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)

Yoox: The Internet of Luxury
Aparna
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 11:29 pm
At its heart, and in its own words, Yoox is a “global logistics structure that has been specifically customized for fashion e-commerce.” An analysis of how Yoox.com was able to take luxury fashion online, tailor its offering to dozens of [...]
Johnson & Johnson
KKing
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 5:12 pm
Company Overview “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services.” [1] As the first line in Johnson & Johnson’s values-driven Credo dictates, the [...]
HBS – Harvard = Business School
David
Last modified on December 5, 2015 at 3:53 pm
Yeah, it's meta.
Tomato Jos: Empowering Nigerian Farmers and Producing Food Products Locally
SdZ
Last modified on December 6, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Tomato Jos: Empowering Nigerian Farmers and Producing Food Products Locally
What’s in Your Luggage?
BaaaaagLady...
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 11:10 pm
What your perfect travel companion has to says about design innovation...
LUV What You Do
Aaron K.
Last modified on December 5, 2015 at 10:01 pm
The airline industry is known to be a tough business. Capital costs are high, regulation is prolific, and competition is fierce. How then has Southwest Airlines (SWA) managed to differentiate itself as the only airline with 41 years of profitability?
Zara: Fast Growth through Fast Fashion
Lillian Cheng
Posted on November 29, 2015 at 9:31 pm
How Zara has leveraged its operational structure to drive a competitive advantage in fashion retail
LinkedIn’s Platform Business Model Poises Company for Astronomical Future Growth
Rahkeem
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 11:40 pm
LinkedIn is an example of a company with an effective alignment of its business and operating model. LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with 332 million users, operating a multi-sided business model platform. To help assess LinkedIn's business and [...]
PillPack: the new kid on the block in the world of pharmacy
Sojung
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:32 pm
PillPack is a Somerville, MA-based an independent online pharmacy start-up founded in February 2014, with $62.5M raised to date (valuation unknown). In less than two years, PillPack has distributed over a million individual dose packets, acquired licenses to serve patients [...]
Have you ever tried to become a Uber Driver?
Rizzo
Posted on December 1, 2015 at 9:58 pm
Uberify your business and operating model
Amazon Web Services: A Down Payment on the Future of Computing
Micah
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 2:20 pm
The digital retailer’s big bet on the cloud.
Pizza-Pizza or Win-Win? Little Caesars, A Slice Above The Rest
TChadwick
Posted on December 9, 2015 at 10:21 pm
In the war for pizza, Little Caesars has found a way to expertly address the challenges faced in the highly competitive pizza market.
ArcelorMittal USA
sblemast
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 11:34 pm
ArcelorMittal USA creates high quality steel safely and sustainably in order to differentiate itself from its competitors
Danaher – A Modern Marvel of Continuous Improvement
Andrew Banovic
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 6:04 am
Danaher - Continuing to turn seemingly lumps of coal into diamonds!
Moleskine: the “de-commoditization” of the notebook
AndreaBrazzelli
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 10:40 pm
How to create a unique market place through innovation
Delta Airlines: Flying High in a Competitive Industry
Sam C
Posted on December 8, 2015 at 10:54 pm
Despite stiff rivalry in the airline industry, Delta consistently finds innovative ways to soar above the rest.
Thor Urbana Capital: brick and mortar in the online era
Sgonzalez
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:44 pm
Delivering exciting experiences and emotional connections through real estate
Virtue in Vice Media – The “Time Warner of the streets” and its plan to occupy…
gc
Last modified on December 10, 2015 at 4:19 pm
From a free Montreal-based “punk” magazine to an international media powerhouse with a $4B valuation.
MoveLoot: Making Moving Hassle-Free
taarini.vohra
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 10:59 pm
Changing the Process of Moving
BaubleBar: Fast Fashion Disrupting the Jewelry Industry
Palak
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 6:59 pm
BaubleBar is striving to become the go-to destination for fashion jewelry by providing the latest trends at an affordable price.
GrubHub: The Alignment is…SEAMLESS!
itallett
Last modified on December 9, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Seamless alignment no unicorn can touch
L.L. Bean: It Pays to be a Contrarian
Anthony R
Last modified on December 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm
What happens when IDEO Design Thinking meets a Vertically Integrated Supply Chain meets a No-Holds-Barred Customer Satisfaction Policy? Simple. Meet L.L. Bean.
Corning Incorporated: Always Bright Ideas
Rex Flostereo
Last modified on December 7, 2015 at 7:07 pm
Shining a light on why you need to know about Corning!
Solazyme: from Biofuels to Biofacials
MikeM
Last modified on November 30, 2015 at 10:01 pm
The ongoing saga of Solazyme's troubled path towards commercialization and sustainable operations.
1 … 11 12 13 14 15 … 39