RC TOM Challenge 2018

November 13, 2018

Read The Full Prompt

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/.

Submitted (926)

As Soon As You Publish A Map It’s Outdated: How Google Maps Uses Imagery And Machine Learning To Keep Their Maps Relevant
RH
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 4:38 pm
In a landscape where cities, roads, and businesses are constantly changing and evolving, how does Google Maps ensure that they are providing their users with the most up-to-date information?
Football and Chess: How Machine Learning Can Improve Playcalling in the NFL
Derek R.
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:58 pm
Many fans and analysts liken American football to a game of chess. Each team strives to stay one step ahead of its opponents, and the team with more talented players can lose any game if their gameplan is poor. With [...]
Do we even need humans in asset management anymore?
Heidi Roizen
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:18 pm
On March 28, 2017, BlackRock fired 7 fund managers and replaced them with algorithms, leading many to question: are machines taking over?
Verizon: Battling crime through Machine Learning
tomchallenge
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 3:16 pm
How Verizon is trying to predict and prevent crime by building smart cities
Commoditizing Crowdsourcing; How a Distributed Network Helped Build a Business
AA
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:22 pm
Premise uses distributed data collection to gather valuable information for customers ranging from governments to businesses.
Machine learning to save millions of dollars of advertising waste at P&G
MZ
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:30 pm
The power of machine learning is leveraged today by P&G to improve advertising targeting and ROI, especially in search and programmatic. In the near future, ad fraud is an area that might also benefit from this new trend.
Earth to everyone: we need your help! (Open innovation at NASA)
Carmen Sandiego
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 4:06 pm
NASA recognizes the power of open innovation to solve tough problems and engage broader audiences, but the mindset shift comes at a price.
Want to Make Your Business More Successful? Just Ask the Weather Using AccuWeather’s D3 Platform.
Allen Smith
Last modified on November 15, 2018 at 4:08 pm
AccuWeather is bringing machine learning to the weather industry and leveraging its capabilities to improve business performance.
Vojd: filling the Void in Luxury Design with Additive Manufacturing
Sasha Slayton
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:51 pm
Additive printing brings new dimensions to luxury fashion.
Smart Farming – How One Company is Doubling Down on its Commitment to Precision Agriculture
Al Yang
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Applying machine learning to agriculture, John Deere is committed to innovation.
Can Machine Learning Help Save the Oil & Gas Industry?
Riju Agrawal
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 5:26 pm
Companies like DrillingInfo are helping develop new machine-learning applications for the oil and gas industry
Machine learning ruined baseball. Machine learning will save baseball.
breezybuffer
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 11:13 pm
Baseball has fundamentally changed over the past 40 years, largely thanks to data and machine learning. Some say it's made baseball less popular as a result. We will examine data's impact on baseball and how it might help the sport's [...]
Waze: the application which supports (or even incentivizes?) its users to break the rules
Pocahontas
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:19 pm
Waze is already very advanced in several areas, including the accuracy of its recommended route choices, the flexibility it provides by rerouting seamlessly in seconds, and its established user community with incentives for crowd sourced contributions. But what about user [...]
What if you showed up at the gym and your phone told you exactly what workout to do to achieve optimal gains?
Tommy Tom
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Under Armour partnered with Watson in January 2016 to make predictive, personalized fitness and nutrition reality
Dear Adidas, you’ve mastered limited releases…what’s next?
Tyler Calhoun
Last modified on November 14, 2018 at 8:36 pm
Is 3D printing the new frontier for Adidas? Maybe...maybe not!
Machine learning in the Energy Sector
Mr. Crimson
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 7:17 pm
The energy sector although old, is still fertile for innovation, innovative ideas are applied day in and day out in this critical industry. One is the utilization of big data and machine learning to increase efficiency and reduces risk via [...]
Additive Manufacturing at GE Aerospace
warriorcat123
Posted on November 11, 2018 at 4:26 pm
Additive Manufacturing – the Future of General Electric’s Competitive Differentiation in the Aerospace Supply Chain
Nike’s Stance on 3D Printing: Just Do It
Melcolm Ruffin
Last modified on November 14, 2018 at 3:47 pm
Nike has dominated the global shoe and apparel market for decades. However, a period of revenue stagnation has led the brand to develop a new corporate initiative and strategy that will rely on investments in 3D printing.
Shooting for Mars: How Startup Relativity Space Is Using 3D Printing to Go Intergalactic
Ariam Tesfai
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 10:06 pm
A look into startup Relativity Space and its use of 3D printing for the development of space-bound rockets.
Printing a Solution to the Global Housing Crisis
RC
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 6:12 am
Non-profit New Story will employ additive manufacturing to provide affordable housing in underdeveloped and disaster-struck regions.
HTC Vive: Overcoming Developer Hesitance Through Open Innovation
Ahmed Al-Ghanim
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:27 pm
This post details how Valve, the developers of the VR headset HTC Vive, used open innovation to provide a wide variety of video games despite the lack of support from major game developers.
Payment Fraud: The Hidden Cost of Doing Business and How First Data is Using Machine Learning to Protect Merchants from Fraud Losses
Mike
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 2:02 pm
As the threat of payment fraud grows in the digital era, First Data has developed its own machine learning capabilities to improve the process of threat detection.
Machine Learning in Caterpillar
Jeff C
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:41 pm
Caterpillar is a leading industrial equipment manufacturer. In the new age of machine learning and artificial intelligence, how can they grasp the rise of new technology to grow their business and maintain their edge?
Leveraging Technology for Global Health: 3D printing in Rwanda
Claire
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 10:38 am
Photo credit: AA Safaris & Tours The Government of Rwanda (GOR) has registered some of history's most remarkable gains in economic growth, healthcare, and education. As an early adopter of technology, the GOR has welcomed the advent 3-D printing as [...]
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