Supply Chain Matters has featured a number of commentaries regarding the perils and pitfalls for being an Apple supplier. Our commentary in early October reflected on challenges at Foxconn and the sudden bankruptcy filing of sapphire glass supplier GT Advanced Technologies. Subsequent information has come to light from the unsealing of information filed in relation to GT Advanced Technology’s bankruptcy. Embedded in these reports are important insights on the increased importance of more timely integration of new product introduction information across the extended supply chain business network.
This week, The Wall Street Journal Digits blog (paid subscription or free metered view) featured its own commentary regarding the lessons of being an Apple supplier. The WSJ was successful in gathering specific responses from other Apple suppliers including Pegatron and Wintek. Regardless of the significant customer demands, suppliers do not turn away from Apple’s business because it provides scale, volume and the potential for profits in far higher dimensions.
The WSJ commentary also cites Apple’s peak and valley tendencies for extraordinary new product ramp-up and corresponding large-scale production volume surges that correlate with condensed product release cycles. In one recent example, Supply Chain Matters called specific attention to a rather last-minute product design change that impacted the current iPhone 6 NPI process.
Apple’s key suppliers point to a common strategy to not have a singular reliance on any large, highly demanding customer but rather a diversification among several high-profile customers.   Apple is often cited as a rather demanding customer, having key knowledge on a supplier’s cost and production process structures which is an important indicator for having the most up-to-date knowledge and detailed information on a new product’s required test and production process changes or needs.
These reports provide continued learning for high tech and other industry suppliers that feature highly complex, globally extended supply chain networks. Needs for timely two-way integration of new product introduction (NPI) information across the extended supply chain has become far more evident. Product innovation involves time sensitive collaboration for product design and test changes as well as supply chain production ramp-up needs. That is why product design process information is quickly becoming the new requirement for inclusion within end-to-end supply chain business and collaboration networks.
Bob Ferrari
