The TOM Challenge: TOM Winners and Losers Assignment

December 09, 2015

Read The Full Prompt

The basic thesis of the TOM course is that company performance is driven by the alignment between the company’s business model and operating model. As defined in the “Introduction to the RC TOM Course” note, a business model is defined as how the firm creates and captures value, and an operating model refers to the processes that transform a firm’s assets (e.g., capital, labor, intellectual property, equipment, etc.) into valuable actions.

Please identify one organization in the global economy that you think is highly effective (or one that is highly ineffective) at driving alignment between its operating and business models

  1. Did you choose the company as an example of effectiveness or ineffectiveness? Why?
  2. Describe the company’s business and operating models. What is interesting about them?
  3. Do the models align and support each other?  How?  What specific features of the operating model are designed to create and sustain competitive advantage?  What features of the business model leverage unique capabilities of its operating model?  What are the implications for performance?

Submitted (929)

It Looked Good On Paper…FedEx Kinkos
SFuertes
Last modified on December 10, 2015 at 12:35 am
In what was intended to be a merger to bolster the alignment between operating and business models, FedEx Kinkos was a mistake from Page 1.
Monopoly, Mercenaries and Merchandize – Making of the biggest multi-national corporation ever
Vaibhav Vijoy Singh
Last modified on December 11, 2015 at 5:19 am
Lessons from the once dominant East India Company, for the multi-national businesses of tomorrow
Etsy is Reimagining Commerce in Ways that Build a More Fulfilling and Lasting World
Andrew Lowry
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 9:12 pm
Etsy is a global marketplace where people around the world connect, both online and offline, to make, sell and buy unique goods
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Etoile: Michelin stars made effective
sgoeldi
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 4:04 pm
TOM brought to you by the most starred chef in the world
Mobileye: A Focused Drive
changeme_20
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 10:13 pm
How Mobileye's laser-focus will enable it to win the race to drive your car
Krispy Kreme: A Fresh Hot Mess
alee
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 9:25 pm
Why Krispy Kreme’s signature hot glazed doughnuts was not enough to satiate investors’ appetites.
Tencent’s Growth Through Accelerated Innovation Processes
Hermione
Last modified on December 1, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Tencent successively used accelerated innovation processes to become one of the largest internet companies in the world.
ZARA: Sprinting past traditional retail
Anna Marie Wagner
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 5:02 pm
ZARA has developed a large-scale, super-fast supply chain to allow it to capitalize on trends as soon as they happen.
ClassPass: Gym Trial, Business Error?
Alison Lu
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Will ClassPass ever be profitable?
ALDI – A German success story
Peter G
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 10:07 pm
ALDI is a leading global supermarket operator that has revolutionized the supermarket industry in the last century using a strict no-nonsense value driven approach to all aspects of its business
Trois Mec. Stirring the Pot in Fine Dining.
Hailey Sarage
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 5:21 pm
The alignment of business and operations never tasted so good.
Bear Stearns: Gone in 60 Seconds
Alex Chun
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 5:13 pm
A look into the sudden collapse of the $400 billion Wall Street giant.
RadioShack: A Fallen Retail Giant
ALULA
Last modified on December 14, 2015 at 2:58 pm
RadioShack was an electronic retailer that build its brand equity around selling electronics, but found its growth, and eventual downfall, as it expanded into manufacturing and distribution operations, causing the business to be squeezed out by competition with stronger and [...]
Transforming from CSN Stores to Wayfair
Student
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 9:48 pm
Wayfair: set up for success?
Didi Kuaidi & China’s Car-Hailing Market
Tara Tai
Last modified on December 4, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Didi Kuaidi is an example of competitive advantage derived from effective alignment between business and operating models.
WeWork: How can shared office space be valued at $10bn?
stuart
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 8:21 pm
WeWork runs a simple office space arbitrage model. How can it be valued at $10bn? Is it sustainable?
Gilead Sciences: Innovation for growth
Alonso
Last modified on December 6, 2015 at 8:45 pm
Gilead Sciences is one of the top-performing companies in the biotechnology industry with an operating model that combines R&D with M&A strategies.
The Dana-Farber Successfully Sutures the Surgical Efficiency Gap
Tehsina
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 9:47 pm
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) has turned a newly developed sedation suite into value-enhancements for its patients.
Xiabu Xiabu – Unique Hot Pot Chain
Qing Chang
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:30 pm
Ranked 2nd in the fast casual restaurant industry in China and capturing 52% market share within the fast casual hot pot segment, Xiabu Xiabu (XBXB) revamped the entire concept of traditional hot pot cuisine since 1998. It differentiates itself from [...]
Quanergy: Look Ma! No Hands
Rob Jones
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 11:34 pm
How a Silicon Valley start-up is helping accelerate the adaptation of driverless cars.
Rightmove – Creating value for property buyers, sellers and agents
UB
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 9:01 pm
Network effects and a sound operating model combine to create a clear market leader.
FedEx: The world’s largest continuous flow process
John Paul Andree
Last modified on December 3, 2015 at 6:55 pm
From package pickup to final delivery, FedEx's air freight network is the world's largest continuous flow process, allowing it to deliver on its customer promise of fast, overnight, and reliable delivery.
Bridj: Bridging the gap between public transit and Uber
So Many Cranberries
Posted on December 5, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Bridj aims to provide a higher-quality work commute for a lower cost than Uber.
Sephora: Behind the Scenes of the Beauty Behemoth
Baker's Dozen
Posted on December 2, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Sephora's competitive advantage in the prestige beauty space stems from integrated business and operating models that support the company's broader objective to enhance the customer experience at every touchpoint.
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