A Glimpse into Apples

Ever Evolving Supply Chain

Apples supply chain is among the

most efficient and streamlined in the
world. To address this decision area
of operations management, the
company uses automation of
processes and regular monitoring of
suppliers. This monitoring evaluates
supplier capacity and productivity, as
well as compliance with the Apple
Supplier Code of Conduct. The
automation aspect serves as the
main strength of Apples approach to

Apples Supply Chain has ranked #1 inthe

world each year from 2010 to 2013 by
research firmGartner. In 2014 Gartner
placed Apple in a new masters category for
demonstratingsustained leadership in their
supply chain and defining the very notion of
a solution supply chain, blazing new trails
with its demand creation capabilities.

Supply Chain Planning at

Apple Inc.

Supply Chain Map of

Apple Inc.

10 Major Companies Tied to

the Apple Supply Chain
1.Analog Devices,(AAPL)
Inc. (ADI):It provides the

capacitive touch screen controllers for the

iPhones and the Apple watch..
2.Glu Mobile, Inc. (GLUU):NASDAQ-listed Glu
Mobile doesn't supply Apple with hardware but
is a major provider of iOS apps and mobile
games. Valuewalkreportsthat Glu Mobile
makes 64% of revenue from Apple, implying
its major dependency on Apple.
3.Jabil Circuit Inc. (JBL: It supplies phone
casings for Apple.
4.Micron Technology, Inc. (MU): They supply
various memory modules like DRAM, LPDDR3

5.Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.:Procuring

ceramic capacitors, these electronic parts
are used to control the flow of electricity in
electronic devices, and, according Reuters,
theyconstitute 40% of Muratas overall sales
towards smartphones and other electronic
devices.
6.Nidec Corp.:The much anticipated Apple
Watch comes with a special device called a
taptic engine, which produces a sensation of
being tapped on the wrist. Japan-based
Nidec has emerged as the key supplierof
this technology
7.Qualcomm, Inc. (QCOM): It is known to
supply multiple electronic components to
Apple, including Envelope Power Tracker,

8.Samsung: It supplies multiple components,

including flash memory, which is used for
storing data content; the mobile DRAM, used
for multi-tasking various applications in
devices; and the application processors
which are responsible for controlling and
keeping the whole device running.
9.TMicroelectronics (STM):It supplies a lowpowered, three-axis gyroscope and
accelerometer to Apple, used to detect the
orientation and altitude of a mobile device..
10.Texas Instruments, Inc. (TXN): Provide
the current operational amplification system,
which in turn,
contains 30 different componentsitself, it
supplies the touchscreen controller, power