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)

Cotton in footwear and apparel manufacturing
MC
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 11:58 pm
Cotton, the most widely used natural fibre, is highly susceptible to climate change. What is the response of footwear and apparel manufacturers, who rely heavily on fibres in their production, to the supply chain disruptions?
A Healthcare Organization’s Planned Parenthood with Digitalization
Francesca
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:48 am
Telehealth has changed the notion of how medical care can be delivered. How can an organization like Planned Parenthood compete in this climate and utilize telemedicine to its advantage?
H&M and digitization of supply chain trends – will the [fashion] show go on?
K.B.A.
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:04 pm
H&M, the second largest fast fashion retailer in the world is facing challenges as consumers expect fashion to be increasingly fast-paced, affordable and personalized. The emergence of new fast fashion retailers such as ASOS and Boohoo coupled with the constant [...]
Bigbelly whetting our appetite for smarter waste management business models
ChS
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:35 pm
Bigbelly challenges the slow-moving waste management sector with new business models
Overcoming Material Risks: NRG’s Response to Climate Change
Remi Etienne
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:58 pm
NRG operates one of the United States of America’s largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. However, they currently face a common challenge in their industry: the majority (~90%) of their power is generated from hydrocarbons. [1]
P&G Going Digital
YW
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 5:20 am
P&G Embracing the Digital Movement
Blockchain to Transform Energy Commodity Trading Industry?
Card
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:22 pm
Energy commodity trading companies have been inefficient in their business operations and logistics. Will the advent of "Smart contracts" powered by the Blockchain be the game changer to allow them to achieve transparency, higher speed, and lower cost?
Digitization: Load The Beer
J. McNamara
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:17 pm
Why move without beer when you can move with beer?
RFID ENABLES INVENTORY ACCURACY AT MACY’S
201901730
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:02 pm
E-commerce/m-commerce mean retails must embrace multichannel operation. Millennials get what they want, when they want it – delivered how and where they need it. How can RFID help Macy's make the shift?
Hot cups of coffee need cold climates
RoundRobin
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 2:18 pm
Starbucks actively mitigates climate risk to maintain coffee supply chain
Bharti Infratel: Telecom Infrastructure in Emerging Markets Has Consequences for the Environment
Sachit
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 9:34 pm
Data networks require infrastructure, which demand massive amounts of power. Unfortunately, in India that has been in the form of diesel rather than renewable energy sources.
3D Printing takes off in the Aviation Industry. How Additive Manufacturing is shaping Airbus’ Supply Chain.
John Power
Posted on November 12, 2017 at 10:34 pm
3D Printing has the potential to emerge from a niche status to become a game changer in aircraft manufacturing by reducing production costs, increasing product performance, improving supply chain flexibility, and reducing inventory costs.
Tire Manufacturing Industry Familiar with Protectionist Policies… Will they Expand?
Jane Doe
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 12:42 am
It has been a roller coaster ride for trade regulation in the U.S. tire industry over the last eight years. With Chinese tariffs renewed in 2015 and manufacturers pivoting production towards other Asian countries in order to continue to import [...]
Iran Air: Sanctions and Sanction Relief
Reza Jones
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:19 pm
Managing against US sanctions is a supremely difficult task, requiring political rather than commercial skills. For the last three decades, sanctions have blocked Iran Air from obtaining new aircrafts and spare parts. On the cusp of finally obtaining modern aircrafts, [...]
The Digitalization of Costco: A Necessity to Compete with Amazon and Walmart
Triston Francis
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
In an era where consumers do more of their shopping online, Costco must get more comfortable with digital in order to compete with Amazon and Walmart
Volkswagen’ s New Electric Strategy
Levent Sarioglu
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:52 pm
Volkswagen announced its new strategy for electric mobility. Knowing electric is not always clean, the company has decisions to make regarding its battery supply chain.
Climate Change – A Tough Nut to Crack
Justine
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Is your favorite snack doing more harm than good? How does climate change impact almond production? Is almond farming fueling environmental degradation?
A Federal Agency is Winning the Race on Supply Chain Sustainability
Marie
Posted on November 10, 2017 at 2:05 pm
The USPS is paving the way for sustainable practices in its supply chain to ensure continuous operations to its customers despite risks of climate change.
Walmart: Reducing Carbon Emissions by a Gigaton
Soumaya
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:13 pm
Did you know that the meat and milk we consume emits more greenhouse gases (GHGs) than Exxon’s annual operations? According to the Sustainability Consortium, grocery products emit 1.7 gigatons of GHGs every year, compared to only 577 megatons of GHGs [...]
H-E-B vs. Hurricane Harvey: A Case Study in Crisis Response
Graham Thomas
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 12:16 am
How do you inspire an outpouring of love from the state of Texas? For H-E-B, a Texas-based grocery chain, the answer lay in keeping Texans’ pantries stocked with canned tuna and Doritos when no one else could.
When Scaling Alone No Longer Scales: Maersk’s Digital Transformation Journey
RVD
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:41 pm
While Maersk and others in the shipping and logistics industry historically have maintained profits through scaling ship size and market consolidation, new challenges require them to embrace digitalization of the supply chain in order to survive.
Content Globalization – A Script for Success?
David
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Isolationist actions by a foreign government have adverse effects on Netflix's global ambitions.
Digitalization Takes Off at The Boeing Company: Building a Next Generation Supply Chain
nm314
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:57 pm
As it prepares to roll out its newest aircraft models, The Boeing Company is investing heavily in new technologies and supply chain innovation.
Unilever – Tea Saving Superhero?
Alicia
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Climate change has the potential to drastically reduce tea yields - are CPG companies doing enough to ensure the industry's survival?
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