本文是留学生assignment范例,苹果公司是创新行业的知名品牌之一,据说是供应链网络的市场领导者。该品牌寻求在其供应网络中促进速度、效率、可靠性和质量。下面的报告旨在评估苹果的供应链网络,分析在哪些领域需要改变,以提高其绩效目标。分析表明,该公司有一个集中的仓库,可以使用外包来提高公司的供应链效率,从而通过权衡内部仓库的可靠性来提高其交付速度。
Abstract 摘要
Apple one of the renowned names in the innovation industry is said to be the market leader of the supply chain network. The brand seeks to promote speed, efficiency, dependability, and quality in its supply network. The following report aims to assess the supply chain network of Apple to analyse the areas where it needs change to enhance its performance objectives. The analysis showed that the company has one centralized warehouse that can be used to improve a company’s supply chain efficiency using outsourcing which will, as a result, enhance its speed of delivery by trading off its dependability of internal warehouse.
This report also highlights the importance of maintaining a supplier relationship to achieve a quality of products. Moreover, by incorporating emerging digital technologies like IOT and analytics, the company would be able to automate its operations and deliver the relevant products only.
该报告还强调了维持供应商关系以实现产品质量的重要性。此外,通过整合物联网和分析等新兴数字技术,该公司将能够实现操作自动化,并只交付相关产品。
1.Introduction引言
Back in 1976, Steve Jobs and CO begins with doing the dealings in computers named as Apple Inc in the future. The company is well known for its fascinating product design, modernize technology, and hostile inspired pioneer Steve Jobs who started the company as an IT organization but later it concentrated on shopper products due to the higher competition in the field of technology such as it offers computer, mobile phones, music players, TV, and laptops. Moreover, another supporter was its sufficient acceptance as a brand and what so ever they manufacture is recognized by the customers as the products were designed as per the needs of the customer (Khan et.al 2015).
早在1976年,史蒂夫·乔布斯和他的首席执行官就开始做电脑生意,并命名为苹果公司。公司是很出名的,吸引人的产品设计,现代化的技术,和敌对启发先锋史蒂夫·乔布斯开始该公司作为一个组织,但后来它集中在顾客的产品由于更高的竞争等领域的技术提供电脑、手机、音乐播放器、电视、笔记本电脑。此外,另一个支持者是它作为一个品牌的充分接受度,所以他们所生产的任何产品都被客户认可,因为产品是根据客户的需求设计的(Khan et.al 2015)。
The company is said to be the leader of the supply chain; however, with some more recommended changes in its current supply chain, by outsourcing warehouse and retaining a robust relationship with supplier Apple can become more efficient to meet performance objectives.
2.Supply Chain Network of Apple苹果的供应链网络
Apple has developed a new market and altered the structure of music of mobile industries. The iPad launched by Apple has served to raise the purchase of the digital albums. The company is undoubtedly competitive but has competitors like Samsung. Both the smartphone making companies are in distinct positions in the market, but Apple proves to show more effective performance concerning sales and enhancing brand loyalty. The reason behind this its preferred supply chain network. The diagram below shows the supply chain model by attaining licensing and third-party businesses.
苹果开发了一个新的市场,改变了移动产业的音乐结构。苹果公司推出的iPad也起到了提高数字专辑购买量的作用。该公司无疑具有竞争力,但也有像三星这样的竞争对手。虽然两家智能手机制造商在市场上的地位截然不同,但苹果在销售和提高品牌忠诚度方面的表现更为有效。这背后的原因是它更喜欢供应链网络。下图显示了获得许可和第三方业务的供应链模型。
The entire model is as same as of other companies; however, the exciting part is that the company has to make payments in advance to the suppliers to safe planned raw materials (Supply Chain 24/7, 2018).
3.Critical Analysis of the Present Supply Chain Network当前供应链网络的批判性分析
As per the fact that Apple has retail stores, it can make the demand forecast without facing any difficulty. The company can quickly raise the inventory turnover by lowering down its average inventory. If in case the brand keeps more stocks, it may get damaged. Additionally, the product lifecycle of the company is prolonging as any seasonal factors do not impact its products. Though, the demand of the products gets higher in the holidays due to which the company takes aggressive actions at the time of holidays (Park, 2013). The company usually orders the product by air rather than by sea as shipping has extra cost as the contrast to air freight.
因为苹果公司有零售店,所以可以毫无困难的进行需求预测。公司可以通过降低平均库存来快速提高存货周转率。如果品牌有更多的库存,它可能会受损。此外,公司的产品生命周期正在延长,因为任何季节性因素都不会影响其产品。虽然,产品的需求在节假日会更高,因为公司会在节假日采取积极的行动(Park, 2013)。该公司通常用空运订货,而不用海运,因为海运比空运有额外的费用。
Moreover, Apple has a warehouse in California from where the company orders all its merchandise which makes its supply chain a simplified one. The retail stores at Apple are a stocking point among the upstream and downstream. Hence, the analysis can be summed up by saying that the simple process flow of the supply chain is an excellent way to reduce the unwanted product lines.
4.Critical Analysis of Key Suppliers关键供应商的批判性分析
Supply chain management is all about having the fruitful relationship between the trading partners. By working with the strategic suppliers firmly brings competitive edge for the company. Apple has an average of 756 suppliers across the globe. This amount is manageable, but the company has sadly lost its Mojo which means that the suppliers integrated with Apple have noticed their margin losing (Webb 2017). Apple is facing human rights, environmental and ethical problems that involve the millions of people employed within its supply chain, which is primarily contracted by Foxconn in China.
供应链管理就是在贸易伙伴之间建立富有成效的关系。通过与战略供应商的合作,坚定地为公司带来竞争优势。苹果在全球平均有756家供应商。这个数额是可控的,但该公司已经不幸失去了它的运气,这意味着与苹果整合的供应商已经注意到他们的利润损失(Webb 2017)。苹果正面临人权、环境和道德问题,这些问题涉及其供应链中雇佣的数百万员工。该供应链主要由富士康(Foxconn)在中国承包。
Apple has mentioned that in 2017, around 16 supplier including smelters and refiners left its supply chain due to third-party audits because some of them would not participate in a third-party review (Nellis 2018).
5.Recommended Changes in the Current Supply Chain Design当前供应链设计的建议变更
As discussed in figure 3, Apple has a centralized warehouse from where the company orders its products. Though the supply chain process of the company is simple as per the performance objectives discussed above, the company, to improve its current supply chain network should also include outsourcing in its warehousing by including third parties as well. This will enable the company to accomplish speed of delivery by just trade-offs of having the warehouse in California (Rushton, Croucher & Baker 2017).
如图3所示,苹果有一个集中的仓库,公司从那里订购产品。虽然根据上述的绩效目标,该公司的供应链流程很简单,但该公司要完善现有的供应链网络,还应该在其仓储中包括外包,包括第三方。这将使公司通过在加州拥有仓库的权衡来实现交付速度(Rushton, Croucher & Baker 2017)。
Moreover, the company should learn from the lessons of its first warehouse and built it to with the objective to support the next generation technology. Figure 4 illustrates that Apple can improve its supply chain efficiency through outsourcing. According to Trunick (1989), the two-essential element of outsourcing is flexibility and time of delivery reliability.
Developing and maintaining strong relations with the supplier is an essential step to support consistent quality products and efficiency all over the supply chain. Apple’ supply chain his highly relying on its suppliers due to which it is essential for the company to focus on providing and developing prolong relationships that will also help the company to generate higher cost and will promote the growth and profitability of the company (PWC n.d.). Strong relations and rise in the interactions will result in a lesser chance of poor performance that as a result leads to lower cost for handling the affairs and eliminated value by failures and provide consistent quality of products (Slack, N, Brandon-Jones, A, Johnston, R & Betts, A 2012).
6.Role of Digital Technologies in Improving Business Performance数字技术在改善业务表现中的作用
Digital technology alters the way in creating value for the company. The digital value creation originates from new network and in ways, the business integrates with partners and consumers providing new business mixtures. The value is increasingly grabbed by new data entrenched and incorporated in the business networks, with network effects leading to raising the cost with the expansion in the system. It implies that the business models are highly networked centric and concerned with data (Iansiti & Lakhani, 2017).
数字技术改变了公司创造价值的方式。数字价值的创造源于新的网络,在某种程度上,企业与合作伙伴和消费者进行了整合,提供了新的业务组合。随着网络效应导致成本随着系统的扩张而上升,这些价值越来越多地被新数据所占据,并被纳入到商业网络中。这意味着商业模式高度网络化,以数据为中心(Iansiti & Lakhani, 2017)。
Some of the examples of the daily products going digital are Google and honey well. These companies transform the regular tasks enabling the customers in using their phones to modify the temperatures and learn from the consumer behaviour to forecast about the right temperature settings.
On the other hand, capturing the value that is created by the companies also expands with the pricing technology and business composition providing entirely new ways to drive price uniqueness, effectiveness, and accurateness. Apple can also create value utilizing digitation in the supply chain network as it will lead to change the timescale and locus of the organization and will offer an innovative experience to the consumers. Heading towards the digitalization will not replace the old business assets and abilities (Iansiti & Lakhani, 2017).
It will also give newer life to the older mechanisms of the business and will effectively contribute to operating the top models of digital foundations. Apple can also improve its supply chain network by adding digital technologies such as incorporating IOT and big data analytics to manage the big data and get new insights and run the business effectively.
Concisely, the report talks about the supply chain network of the renowned brand Apple. Well-known for its stylish product design, modernized technology, and hostile idealistic originator Steve Jobs who started the company as a real IT organization but later it concentrated on user products due to the higher competition in the field of technology. The critical analysis of the supply chain network of Apple’s iPhone showed that Apple has an inventory turnover of 10 days which makes it efficient enough regarding its inventory turnover. Therefore, to improve its current supply chain network, Apple is suggested to outsource its activities for warehousing to enhance speed by trade-off inhouse dependability and add incorporate data analytics and IOT in order to run its business and supply chain efficiently. Also, suggested to creating the strong relationship with a supplier to maintain high-quality products and efficiency in the supply chain.
简要地说,报告谈到了著名品牌苹果的供应链网络。以时尚的产品设计和现代化的技术而闻名的苹果公司的创始人史蒂夫•乔布斯(Steve Jobs)曾以一个真正的IT组织起家,但由于技术领域的竞争日益激烈,苹果公司后来专注于用户产品。通过对苹果iPhone供应链网络的批判性分析,苹果的库存周转率为10天,这使得苹果的库存周转率足够高效。因此,为了改善目前的供应链网络,建议苹果将仓储活动外包出去,通过权衡内部可靠性来提高速度,并加入数据分析和物联网,以有效运行其业务和供应链。此外,建议与供应商建立牢固的关系,以保持高质量的产品和供应链的效率。
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