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)

Adidas: Fighting Climate Change in the Name of Sports
Student 2019
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:28 am
To take an analogy from soccer, Adidas is doing the talking on the pitch when it comes to combating climate change
Royal Dutch Shell: From Hydrocarbons to Electrons
Kristina
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 3:57 pm
The future is electric Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are here to stay. A significant reduction in lithium-ion battery prices, increasing commitment from automakers to prioritize BEVs and supportive legislation are fueling a rapid growth in BEV customer acceptance. By 2040, [...]
Right turn only? Car manufacturing in Brexit Britain
RM
Last modified on November 12, 2017 at 10:05 pm
Nissan's produces cars for the European market in the UK, importing many of the components used from suppliers on the continent. New terms of trade driven by Brexit threaten to significantly disrupt this model, increasing costs and operational risk.
Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo’s Sustainability Mission
TOM2017
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 12:54 pm
PepsiCo understands that its business success is linked to sustainability. Since 2006, it has been on a mission to improve how it interacts with the environment to help combat the effects of climate change through “Performance with Purpose.” But are [...]
Berry Risky Business, Driscoll’s…
MJ
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:50 pm
In the face of isolationism, how will Driscoll's continue to supply berries to anti-oxidant hungry Americans?
Grocery: the next online frontier
Shreya Kadaba
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 7:23 pm
Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods in June 2017 shook the supermarket industry on fears that the newly merged company would quickly take share from traditional supermarkets and has forced grocers to boost their online delivery options. How incumbents, such as [...]
Ford’s Global Supply Chain Hits a Bumpy Road
CranberryCo.
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:14 pm
Isolationist trade policies threaten to disrupt the supply chain of U.S. auto manufacturers such as Ford.
Sweetgreen: ‘Romaine’-ing Sustainable While Scaling
LW
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 7:05 pm
Sweetgreen's customer promise of sustainable, locally sourced ingredients poses a supply chain challenge as the company scales, and exposes Sweetgreen to significant climate change risk.
UNIQLO: Transformation to a Digital Consumer Retail Company
Meg Takada
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:48 pm
To respond quickly to the demanding customer needs, UNIQLO has digitized its supply chain to transform into Digital Consumer Retail Company. Does this change accelerate their growth to surpass its competitors in global fast-fashion market?
Exporting Entertainment: Can CJ E&M Rely on the Chinese Market?
dc
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:11 pm
In November 2017, CJ Entertainment and Media CEO Tae-sung Jeong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news: South Korean President Jae-in Moon had reached a consensus with Chinese President Jin-ping Xi on improving trade relations between the two [...]
Will we be able to Amazon prime prescription drugs soon?
stgupta
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:16 pm
Amazon is rumored to have taken measures to enter the pharmacy supply chain market. Can it be successful in pulling off yet another disruption?
Isolationism – Where should Samsung Go?
Dylan
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:13 pm
“Thank you, @Samsung! We would love to have you!” – President Trump on his Twitter
Supply Chain Management – A Matter of Life and Death
Professor Emeritus
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 5:59 pm
Could Supply Chain Management be the best Cure for Medical Errors in the US?
Schneider National and Technological Advancements in the Trucking Industry
mattasperheim
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 8:16 am
With advancements in customer technology platforms and the rise of e-commerce players such as Amazon, the trucking industry has been forced reevaluate the way it does business. What investments must carriers make now to stay competitive, and how should they [...]
The automotive industry – the usual suspect!
Bahia
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:45 pm
From Model T to Autonomous Vehicle: How is Ford addressing climate change to drive towards a greener future?
Caterpillar: Building the Supply Chain of the Future
GR
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Caterpillar is using data and analytics to manage its complex supply chain and reduce costs.
Maple, a restaurant without walls
Ian
Last modified on November 13, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Maple, a NYC-based food-delivery service founded in 2014, offered restaurant-quality food for delivery through an app and online. The industry was abuzz about this new food startup - but was its business model viable?
Planes Can’t Soar in Soaring Temperatures
ar13
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Emirates is now faced with the realities of aviation in an increasingly hotter environment. With skyrocketing temperatures in the city, Emirates must find a way to mitigate the challenges of flying in higher temperatures and adopt a comprehensive environmental sustainability [...]
The Grape Depression
Grant
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:09 pm
Why you may have to trade in your California Cab for an Oregon Pinot Noir -- or be forced to pay the price
The role of radiologists in the days of AI – Users? Supervisors? Interventionists?
Howard Yan
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 1:20 pm
In 2011, by beating human at the game Jeopardy, Watson provided the world a glimpse the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Fast forward only a few years, the rapid development of deep neural networks has further expanded human’s imagination of [...]
Don’t Cry Over Sour Milk, Fix It
KS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:03 pm
Chobani's hockeystick growth came to a screeching halt as a result of supply chain mismanagement - then an integrated digital supply chain came to the rescue
P&G: End-to-end Supply Chain Model
ST
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:40 pm
P&G has established its competitive edge to lead the global supply chain with the concept of end-to-end model. How does the company leverage digital capability to build its supply chain model?
Helvetia: a Swiss insurer on time with digitalization
J.M.
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:46 pm
While Fintechs (financial technology companies) have been transforming the banking industry for a decade, traditional insurance companies had, until recently, been protected by a heavy regulation and the complex nature of their products. It is now time for them to [...]
Danone Russia: 5 years to collect Digitalization fruits
Ted
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 12:03 am
France-based Danone owns 57,5% of Danone Russia which have only 5 years in very competitive market to prove their potential and convince global company to buy out the remaining stake. Is Digitalization the right tool to efficiently support this transformation?
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