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)

Ryanair: A TOM winner from Europe.
mgodek
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 5:52 pm
Ryanair, Europe's largest airline is a low cost carrier with a formidable track record of implementing low-cost carrier business model, by keeping costs low, volumes high and finding additional revenue sources.
Emirates – The largest airline in the Middle East
Vimit
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 6:53 pm
Emirates is an airline based in Dubai and its integrated business and operating models have made Emirates commercially successful.
The secret ingredient in IKEA’s meatballs
Xavier Azcue
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:25 pm
IKEA's business model revolutionized retail as we know it, and their sound and aligned operating model allowed them to execute on it. This has lead IKEA to become the biggest furniture seller worldwide.
Illinois Tool Works: Extreme Decentralization
Jon_Sheedy
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 6:01 pm
Building a conglomerate with operations in 57 countries one customer at a time.
My Home Is Your Home: Airbnb Revamps the Hospitality Industry
Komal
Last modified on December 10, 2015 at 12:00 am
Airbnb challenges the status quo in the hospitality industry.
Bloomberg: From Financial Markets to Acquisition Targets
Bing
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 7:30 pm
Bloomberg: Get yours now!
ASOS: Delivering Fast Fashion to Style-Conscious Twenty-Somethings
Nkem Oghedo
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Founded in 2000, UK-based ASOS has grown to become one of the world’s most successful online fashion retailers. In 2015, ASOS had ~10 M active customers, 60% of whom were located outside the UK. The site attracted 90 M visits [...]
NIKE: Inspiring Athletes around the World
D-Shaq
Last modified on December 4, 2015 at 3:01 pm
An examination of how Nike leverages synergies between its business and operating model to dominate the market.
Guidewire Software – Sexy and They Know It
Scott-Niehaus
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 7:15 pm
Introduction Core systems insurance software for the property & casualty (P&C) industry isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of sexy disruptive technologies.  For the 99% of us that fall into that group, let me introduce [...]
Rio Tinto: supplying raw materials for the world
Alek
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 5:22 pm
Rio Tinto survives commodity crash by aligning business and operating model to focus on low-cost mineral production
Rocket Internet’s venture building platform makes entrepeneurship scalable
E
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 12:51 am
Rocket Internet developed an operating model in the form a venture-building platform that facilitates the effective launch, growth and exit of its portfolio companies.
Warby Parker: Disrupting the Eyewear Industry
Lisa
Last modified on December 12, 2015 at 3:30 pm
Warby Parker offers a winning value proposition – fashionable, quality glasses at an affordable price – and its commitment to doing good in the world makes it a star in the eyes of customers.
Doorman – the future of E-Commerce delivery?
Max
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 8:48 pm
You love to buy online - but you are getting sick of missing your delivery or have your parcel stolen in front of your door? You can imagine better things to do on your Saturday afternoon than driving miles away [...]
HubSpot is Effectively Evangelizing Inbound Marketing
John Winters
Last modified on November 29, 2015 at 11:06 pm
HubSpot's business model and operating model are an example of a unified and effective vision.
Boxed: Love that Bulk!
rvernovskaya
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 6:06 pm
How a game developer is using technology to deliver groceries and savings to your door.
Partner’s Health Care: The Doctor will Hustle you now
rbot
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 8:24 pm
According to the U.S Department of Commerce, health care spending in the US amounted to 17.4 percent of GDP in 2013. [1] At this level of spending, an unaware observer might assume that Americans consumed a platter of world class, [...]
Stantt: A Custom-Fitting Shirt With the Speed and Cost of Off-the-Rack
Peter Niehaus
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 6:15 pm
A high-tech clothing line that delivers perfectly-fitting casual and formal men’s shirts using just three measurements and at a fraction of the cost of custom
Iron Mountain: Finding efficiency in the inefficiency of a paper-based world
Ashley Artim
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 9:05 pm
Iron Mountain leverages scale and density to efficiently transport and store "mountains" of paperwork for businesses around the world.
The Spotify ‘Squad’: How to successfully lead a global organization WITHOUT an operations team
Alexander Clamor
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:57 pm
How to successfully lead a global organization WITHOUT an operations team
DoorDash: on-demand delivery at your door
Nikos
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 5:57 pm
With its logistics algorithms, an army of crowd-sourced couriers and the use of location data, DoorDash aspires to change the same-day delivery landscape.
Warby Parker: “Why Should Should a Pair of Glasses Cost as Much as an iPhone?”
Kate Nihill
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Warby Parker provides stylish, socially-conscious eyewear at an affordable price point ($95) through their own e-commerce channel and brick-and-mortar stores.
Intuit: Journey from Waterfall to Agile
Yuvnesh
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 12:51 am
Intuit Inc. is a software company that develops financial and tax preparation software and related services for small businesses, accountants and individuals.
Kraft Heinz: Why ketchup makes macaroni & cheese better
David W
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 1:57 pm
An inside look at the mega-merger that is transforming the CPG industry
Pernod Ricard – achieving growth through premiumisation
Pierre-Matthieu
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 7:39 pm
Pernod Ricard, the second largest spirits and wine company in the world, has achieved tremendous success by focus on the premium spirits market and by closely aligning its business model with its operational one.
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