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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)

Xceptor: Automating Data Automation
MM
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:14 pm
How does a company that was at the forefront of data processing and automation adapt with the emergence of machine learning to further enhance its product offering?
ML and Chill: Machine learning at Netflix
A
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:59 pm
Netflix uses machine learning based on implicit data in nearly every part of the user experience — but what risks does this approach create?
Recursion Pharmaceuticals: Machine Learning in Drug Discovery
Elmo
Posted on November 10, 2018 at 2:47 pm
Recursion Pharmaceuticals is deploying machine learning to deeply understand the interactions between genes, proteins, and chemicals to inform not only future drug discovery and drug repurposing, but biological life as we know it.
Additive manufacturing and the future of Nike
Elizabeth Liu
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 8:43 pm
Nike Mission Statement: To Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world (if you have a body you are an athlete).
SEPHORA: Developments in Machine Learning and Augmented Reality towards customer personalization.
Lorca
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 4:56 pm
Sephora as the leader in technological innovation within the retail industry has made significant advances in using data science to advance product personalization and customization. This essay surveys recent developments and poses questions to the challenges in inventory management and [...]
NewYork-Presbyterian: Becoming the Hospital of the Future
Ricardo De Armas
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 2:39 pm
NewYork-Presbyterian hospital is using machine learning technology to streamline hospital operations, free up more time for clinicians, and improve overall quality of care.
How 3D printing is changing the way Nike approaches production and innovation
Phil Knight
Posted on November 14, 2018 at 10:25 am
How 3D printing is enhancing the prototyping, innovation and production processes at Nike.
Open Innovation at Amazon Alexa: Crowd-sourcing Its Way to Platform Dominance
JSK
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:08 pm
Amazon is relying on open source innovation to build the capability of its cloud based voice service platform. The voice service is set to be the next biggest technological innovation that will change the way we control devices, interact with [...]
Is Sony INNOVATING enough to create the next Walkman?
panda
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 4:14 pm
From being perceived a GHOST in 2012 to one of the most underappreciated TURNAROUNDS by 2017, SONY has come a long way! But, is it really INNOVATING? Will we ever see the next Walkman-like revolutionary product from SONY?
Barrick – mining data for gold
Alexander Levinskiy
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 8:40 pm
Traditional hard rock mining has nearly reached its limits of efficiency. Data mining is coming to the rescue with machines learning how to extract the most value.
Overpromising and Underdelivering at Sloan Kettering: is AI Still ‘Human’ After All?
LPB
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 7:33 pm
The introduction of artificial intelligence to healthcare has sent shockwaves through the system with the promise of dramatic increases in quality of care and organizational efficiencies coupled with much needed cost reductions. The promise of AI in healthcare predicts a [...]
Betabrand: Wearing Product Development on its Sleeve
retail1992
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:50 pm
Crowdsourcing product design and feedback to drive innovation in a rapidly evolving retail landscape
The Impact of A.I. and Machine Learning on Financial Data at S&P Global
Danielle Waldman
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 8:18 pm
With a massive amount of data now available to financial institutions, S&P Global must determine how to use A.I. and machine learning to meet customers' evolving demands.
Driving the Growth of Solar Energy Through Machine Learning
Trevor
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:45 pm
kWh Analytics, a data analytics start-up based in San Francisco, CA, is trying to lower the cost of solar energy through machine learning. Is it developing the right product?
Great Scott! What’s next for open innovation at LEGO?
HK
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:11 pm
LEGO has been using open innovation for the past 10 years to bring new playsets to market. As they strive to stay relevant while the line between toys and consumer electronics starts to blur, how will they revamp their strategy [...]
Additive Manufacturing at GE in the Midst of a Turnaround (797 words)
Beth
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:44 pm
GE has been a leader of additive manufacturing in aerospace. How will they keep innovating while facing pressure from investors?
3D Printing…we should ‘Just Do It’!
Jerzey#305
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:59 pm
Feet wide apart, arms down by his side, he stares at the precise location where he will place the ball with his right foot. Before the run-up, there is an empathic sigh, with his lips pursed, as his shoulders go [...]
BMW & Additive Manufacturing: Using New Technologies to Drive Down Production Costs & Timelines
T123
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 12:33 pm
BMW is committed to using additive manufacturing to increase production efficiencies as well as allow for easier part replacements.
Amazon Studios’ experiment in crowdsourcing scripts: were they right to abandon open innovation in developing new content?
Ankur Chawla
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 8:00 pm
In November 2010, Amazon Studios launched and opened its doors to allow anyone with a movie idea to submit a script to potentially be developed at the studio. After 7.5 years and over 27,000 submissions for both TV and film, [...]
Crafting a Tailor-Made Bone – Leveraging 3D Printing in Healthcare
PK
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:14 am
Explore the crafting process of customized titanium bone for orthopedic surgeries & its potential impact to the overall healthcare sector.
How Machine Learning is Changing the Way People Explore the World at Airbnb
DeWalt Watson
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:06 pm
Guests have checked into Airbnb properties 300 million+ times, in 4.5 million locations across 81,000 cities, and the company collects more than 15 petabytes of data each day. How can Airbnb leverage this data to change the way we travel [...]
Printing Bone: How Should Orthopaedic Surgery Practices React to Advancements in 3D Printing?
Jordan Lebovic
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 7:22 pm
3D printing technology has made significant advancements in the past few years. Can 3D printing be used in orthopaedics? Is this technology ready for surgery? How could orthopaedic practices best position themselves?
Teachers Trust Teachers: The Rise of Open Educational Resources
FellSam
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 7:14 pm
How TeachersPayTeachers is harnessing the rise of open innovation in K-12 educational curriculum development.
Can data buy you value in the capital-intensive oil and gas industry?
Sneha Biswas
Last modified on November 12, 2018 at 11:42 am
“Data is just like crude. It’s valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used.” [1]
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