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RC TOM Challenge 2018

November 13, 2018

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The TOM Challenge provides an opportunity for you to continue exploring organizational learning and innovation through the lens of process improvement and/or product development, the focus of RC TOM’s second module. In this challenge, you will investigate how an organization is grappling with machine learning, additive manufacturing, or open innovation. These megatrends are likely to significantly affect how organizations manage process improvement and product development in the coming years of your career. The TOM Challenge requires you to (1) conduct research and write an essay that examines how one organization is facing a particular aspect of one of these megatrends, and (2) write six comments that share your reflections on some of your section mates’ essays.

Your essay should address four questions in the context of the organization you choose:

  1. Why do you think the megatrend you selected is important to your organization’s management of process improvement and/or product development?
  2. What is the organization’s management doing to address this issue in the short term (the next two years) and the medium term (two to ten years out)?
  3. What other steps do you recommend the organization’s management take to address this issue in the short and medium terms?
  4. In the context of this organization, what are one or two important open questions related to this issue that you are unsure about that merit comments from your classmates?

Your essay should convey facts, analysis, and your recommendations. It should focus on a single organization (e.g., a single company, non-profit organization, or government agency) and a concern related to one megatrend. It is fine if the concern you choose relates to other megatrends that the organization is facing, but that’s not required. Roughly a third of your essay should be dedicated to each of the first three questions, with just a few sentences dedicated to the fourth question. Your essay should be at least 700 words but no more than 800 words, and must conclude with a word count in parentheses (such as 778 words).

When posting your essay to Open Knowledge, be sure to enter “Machine Learning”, “Additive Manufacturing”, or “Isolationism” in the Topics field.

More details on research, sourcing, deadlines, and other matters are provided in the RC TOM Challenge: 2018 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://aiinstitute.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/how-to/.

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Submitted (926)

Square Inc.: Demystifying the Black Box of Small Business Lending
Sarika
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:23 pm
Square's use of alternate data sources combined with machine learning is transforming access to credit for millions of small businesses.
BlackRock: Is the Future of Investing in Machine Learning?
CG
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:04 pm
This post discusses how BlackRock is leveraging AI more broadly and ML specifically for process improvement and product development, which could result in potentially significant revenue generation.
Ripple: Leveraging Distributed Ledger Technology to create a single International Remittance Network
Jayant Walia
Last modified on November 14, 2018 at 9:26 pm
Opening up International Remittances
Machine Learning Journey of Burberry: Is There Room For Machine Learning in Luxury Goods Industry?
Bilge Cavus
Last modified on November 15, 2018 at 10:01 pm
Luxury retail brand Burberry is one of the machine learning pioneers within the luxury goods industry. Burberry intensively uses machine learning algorithms to improve customer service, to fight counterfeit products and to offer personalized shopping experience to the customers.
The Revolution Has Begun: Siemens’ Use of Additive Manufacturing to Drive Innovation and Production Enhancement
Honey Badger
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 8:00 pm
Now that the 4th Industrial Revolution is upon us, industry titan Siemens is positioned on the front lines using 3D printing technology to optimize and innovate manufacturing processes.
Pretty in Plaid? Burberry’s Hits and Misses with Machine Learning
E.K.
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 1:06 pm
Image Credit: (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images). Retail is not typically the industry that comes to mind when implementing new technologies—high fashion and big tech typically do not mix. But through the use of machine learning, Burberry is revolutionizing this [...]
Crowdsourcing at Amazon: Democratization of TV / Film Content
Anonymous_HBSer
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:59 pm
Amazon Studios recently shutdown its crowdsourcing initiatives. This article explores their approach: What went wrong? How could they have better utilized open innovation?
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Tom Raider
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 4:30 pm
Facebook’s mission is to “Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together". However, the way Facebook employs machine learning algorithms promotes a narrow view of the world to its users. How can Facebook improve?
Getting Swiggy With It: Your Favorite Foods, Faster
Ryan
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:41 pm
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Deep Genomics – can a machine learning start-up accelerate drug development?
LG
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 9:52 pm
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DHL: Cracking Logistics with the help of Machine Learning
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Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 7:40 pm
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ZHoyt
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:04 pm
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Under Armour and Additive Manufacturing
Bob Appel
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 3:00 pm
In the ever-changing athletic footwear landscape, harnessing the power of cutting-edge technology has become critical to brand success and survival. The American sports footwear and apparel company, Under Armour (UA), founded in 1996 by Chairman and CEO, Kevin Plank, has [...]
3D Printing Better Surgery at the Mayo Clinic
NBowen93
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:21 pm
3D printing is revolutionizing surgery and healthcare, and the Mayo Clinic is on the leading edge.
Soaring to new heights with additive manufacturing at GE Aviation
Ben S
Posted on November 14, 2018 at 10:25 am
GE Aviation is investing heavily in additive manufacturing to help develop the next line of jet engines. As they develop these skills, they seek to not only make better products, but use this to get an edge in delivering new [...]
ONLINE LUXURY FASHION + MACHINE LEARNING = A “FARFETCH” EXPERIENCE?
RM
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:00 pm
Farfetch is not your typical luxury fashion company. It is hard to imagine from its glitzy storefront that lying at the heart of the company is a vision to use technology and artificial intelligence to transform retail and fashion, industries [...]
Open Innovation at General Assembly
Ennis Ruderman
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 2:49 pm
General Assembly utilizes an open innovation network of employers and students to develop coursework and constantly expand their innovative online curriculum
Flying from Prototyping to Mainstream: 3D Printed Aircrafts Top Out at Speeds of 150mph
Kelsey Muller
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 9:35 pm
The aerospace and defense industry accepts additive manufacturing as a viable way to produce innovative prototypes – but can 3D printing really produce complete, complex jets that can withstand speeds of 150 miles per hour?
Defense Distributed: Is There a Future for Gun-control?
Tom Buffer
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:27 pm
The essay is about the explosive issues surrounding Defense Distributed, a company that develops virtual blueprints of guns that anyone can download and use to print a gun at home, in a 3d printer. Most importantly, it is about additive [...]
Exploring the Future of Beauty Through Open Innovation and Co-Creation at L’Oréal
JSC
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 4:43 pm
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Open Innovation in Pharma R&D
TS
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:13 pm
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Machine Learning for Exploration
scuba_steve
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 1:41 pm
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Roche: Improving Drug Discovery and Development with Machine Learning
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Posted on November 12, 2018 at 10:08 pm
Machine learning has been touted as a potential cure-all for high drug prices. A number of leading biopharmaceutical companies like Roche have made some large bets in using artificial intelligence tools to improve drug development, but it remains to be [...]
Predicting customer preferences at Starbucks and the challenges for the marketer of the future
Erik Peterson
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 9:04 pm
Starbucks is using AI to understand customer preferences and offer recommendations even before they enter a store. The value for the company is clear, but is processing the data the real challenge?
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