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)

SPS Commerce, Inc.: Managing Supply Chain in the Cloud
Alex Sambvani
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 7:40 pm
SPS Commerce, Inc. offers and end-to-end supply chain management software suite, but more importantly, it creates a community around its customers and facilitates information sharing and communication between them.
Paperless Post: Design Meets Technology
Pandanation
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 9:36 pm
Creating beautiful, well-designed communication for people who live both online and offline.
Made Eyewear- Innovating convenience, quality, and personalization in affordable products
Gheedmak
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Background Made Eyewear is an online store for customizable eyewear. The website provides a customer-friendly platform that allows users to select the design and customize their glasses, insert their prescription details, send finalized samples to their address to try at home, [...]
Nitori: 28 years consecutive profit increase
Kohei Arai
Last modified on December 10, 2015 at 8:00 am
Nitori, the largest furniture company, has recorded 26 years consecutive increase in its operating profit. Its operating model has supported the low-price strategy and the proposed concept of "Total Coordination".
Wounded Warrior Project: Not quite the hero we expect?
John D. Basilone
Posted on December 7, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Wounded Warrior Project - charitable organization or successful marketing firm?
Danaher and its Business System – A Model of Excellence
Ben Fehr TOM Challenge - The Danaher Way
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 9:05 pm
While not groundbreaking today, Danaher's operating model in the 1980's sought to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency. By aligning its operating model and business model since its early days, Danaher today has become a $19B industry superstar.
Jet.com: A Lesson in Adapatability
Kelsey Boyd
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 5:02 pm
In the first few months after its launch, Jet.com isn't afraid to experiment to get its business model right
Postmates: Logistical Winners in the On-Demand Sharing Economy
Ellen DaSilva
Last modified on November 28, 2015 at 10:44 pm
Postmates is a food-delivery service that is winning because of its intricate logistical reliance on third-party couriers
Warby Parker: The Brand Is The Mojo
Patrick
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:29 pm
Making Warby Parker 'remark'-able.
The house always wins
SK Misra
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 6:05 pm
The effectiveness of Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas
Dorman Products: The First To Find Fault
Mike Bechek
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 11:50 pm
The company that knows what's wrong with your car before you do.
Tesla Motors – Electrifying the Future
Brandon Reeves
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 9:32 pm
"Our goal when we created Tesla a decade ago was the same as it is today: to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible." - Elon Musk
Zara: Fashion at its Fastest
Tobi
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 8:47 pm
Zara: "How can we make clothes that people actually want to wear"
Success of SF Express in China
ClayZ
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 10:16 pm
How does a courier company differentiate itself in an undifferentiated industry?
T.J. Maxx – Using Buyers & Suppliers to Cash in on Off Price Retail
Elliott Campbell
Last modified on November 27, 2015 at 7:44 pm
The off-price retail chain T.J. Maxx (“TJX”) is a great example of a business that has been highly effective at driving alignment between both its operating and business model. TJX, headquartered in Framingham, MA, is an American department store chain [...]
Wegmans: The Best of Four Worlds
Kim Teti
Posted on December 5, 2015 at 1:19 pm
Wegmans has earned a loyal customer base through its four-pronged business model that combines the best attributes of its competitors into a unique shopping experience. But, how has Wegmans been able to deliver this all-around winning experience when other grocers [...]
Jardines del Tiempo: Death as a Business
I
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 10:43 am
A deep understanding of its customers' behaviors allowed this Company to integrate its two seemingly independent businesses
First Gen – Power to the People
Rafa
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 11:36 pm
How an energy player will spare no expense for operational efficiency
Jet.com: Bring it On, Amazon!
danielleeven
Last modified on December 6, 2015 at 11:46 am
How a new entrant in the e-commerce space has already “taken-off”
Water for Life: Doing Well in Haiti
DeJeune
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Water for Life Haiti uses its mission-driven business model to dig wells in Haiti, providing access to clean water and a sense of ownership within rural communities.
Everlane: Winning with ‘Radical Transparency’
AFE
Last modified on December 5, 2015 at 5:12 pm
Everlane is an online retailer offering elevated “basics” (i.e. white t-shirts, cashmere sweaters, leather tote bags). Everlane’s entire business model is centered on “price transparency” in their products. Everlane is targeting the millennial shopper who believe in companies with a [...]
Less Than Clean Car Wash
AWang
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:58 pm
Dirty cars, ineffective operations
Spirit Airlines: Ultra-Low-Cost, Ultra-Impressive-Profits
rfennerty
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 8:25 pm
Spirit Airlines has accomplished the seemingly impossible in the US airline industry: it has never lost money. It does so by keeping its business model, customer promise, and operating model simple and tightly aligned. It offers the lowest fares by [...]
PikiCast, the mobile media that sums up last night’s TV shows for you (and more!)
changeme_38
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:56 pm
Meet PikiCast, the curated content service created for the busy modern person.
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