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)

Will Trump’s economic nationalism hurt Toyota?
Reed Taylor
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 2:27 pm
Toyota's RAV4 is one of America's best selling cars. Can it stay on top with a Japanese supply chain and Canadian assembly plant?
Breaking the walls with 3D printing
Caue
Last modified on November 30, 2017 at 10:21 pm
GE Aviation bets on 3D-printing to overcome trade barriers.
Cholera’s Comeback vs. ICG’s Supply Chain: A Matter of Life or Death
ASJ
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:01 pm
Rising ocean temperatures cause increased proliferation of the Cholera-causing bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, which is “influencing outbreaks on a worldwide scale” [1]. As these outbreaks increase so does the demand for the oral cholera vaccine (OCV). Despite the commitment of organizations [...]
Bitcoin is for Drugs: Counterfeit Prevention in a Digital Supply Chain
D. R. Rockwell
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:54 pm
Pfizer is using Bitcoin technology to prevent counterfeit drug sales. Who will pay the cost for the digital supply blockchain? Will Pfizer expand its own B2C ecommerce?
Nike Tries to Outrun Nationalism
Anonymous 8
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 9:06 pm
Nike is in a precarious position as global superpowers fight over free trade agreements. Can Nike and its global supply chain successfully confront the rise of nationalism?
Duck, Duck, Goose: Why Canada Goose should ensure the shift towards e-commerce on the front-end drives digitalization throughout its supply chain
Bhags
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:01 pm
As Canada Goose has grown exponentially in recent years it has shifted towards a direct-to-consumer model, but is its supply chain stuck in the wholesale era?
The End of Consulting as We Know It?
cmclaughlin
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:05 pm
After decades of helping clients pre-empt disruption, could consultants be next? IDEO thinks so, and is facing the challenges posed by digitalization head-on.
Smartmatic: the role of blockchain in enabling elections
Erika Idaho Ben
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 11:00 pm
Can blockchain make democracy more secure and transparent?
GE Aviation: Soaring Apart From Competition with Data Analytics
iloveTOM
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:48 am
GE Aviation's digital efforts enable strategic partnerships that generate value across the supply chain
CAN VERTICAL FARMING REDUCE AGRICULTURE’S IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE?
ClareSimonis
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Can Plenty, Inc. scale the vertical farming model and combat agriculture's impact on climate change?
Digitizing the Pathway to a Mental Healthcare Professional Drives Improved Patient Outcomes and Enhanced Patient Care
j
Posted on November 11, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Quartet Health is disrupting the primary care physician's pathway to refer patient to mental health providers through the digitization of the referral network.
Digital Content Delivery – Can AMC Theatres survive?
The Fish Keeper
Last modified on November 30, 2017 at 10:58 pm
Digital content delivery of various forms of entertainment has created a trail of casualties. Will AMC be next?
Can Nike use 3D-printing to sustainably mass customize its offer to consumers?
Michael Jordan
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:42 pm
As pressure to achieve efficiencies while improving product quality is on the rise, Nike is exploring whether 3D-printing can be the answer to manufacture the products that best support athletes' performances
Nordstrom’s Attempt to Survive in the New Amazon Era
Kat K
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:20 pm
“We knew it was going to happen, it’s just happened faster than we thought.” – Peter Nordstrom[1]
Birchbox: Suffering From An Identity Crisis?
SJ
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:29 pm
What will Birchbox's competitive edge be as it looks towards a hybrid box and retail identity?
An Intelligent Supply Chain at Boston Children’s Hospital – A Mechanism to Reduce Operating Costs
GN
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:33 pm
Supply chain represent close to a third of the average hospital’s overall operating expense. Hospitals should explore new methods for utilizing existing technology as well as implementing new systems to enable cost reduction.
Black Friday or Red Friday?: How Macy’s Plans to Improve its Bottom Line via Digitalization
BC
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:23 pm
As eCommerce and fast fashion continue to disrupt the retail industry, Macy's places huge bets on supply chain digitalization to ultimately reduce costs and stay competitive.
Fall Without Pumpkin Spice Lattes? It Could Happen
SEA
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:19 pm
Climate change will disrupt coffee production across the world... can Starbucks survive?
Digitalization for survival – Halliburton’s attempt at transforming the oil and gas industry
W
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:39 pm
A world of fully automated robotic rigs may be around the corner. Read how Halliburton plans on going about doing it.
How climate change could make your favorite beer less refreshing
Lauren McNamer
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 5:17 pm
Water accounts for about 95% of the composition of beer, and it is also a crucial agricultural input for barley and hops. Given this significance, water supply risk mitigation should be a major focus for the Brewers Association and their [...]
Should the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Be Concerned about the Long-Term Viability of John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport?
Matt Goolsby
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:13 pm
With so much valuable cargo running through JFK, it’s a good thing that the airport isn’t close to any major bodies of water. 
SHAKE SHACK: IS ‘ENLIGHTENED HOSPITALITY’ BECOMING DIGITALIZED?
cheese
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Digitalization is exposing that fast-casual chains are becoming too slow. Will Shake Shack’s embrace of digitalization enable it to buck this trend, or are its plans for growth fried?
IMPACT OF GLOBAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ON THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND ITS SUPPLY CHAIN – TERMINATING NAFTA
Sho Shafiei
Last modified on November 30, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Impact of terminating NAFTA on the auto industry - specifically Magna International
Rolls-Royce increases its share of the US$5.3 trillion civil aviation market through digitalisation
StefanZ
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Rolls-Royce is the current marker leader in the wide-body aircraft segment. The intense competition in the market results in manufacturers willing to sell their products without profit, but capture significant value from the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) business driven [...]
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