HBS_TOM's Profile

Thanks, Jesse! I strongly agree with one of the points you briefly touched upon – their new plan to hold an inventory of vehicles represents a major change in their operating model. I agree with the issues that Bastiane and Jessica mentioned above, but to me this is the biggest area of concern. Uber’s success can largely be attributed to its inventory-less model that relies on solely matching drivers and riders. The company will have to learn how to manage a fleet of cars, and I worry that this could lead to possible inventory mismanagement and potentially less profitability.

Love this post, Cami! I can see a very obvious parallel to the ITC case we discussed a couple of weeks ago, especially in terms of the information flow between the company and the farmers. They have used technology in a smart and efficient way to overcome the challenge that the farmers’ physical locations pose. The company also reminds me of M-Pesa and other mobile payment companies that aim to reach underserved consumers in rural areas who lack access to physical infrastructure. Some of the problems these companies have faced have been regulatory, as each country they move into has different laws regarding banking and financial transactions. I can’t think of any similar regulatory issues that Esoko could face, but I would be interested in learning about potential challenges they could face as they expand into new markets.

Nice post, Joanna! We have seen a lot of digital changes in the grocery industry, but I never would have thought that the changing paper pricing signage to EPLs could generate significant cost savings as you mentioned. Thanks for writing about it! Like some of the others have mentioned, I do worry if some of the changes B Good has and is planning to implement will matter in the long-run. More and more grocery delivery services are being used these days as the idea of an “on-demand economy” strengthens, as consumers tend to value their convenience and ease. It will be interesting to see what levers B Good can pull to defend itself from rising online competition.

Thanks, Spencer. Super interesting post that shows a reverse in the digital trend that most other posts describe. Thank you for sharing. It’s interesting to think about how both young and old readers can make the case for print rather than electronic books. For the older customer who grew up with print books, it is easy to see how they would prefer them. Plus, as you mention, sometimes it is hard to view graphics, and someone with declining eyesight would have difficulty. I hadn’t thought about the reasoning for the younger consumer, especially since these are the people that I know of who use e-Readers. The point that more young people are trying to spend less time on electronics is one that I hadn’t thought of nor really witnessed, but as a book lover I’m glad to hear it!

Thanks for the post, Zack, it was a great read and interesting topic. One other aspect of the game that comes to mind is the technological advancements in the play review process. It seems like this is one area that has seen a lot of improvement over the years, and the league continues to work towards achieving the slimmest margin of error as possible. I’d be interested to see how this system continues to improve in the future.

I was super surprised by the stat: “by 2050, wine production in California is predicted to drop by 70%…”. It seems surprising that with such a dramatic impact over the next 34 years, that more vineyards aren’t currently taking corrective (or rather, preventative) steps. I like your suggestion of introducing new varieties, but I am concerned about the feasibility of getting customers on board. It seems like this could be difficult in industry in which tastes and preferences are so deep-seated and also have a certain social/class structure associated with them. I think in order to successfully employ this solution, they need to get a move on ASAP.

I think this is a great campaign that feels more genuine than others I’ve read about. I also found their recent actions in the sustainability space reinforcing of this view. The company recently came out with a beer – Long Root Ale – which is brewed with a grain called Kernza. This grain is one that doesn’t need to be replanted every year, which results in less emissions from farm machinery. Its physiological traits also preventsoil erosion. While this may seem out of left field for the apparel company, they’ve marketed it effectively as a complement to their products – encouraging consumers to enjoy a Long Root Ale after a day of trekking. I’d love to see Patagonia continue to come up with these out-of-the-box ideas to further increase their sustainability actions.

This is a great post, and so different from most of the topics others chose to discuss. Thank you for sharing! Whereas we’ve seen the impact of companies trying to transform their supply chain partners, the focus on educating youth from a young age is very interesting. I also liked how LAUSD is practicing what they preach – educating students in green facilities is an effective way to shaping the way they think about climate change. I hope to see such programs permeate more broadly through our education system.

I found this post really interesting, especially how hotels are sometimes contributors to the very issue that is negatively impacting their business and profitability. As such, it is overly important for them to take on initiatives that help mitigate the problem, since they have a more direct stake in it in terms of the viability of their company. What I found most interesting is that Hilton hasn’t done the two things you suggest they do – which to me seems more organic and/or controllable with respect to their business. It seems like the towel reuse program and working towards making their facilities more energy-friendly would be obvious starting points for the company.

Very interesting post. As you point out, it seems like H&M can continue to take steps as it progresses against its sustainability goals by focusing on its suppliers, especially since they are the biggest contributor of carbon emissions in the supply chain. I would be curious to know if H&M would consider working with these suppliers and manufacturers to use more environmentally-friendly raw materials, such as organic cotton which is less water-intensive or recycled inputs. It seems this could be a major way the company could be part of an overall more efficient supply chain.