Five years ago, Apple (AAPL) design guru Jony Ive decided he wanted a new feature for the next MacBook: a small dot of green light above the screen, shining through the computer’s aluminum casing to indicate when its camera was on. The problem? It’s physically impossible to shine light through metal. Ive called in a team of manufacturing and materials experts to figure out how to make the impossible possible, according to a former employee familiar with the development who requested anonymity to avoid irking Apple. The team discovered it could use a customized laser to poke holes in the aluminum small enough to be nearly invisible to the human eye but big enough to let light through. Applying that solution at massive volume was a different matter. Apple needed lasers, and lots of them. The team of experts found a U.S. company that made laser equipment for microchip manufacturing which, after some tweaking, could do the job. Each machine typically goes for about $250,000. Apple convinced the seller to sign an exclusivity agreement and has since bought hundreds of them to make holes for the green lights that now shine on the company’s MacBook Airs, Trackpads, and wireless keyboards and yet, most of Apple’s customers have probably never given that green light a second thought, but its creation speaks to a massive competitive advantage for Apple (Satariano & Burrows, 2011). Apple’s efficiency in procurement, manufacturing, and delivery having been ranked No. 1 in the world for the last four years by Gartner (Hofman, 2013) has not come without risks, for example; • Global economy could affect the Company. • Some re-sellers may also distribute products from competing manufacturers. • Inventories can become obsolete or exceed anticipated... ... middle of paper ... ...safe and ethical working conditions. They should also have access to educational opportunities to improve their lives. Through a continual cycle of inspections, improvement plans, and verification, we work with our suppliers to make sure they comply with our Code of Conduct and live up to these ideals.” (Supplier Responsibility at Apple, n.d.) Apple has the opportunity to use its influence to not only reduce its supply chain risk, but it can use its market strength to change the industry as a whole. Apple must continue to weed out the suppliers that violate not only their code of conduct but all workers’ rights violations by increasing audits and factory inspections. While not all manufacturers are willing to work under Apple’s terms, there are many suppliers that are willing and can abide by Apple’s code of conduct without compromising their competitive advantages.
Within the last decade Apple has become one of the largest growing companies in the world and the largest valued company in the United States. According to a recent article in The Guardian, a global financial news website, “Apple set a record by becoming the first company to be valued at over $700bn (£446bn).” (Fletcher, N. 2014) This comes as no surprise to the average computer aficionado and shareholder as Apple has been making a name for itself since its inception. From its earliest Macintosh models to today’s iPhones, Apple has been a trailblazer for software, technology and revolutionizing the way we communicate on a Macro level. Their dedication to innovation, quality and service has made them
Additionally, Apple manage supplier responsibility values concerning equality, education, fairly treat and health. (Apple, 2014b)
The iMac is housed in a translucent, two-tone plastic case that is aqua and white. Apple’s industrial designers describe the colors as Bondi Blue and Ice. The iMac’s chief industrial designer, a New Zealander, said the diaphanous blue-green color reminded him of the water off Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia. Although Apple executives first discouraged speculation about alternative color schemes for the iMac, the company later succumbed to the popular demand by adding four new “flavors”, grape, lime tangerine, and strawberry. The mouse, the keyboard and even the power cable are translucent, too. The mouse is esthetically pleasing to the eye, but its slippery hockey puck shape has ergonomists shaking their heads. The iMac’s mouse is perfectly round and 3 inches in diameter by 1 inch thick, compared with Apple’s standard 4-inch-by-2 ½-inch mouse. Because its shape and size make it ...
For the purpose of achieving this, it has set out strict policies and procedures that ensures that all the companies that it has business with should provide the safest working conditions for its workers, should treat the workers products which are fairly and that they are supposed to use the environmentally responsible manufacturing processes, as long as it is an area where Apple products are being made (O 'Grady, 2008). The organization’s mission is to produce very high quality goods, at significantly low
2: Finkle, Todd A., and Michael L. Mallin. "Steve Jobs and Apple, Inc." Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies 16.8 (2010): 49+. General OneFile. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
Apple has made reasonable management of its human and material resources since its innovational approach demands effective strategic allocation of its resources to the development and utilization of its productive resources to support its innovative investment strategies. Effective strategic control brings power to Apple’s decision-makers to allocate its resources to confront the technological, market, and competitive uncertainties which are inherent in the innovation
If Apple wants to prevent bad reputation, they have to take these issues in consideration, regardless if it cost money. By researching the current problems (cause-and-effect), it will help Foxconn to prevent the explosions in the future, which it will save a lot of lives. Apple is careless with the working conditions and the safety conditions, this will occur a lot of obstacles in the future. Therefore, Apple needs to hire educated Human Resource employees in order to focus on these problems that keeps occurring. It is not only about the product quality but how it is manufactured, regardless if the labor costs are low, it should not cost the people’s life.
Ethical issues in business are a common placed every day occurrence that will never cease to exist. We will discuss an ethical issue that involves a large American corporation and its practices when dealing with suppliers of produce that is essential but not solely used by this business. We will present several point of views backed by literary findings that suggest ethical practices may or may not be at hand.
Apple Inc. has grown broader in terms of market size, and product accessibility. It designs, manufactures, and markets media service and mobile communication. The company was known as Apple Computer Inc. It was established in 1976, and is located in United States. It is managed through brick and mortars vend stores. The company manufactures iPhones, iPad, Apple televisions, professional software applications, OS X and IOS operating systems, I Cloud, and offers support. The industry also sells and conveys application, and digital contents through Apps Store, Ma App Store and iTunes Store. The company has a worldwide market. It achieves to put products on the sell through online stores, direct sales force, retail stores, and wholesalers (Wilson, 2013). The company also sells products like Ipad, IPhone and Mac through direct sales force; value added resellers, and third-party cellular network carriers. It greatly produces moveable digital music players, private computers, and also puts on the market several software, networking solutions, services, and third-party digital functions and contents. The company’s market share in United States has been a principle driver of success of the industry (Keenan, Smith & Szymanski, 2008). According to report that was released by NDP, ownership of iPhone in United States has greatly risen up t...
Apple Company has a broad supply chain which extended to several regions around the world. To well understand the diagram shown above, initially, it’s necessary to clarify and define supply chain concept. The supply chain is a network consists of a number of businesses, individuals, technology, materials and inputs which contributes in manufacturing and selling the firm’s products. (Supply Chain (SC), 2013) As it’s clear from the above diagram, Apple’s supply chain is breaking down to five main processes and they will be explaining and discussing here in this part of our project in details.
Apple Inc. is one of the world’s most successful companies when it comes to supply chain management. In its early years the company struggled forecasting demand and managing inventory causing many issues in supply chain including stock-outs. As years went on Apple began investing heavily in their supply chain, controlling many aspects such as overseas production, assembly and logistics. While Apple still faces some challenges including things such as technology, competition, global market share, and leadership, it is still ranked as a master company in supply chain according to Gartner Inc, making a great company to invest in.
One of Apple’s major ethical issues is the problem of labor. This is a very important problem in today’s world because businesses have a tendency to ignore basic human rights in their never ending competition to make as much money as possible. Outsourcing, using child labor, and overworking employees are all major ethical and legal violations committed all the time by many high profile companies, and often unjustly ignored as it is unfair to the people forced to work in such terrible conditions.
Employees are the second priority stakeholders in Apple's approach to CSR. This stakeholder group consists of employees at Apple's facilities. The main interests of these stakeholders are adequate compensation and career development. The staffs as a group of stakeholders are important because they directly determine the human resource capabilities of Apple to innovate and develop profitable products.
"When Something Is Designed to Work Beautifully, It Tends to Look That Way, Too." Apple.
As Apple designer Jonathan Ive said recently, “.......... If we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it.”