Friday, November 04, 2011

Apple's Supply-Chain Secret? Hoard Lasers - Businessweek

Excerpt from an overview of Apple’s operational excellence

This operational edge is what enables Apple to handle massive product launches without having to maintain large, profit-sapping inventories. It’s allowed a company often criticized for high prices to sell its iPad at a price that very few rivals can beat, while still earning a 25 percent margin on the device, according to the estimates of Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. And if the latest rumors are to be believed, Apple’s operational expertise is likely part of what gives the company enough confidence to enter the notoriously cutthroat television market by 2013 with a TV set that would tightly integrate with existing Apple software like iTunes. The widespread skepticism over Apple’s ability to compete in such a price-sensitive market, where margins are often in the single digits, is “exactly what people said when Apple got into cell phones,” says Munster.

Apple's Supply-Chain Secret? Hoard Lasers - Businessweek

1 comment:

Ben Benjabutr said...

Part of the reason why Apple doesn't hold big inventory is the product itself. For high value (Toyota cars) or innovative product (Ipad / Ipod), customers can really wait. Another strategy is pre-sales or pre-booking, it helps manufacturers determine appropriate level of stock prior to product launch.