 4:23 pm
Legacy Supply Chain Management (SCM) software providers try to keep pace and maintain position as new technologies transform the SCM landscape.
6% of the world’s GDP under a survival of the fittest environment
AFM
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 8:01 am
The insurance industry is changing more drastically that perhaps ever before; insurance companies need to embrace digitalization in order to survive in this new brave world.
Tesla Motors: Beneficially Changing Our Climate?
S.R. Fitzgerald
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Will Tesla change our climate for the better, or will climate change disrupt their supply chain first?
Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop to Source: PepsiCo Mitigates the Risk of Global Water Scarcity
Maggie
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 8:56 pm
The "deceptive abundance" of water makes it an especially interesting litmus test for evaluating companies and their commitment to long-term sustainability. PepsiCo is an example of a company that has taken early steps to mitigate the risks of global water [...]
Enjoy your morning espresso (while you still can).
Yohann Velasco
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 9:36 pm
Is coffee under threat? Could you imagine a year without coffee? While this idea may seem far-fetched to the millions of individuals who rely on their morning espresso to fuel their day, it is certainly an area of concern for [...]
1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 39