RC TOM Challenge 2017

November 15, 2017

Read The Full Prompt

The TOM Challenge provides an opportunity for students to learn more about supply chain management by exploring how organizations are grappling with some megatrends: climate change, digitalization, and the growing influence of isolationist political movements on international trade policies.  These 700-800 word essays should address four questions:

  1. Why is (or should) your particular aspect of one of these megatrends be of concern to the management of the organization you have selected?
  2. What is the organization’s management doing to address this concern in the short term (the next two years) and the medium term (3–10 years out)?
  3. What other steps do you recommend the organization’s management take to address this concern in the short and medium terms?
  4. What are one or two important open questions related to this concern in the context of the organization you selected that you are unsure about, which merit comments from your classmates?

When posting your essay to Open Knowledge, be sure to enter “Climate change”, “Digitalization”, or “Isolationism” in the Topics field.

More details on research, sourcing, deadlines, and other matters are provided in the RC TOM Challenge: 2017 note.  For assistance with the Open Knowledge platform during business hours (9:00 am – 5:00 pm M-F), email openknowledge@hbs.edu. A short video with instructions on how to post an essay to this platform is available at https://goo.gl/yyXK2H.

Submitted (924)

Facebook: Impact on Small- and Midsize Businesses in Global Digital Economy
Gabe Stacy
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:18 pm
Facebook is among a number of catalysts behind the breakdown of supply chains and the mass digitization of consumer and brand interactions – i.e., traditional supply and demand dynamics. Facebook is a driving force behind this transformation of the supply [...]
Could Ocean Acidification Take Oysters off the Menu and Destroy a Billion Dollar Industry?
Matija Pecotic
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:45 pm
Ocean Acidification is killing oyster larvae and threatening the future of the shellfish industry. How will oyster farmers react?
For Some, Finding A Match Is About Life And Death
murray&hume
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 10:13 am
Can artificial intelligence help underpin the gross undersupply of organ transplants?
The Pinnacle of Urgency: Pinnacle Foods’ Efforts at Addressing Climate Change
Lily
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Pinnacle Foods reaches 85% of American households. But its brands' raw materials - agricultural products - are at risk due to climate change. What is the company doing to address this existential threat?
Climate Change Demands More from Tesla’s Energy Storage Technology
Carol Jenkins
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:16 pm
Will Tesla develop cost-effective energy storage solutions to support renewable energy in the fight against climate change?
“Your Uber Robot Is On the Way”: The Transformation of Uber’s Supply Chain in a Driverless World
Jordan Martinez
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:22 pm
The arms race for autonomous vehicle technology has raised fundamental questions about how Uber will deliver ride hailing services in the future.
IBM: Tracking the Supply Chain Using Blockchain
JS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:48 pm
IBM is trying to use Blockchain to save the food supply chain billions in costs and also it's own legacy in the technology service industry.
Transforming Ford: Supplying Mobility in a Digital World
Trevor
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:28 pm
Will Ford be a winner in the future of mobility or just produce a 'faster horse'?
Displacing Excel Monkeys: How Facebook is Automating the Forecasting Process
Michael Aft
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:18 pm
When people think about global supply chains, Facebook probably isn’t the first company that comes to mind. Facebook, however, operates a complex global supply chain, delivering its products to billions of people and collecting trillions of data points every day. [...]
Tokyo’s surprise for the 2020 Olympics – Hydrogen, the energy for next generation
S.K.
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:34 pm
Tokyo is warming up for the 2020 Olympics. It will be the second time for the capital city of Japan to host the event. During the Olympics in 1964, Tokyo surprised the world by introducing the fastest, safest, and most [...]
Climate Change and ABI
MeghanK
Last modified on November 12, 2017 at 9:49 am
Global beer company AB-InBev has made great strides over the past few years to address global climate change's affect on their supply chain.
Apps on Apps: Tesco uses digitalization to tackle food waste
TomWriter88
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:30 pm
Tesco admitted wasting 30,000 tonnes of food in 2013. Now it is using apps, big data, and analytics to cut down on food waste and redistribute it to people in need.
The Digitization of Ice Cream
Ice Cream
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:57 pm
Nestle is leveraging digitization to modernize its cold chain. Melting ice cream and stockouts are only some of the issues that it hopes to tackle through this initiative.
Cuba Libre: Airbnb’s Approach to Diplomacy in Cuba
Open Sesame
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 9:45 pm
As United States foreign policy doubles down on a generation old and globally contentious trade embargo, Airbnb is flexing its home sharing platform to let Americans and Cubans reestablish ties through “person-to-person diplomacy”
Finding data in the grocery aisle
Joe Moriarty
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Traditional grocery stores need to embrace customer data to stay competitive in omni-channel.
The impact of Brexit on Kerry Group
RKR
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:17 pm
The impact of Brexit on Kerry Group Ireland has incredibly close geographic and economic ties to the UK, with Irish exports to the UK representing 35% of total Irish exports[1]. As such, Brexit was always going to have significant impact [...]
3D Printing and Robots…for your Running Shoes?
aninnymouse
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:25 pm
Anyone who has ordered the NikeID customized shoe has likely felt the pain of waiting up to 5 weeks to receive their order. What if Nike could mitigate this by reducing lead time to 10 days?
Cargill’s Blockchain Pilot: Turkey Tracking Gimmick or ‘Hot-to-Trot’ Agricultural Revolution
DrewJohnson
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 3:27 pm
Cargill recently announced that it was piloting the use of blockchain in its supply chain. The question remains, is this a gimmick aimed at driving publicity or the start of the next digital revolution in agribusiness?
H&M Leads the Way for Sustainable Fast Fashion
Melissa Schwartz
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 6:36 pm
H&M has committed to being Climate Positive by 2040 through a multi-step plan that focuses on the entire value chain.
From Harvard to HarvardX: Are we there yet?
Blue Ocean
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 4:53 pm
Digitization is reshaping the higher education supply chain and now is the time to choose which side of history to be on.
Digitalization – Shake Shack’s Secret Sauce for Growth
TOM1
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Shake Shack is implementing digital technology throughout the supply chain to aid its rapid expansion. What will happen to the long lines in store and the quality of burgers?
Uber: Paving the Way for Self-driving Trucks
Alejandro
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 5:59 pm
How Uber is disrupting trucking with autonomous vehicles and what additional advancements can we expect in the future.
Big Internet Retailers Demand Partner Companies Advance their Supply Chains
Tomuser62
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 10:17 pm
Internet retailing giant Amazon forces other companies to optimize their own supply chains to remain competitive as partners. Learn about how companies are making improvements, such as automation, by following Fulfillment Marketing.
Proctor & Gamble: The Amazon of Consumer Product Goods?
LoveForBrands
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:46 pm
“The consumer is moving online for groceries? Just add online as another channel of sales! That should not be very hard, right?” Imagine a supply chain with more than 130 manufacturing sites and more than 200 distribution centers. And then [...]
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