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)

Spotify and the Digitization of Music
Trainwreck
Posted on December 3, 2015 at 8:50 am
How Spotify became invaluable to the music industry
Trader Joe’s – Alignment Under Secrecy
BP
Last modified on December 3, 2015 at 11:09 pm
Trader Joe's leverages secrecy to execute on their promise of great food + great prices
PCRF: Providing a solution to healthcare problems in the Middle East
Miral Alaraj
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 10:55 pm
“PCRF offers hope and a light of humanity in the Middle East by continuing to provide thousands of children medical care and humanitarian aid that they otherwise would not have access to due to the political and economic forces. The [...]
TaskRabbit: Your Retinue of Errand Runners
Thomas Kontchou
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:22 pm
How TaskRabbit overhauled its matching system to better align its operational and business model
Bain & Company: A people-oriented approach to driving impact
Roger Zhu
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 8:22 pm
How a consulting firm used its greatest asset to differentiate from its competitors.
Bonobos: Hybridizing the Digital and Physical Shopping Experience
AkeelRangwala
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:30 pm
For many men, the ideal shopping experience is markedly different than what women typically envision. The ecommerce platform, Bonobos, took advantage of this difference to create a business model specifically targeted for the needs of male shoppers. To achieve their [...]
Why “Demolition Man”, Fab.com’s former CEO should have studied TOM (at GSB) before running his company into the ground
Iulia
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:58 pm
Fab.com's failure due to operational inefficiency and too high growth targets.
Wealthfront – Why Automated Advising and Millennials Were Made For Each Other.
Monica
Last modified on December 22, 2015 at 10:45 am
FinTech at its finest.
From Passive to Active Road Traffic Management
Ahmed Eldemerdash
Posted on December 6, 2015 at 7:56 pm
How most of the current traffic control systems are far away from achieving what they are made for and some potential solutions
CoCo, a Taiwanese treat with Global mind
Chris Wen
Last modified on December 14, 2015 at 5:57 pm
CoCo, a Taiwanese fresh-made tea brand, has been providing high quality take away beverage including boba tea since 1997 and has grown globally in recent years as well. CoCo’s mission is the relentless pursuit of soothing people with high quality [...]
Tesla: Redefining a Trillion Dollar Industry
Rob Toews
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:18 pm
In the span of a few short years, Tesla has completely reconceptualized what it means to be a car company and forced every major auto manufacturer to adapt in response. Matt S.....I'm sorry in advance.
Venmo: The Facebook of e-payments?
Ben
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 6:02 pm
Venmo's business and operating models are well-aligned, but the business model has not yet captured much value. It will have to evolve to do so and Venmo has already prepared its operating model to support such a shift.
Harvest Power
NotSamJohnson
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 4:08 pm
Farm to fork to fuel to farm: putting organic waste resources to work
Harry’s | Giving Men’s Grooming a Clean Shave
Gabo
Last modified on December 10, 2015 at 9:31 am
"Quality craftsmanship, simple design, modern convenience and most importantly for guys who know they shouldn't have to overpay for a great shave."
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.
FC Bayern Munich – achieving unparalleled sporting and financial success in the world of soccer
Rohan
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 7:24 pm
Bayern Munich has managed to become a dominating force in world soccer by carefully aligning its operating and business model
REI: Equipped to Endure
Doug
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 7:48 pm
REI sells outdoor equipment in a manner that creates consumer trust. With a business and operating model that align like peanut butter and jelly, they are a successful company with a bright future.
Combatant Gentleman: Dress Smarter
SteveHill
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 5:23 pm
Combatant Gentleman is helping today's young professions get a leg up in the office.
Bridge International Academies: Rapidly Scaling Education for Kenya’s Poorest Children
SudipSingh
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 4:59 pm
How a for-profit social enterprise has managed to provide 118,000 of East Africa's poorest kids an affordable, high-quality education.
KONE – Onwards and Upwards!
Charles MacBain
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 7:05 pm
How KONE is able to leverage its operational capabilities to create a thriving business model
Apple – AppStore, Industrial Design, Innovation, and Supplier Leverage
Allen Liu
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 11:30 pm
Background: 1997 marked the year Steve Jobs returned to Apple after being forced to leave the company in 1985 due to disappointing Macintosh sales. [1] With his return, along with the promotion of Jonathan Ive as senior vice president of industrial design, [...]
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
Zappos – Powered by Service but Stunted by Recent Changes?
Eric Chu
Posted on December 5, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Zappos has effectively set the standard for other e-commerce operations and, with annual sales in excess of $2 billion dollars, it’s clear that Zappos has been able to align its business and operating models. However, as they continue to experiment [...]
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