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)

Walmart’s Rural Dominance: A Brick & Mortar Advantage in an eCommerce Battle
Kyle Emory
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 4:56 am
Can Walmart use digitalization to develop a customer experience that Amazon currently cannot?
Life-Saving Drones: Zipline in East Africa
jmckenna
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 10:13 pm
Zipline is a drone company that partners with governments to enable quick delivery of critical medical supplies in Eastern Africa, saving lives and reducing healthcare costs.
Beyond the Pill: Teva’s Use of Digitization to Add Value Back into Generic Drugs
Keely Langdon
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:13 pm
Connected drug delivery devices are among the many digital supply chain innovations Teva has acquired to drive sales and control operational costs
LEGO: Building a more sustainable future—brick by brick
Philip Sorensen
Last modified on November 5, 2017 at 9:49 pm
LEGO's supply chain accounts for 90% of the total Co2 emission produced by LEGO bricks– now LEGO is taking action to help suppliers reduce their Co2 footprint
The Cash Before the Storm: Forecast-based Financing at Red Cross
Ginny
Last modified on November 16, 2017 at 7:52 am
With natural disasters on the rise, The Red Cross is investing in prediction and prevention to save money, time, and lives.
Bombard(ier)ed by Tariffs: The Challenges of Protectionism in the Age of Trump
Section G TOM
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 2:19 am
Bombardier's efforts to meaningfully enter the U.S. market with its low-priced, high-tech C-Series recently stalled when the U.S. Department of Commerce recommended a 300% tariff on each imported jet. In this new age of American economic isolationism, can Bombardier break [...]
Wine Production: Adapting to a Changing Climate
lwang
Posted on November 10, 2017 at 12:14 pm
How can wine producers adjust to climate change, which impacts both temperature and water availability?
Not in your Size? Not a Problem
Toffel House
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 1:19 am
3D knit printing has the potential to disrupt the retail clothing industry, and Ministry of Supply is leading out in front.
Foggy Future: Cummins’ response to increasing regulation in the diesel engine industry
TM
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:38 pm
Facing increasing regulation with the onset of climate change, Cummins has turned its attention to developing new technologies and its supply chain to provide zero emissions power solutions to the transportation industry.
Tesla: A supercharged response to global climate change?
Lucas Gebhart
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 4:23 pm
Do we really understand the ecological impact of so-called "green" industries? Is Tesla a panacea or just another part of the problem?
Climate Change and H&M: Is Sustainability the Answer?
AN
Last modified on November 14, 2017 at 6:39 pm
H&M has committed to operate a more environmentally sustainable fast fashion business, but as climate change looms over the complex supply chain of apparel production, are these efforts enough?
Huawei: A Greener Supply Chain, A More Responsible Industry Leader
OEL
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 8:01 pm
An ICT Industry Leader and Its Path to Greener Supply Chain Management...
Adidas’ Manufacturing 4.0: An opportunity to adjust to more restrictive trade agreements?
Patrick Wilde
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 9:08 pm
Adidas’ new bets on localization, automation, and customization not only provide competitive advantage in the sportswear industry but may also help the company build resilience to more restrictive trade agreements.
Nike: Leading the Path to Fighting Climate Change
Snake
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Let’s take a look at the supply chain of a typical garment and footwear brand. 1) It starts with the farmers who harvest raw materials like cotton. 2) These farmers then then sell raw materials to factories that produce yarn [...]
Strengthening a Supply Chain to Save Lives: UNICEF, Malnutrition, and Global Warming
Katharine
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:39 pm
UNICEF must address climate change threats to build a more resilient supply chain for ready-to-use therapeutic foods essential to treating malnutrition
Using Software Tools to “Remodel” Home Depot’s Supply Chain
HBS 2019
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 7:42 pm
This post explores how Home Depot is using advanced software to evolve its supply chain in order to increase efficiency and better serve its customers.
Personalized Medicine, Personalized Supply Chain?
Author
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 8:49 pm
How will digitalization help manufacturing of Car-T cell therapies scale when patients are part of the supply chain?
Factory-assembled skyscrapers: an episode of The Jetsons, or the future of Real Estate?
Diana
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Rising land prices, rapid urbanization, and the housing affordability crisis have spurred some real estate developers to digitize construction. Forest City Realty's bet on high-rise modular construction showcases the evolution of their supply chain—and what can go wrong for early [...]
Colgate is Conquering Climate Change with a Smile, Michael Phelp’s Support, and a Mouthful of Corporate Initiatives
Thomas C. Cranberry IV
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 6:20 pm
Colgate-Palmolive is driving multiple sustainability initiatives to compensate for the water over-consumption of its end-consumers when using their products.
Apple: a homecoming from abroad?
Maddy
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 7:18 pm
Growing trade isolationism in the U.S. is putting pressure on Apple to bring outsourced jobs back to American soil.
Cleaning Up Cobalt: Who Is Responsible?
Tim Burke
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Risky and unethical practices continue to plague the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Companies are running from the problem - do they have a responsibility to solve it?
Shooting Oneself in the Foot(ball)
Y.A.
Posted on November 14, 2017 at 12:18 am
Can a small island produce the world's best football (soccer) by itself? Will English professional football survive Brexit intact?
Ford Motor Company: supply chain uncertainty in a post-NAFTA world
UserError
Posted on November 15, 2017 at 12:41 pm
The US auto industry is bracing for changes in trade policy that will ripple through North-American supply chains, affecting both the wallets of domestic consumers and the future of company employees.  
Taking a Bite out of Apple: Fighting the Tides of Isolationism
Chris Sun
Last modified on November 15, 2017 at 10:24 pm
Apple operates one of the most complex supply chains globally and epitomizes the power of globalization - and its pitfalls. Can the re-emerging forces of isolationism derail Apple's success?
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