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)

Iliad S.A.: the story behind France’s telecommunications maverick
Laurent
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Iliad enabled the French to slash their internet and phone bills by two after entering both of these markets. Here’s how they did it.
Standard Oil – A Company So Effective, Only the U.S. Government Could Compete with it
Schultzy
Posted on December 2, 2015 at 11:49 pm
In 1870, John D. Rockefeller created Standard Oil, a company that would go on to create the foundations of the modern oil & gas industry, force new business laws to be created, and become the first monopoly in the U.S.
Paddle8 – Shaking up the auction world
Chrislisl
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Moving from the gavel to the mouse
Unpacking Trader Joe’s
JJ
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:48 pm
In an industry dominated by large incumbent players and razor thin margins, Trader Joe's has discovered a winning recipe. That strategy married with flawless execution has resulted in one of the most recognized success stories of recent history.
Coalfire Systems
Andrew
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 5:22 pm
Coalfire is a leading and differentiated tech-enabled services provider to the rapidly growing cybersecurity industry.
Unilever: More Than a Just a Marketing Company
Sinem
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:56 pm
U logo – “trust mark of sustainable living?”
Roche Holdings AG
Takeo.Smith
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:28 pm
How the business, R&D, and manufacturing synergies of the Swiss drug giant helped it to become the largest biotech manufacturer in the world.
Systematizing Success at Inner City Public Schools
Dan Egan
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 9:03 pm
Success Academy employs a highly centralized, process driven model to improve the quality and consistency of student outcomes and attract donor dollars.
Starbucks: It’s not just about the coffee.
Alejandra Rios
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 5:19 pm
Starbucks' continued success is not just about the coffee, but about the close alignment between its business and operating models.
Hospital for Special Surgery
meghanp
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 11:57 pm
The hospital business model is broken - here's who’s getting it right.
23andMe: Evolution of a genomics company
Maggie
Last modified on December 3, 2015 at 11:00 pm
What started as at-home DNA testing has evolved into the next generation of personalized medicine.
Palantir: The Hottest Startup You’ve Never Heard Of
Nate Fox
Last modified on December 12, 2015 at 7:17 pm
The real differentiating feature of Palantir is the ability of its operating model to execute engineering talent arbitrage.
The IKEA Concept: More than just a good meatball
Jessica Sites
Posted on December 5, 2015 at 6:56 pm
As students, I’m sure most of us are familiar with the surprisingly affordable, yet frustratingly complicated, Ikea furniture.  But for those who may not know, Ikea is a Swedish home furnishing company known for their broad range of products at [...]
Patagonia – Turning Social Responsibility into Company Business.
Kelley
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 12:26 pm
Patagonia's Sustainability: How their efforts attract their core consumer, and make for a socially responsible business.
The Happiest Place on Earth: The Magic Recipe Behind Disney Parks 70% Return Rate
Florencia Muther
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 6:49 pm
“On a visit to a Disney theme park, a little girl and her mother came to a fenced-off construction site. To her mother’s dismay, the little girl threw her favorite Disney doll, Belle, over the fence. When park staff retrieved [...]
How NOT to run an airline : AirIndia
Charanya
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 1:29 am
A handy checklist of what not to do when you are in the airline business.
Warby Parker: The Brand Is The Mojo
Patrick
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:29 pm
Making Warby Parker 'remark'-able.
New Belgium Brewing: Employee and community fueled growth
Kristin Rhodes
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:35 pm
Overview Since its founding in 1991, the New Belgium Brewing Company has grown steadily to become the fourth largest craft brewery in the United States, producing almost a million barrels of beer per year with a carefully-selected distribution network that [...]
Patagonia’s Trek to Social Responsibility
Lily He
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Patagonia has included sustainability and social responsibility into its definition of success. How did it design its operating model to become a winner?
TriMark: The Foodservice Equipment Distribution Giant
DK
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:31 pm
In a growing, but fragment foodservice equipment distribution space, TriMark has managed to become the largest consolidator by providing better value to customers through a superior operating model vs. peers.
Walmart: Success on an Unimaginable Scale
TommyD
Last modified on December 6, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Walmarts emphasis on sales volume and cost minimization has grown it into a bohemith, Fortune 1 company
Skillshare: The Future Belongs to the Curious
TLiu
Last modified on December 2, 2015 at 11:46 pm
Skillshare is an online learning community that is crowd-sourcing education content in a clever, effective way
William Morris Endeavor (WME) and Proprietary Technology for Agents
Caroline Brody
Last modified on December 14, 2015 at 3:20 pm
How William Morris Endeavor (WME), one of the leading talent & literary agencies, uses technology to allow its agents work smarter, better, faster, stronger.
Wechat – Leaving Money on the Table or Disrupting Social Platforms with Innovation ?
Kevin Zhang
Last modified on December 10, 2015 at 12:29 am
The biggest struggle for social platforms is when and how to monetize the platform without sacrificing user experience. Has Wechat found the right formula?
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