關(guān)鍵字：蘋(píng)果 供應(yīng)鏈
在庫(kù)克的帶領(lǐng)下，蘋(píng)果公司將會(huì)發(fā)生改變，但這似乎是不可避免的。事實(shí)上，庫(kù)克曾經(jīng)公開(kāi)表示，喬布斯自己也不希望蘋(píng)果公司總是想知道“喬布斯接下來(lái)要做什么？”庫(kù)克還說(shuō)，喬布斯曾告訴他，“盡管去做對(duì)的事吧！”
但庫(kù)克十分熟悉整個(gè)產(chǎn)業(yè)供應(yīng)鏈。他曾經(jīng)擔(dān)任蘋(píng)果公司營(yíng)運(yùn)長(zhǎng)(COO)，自2005年起管理蘋(píng)果公司的全球供應(yīng)鏈。在此之前，他曾經(jīng)是Compaq公司材料部門(mén)副總裁。他對(duì)于“什么是對(duì)的事”的想法和專(zhuān)精于設(shè)計(jì)領(lǐng)域的喬布斯顯然是不一樣的。
最近在《財(cái)富》(Fortune)雜志一篇題為“庫(kù)克如何改變蘋(píng)果？”(How Tim Cook is changing Apple)的文章中，作者Adam Lashinsky指出幾個(gè)供應(yīng)鏈議題的重要性正日益提升的跡象。“庫(kù)克如何帶領(lǐng)蘋(píng)果公司的管理方式開(kāi)始成為眾所關(guān)注的焦點(diǎn)，”他指出，雖然庫(kù)克仍努力維持蘋(píng)果公司的文化，“但行為與氛圍的轉(zhuǎn)變是相當(dāng)明顯的。”其中包括：
庫(kù)克先后擺平了業(yè)界對(duì)其于中國(guó)供應(yīng)鏈的工作條件和可能出現(xiàn)的環(huán)境問(wèn)題等批評(píng)。不同于喬布斯通常采取直接解雇或解約的方式，庫(kù)克致力于解決問(wèn)題。他還親自參觀了富士康電子公司的廠房。蘋(píng)果最后也加入為勞工把關(guān)工作廠房環(huán)境的公平勞工協(xié)會(huì)(FLA)。
庫(kù)克似乎打算大幅強(qiáng)化蘋(píng)果公司的供應(yīng)鏈，并為推出蘋(píng)果電視(Apple TV)作準(zhǔn)備。該公司透露其于中國(guó)資產(chǎn)的價(jià)值約有26億美元，根據(jù)Lashinsky推測(cè)，這些資產(chǎn)大部分都是蘋(píng)果公司為其合約制造商購(gòu)買(mǎi)的材料和設(shè)備。Lashinsky認(rèn)為，蘋(píng)果公司正“為其于亞洲制造產(chǎn)能的大規(guī)模提升而提供資金支持”。
此外，T. Rowe Price基金公司投資組合經(jīng)理David Eiswert強(qiáng)調(diào)，蘋(píng)果公司是一家財(cái)力雄厚的制造業(yè)巨擘，“蘋(píng)果公司在供應(yīng)鏈的大手筆，沒(méi)人能比得上。”
庫(kù)克并確保其供應(yīng)鏈管理涉及公司策略的最高層級(jí)。Lashinsky在文中引用了一位蘋(píng)果工程副總裁的話(huà)：“我被告知任何重要的會(huì)議現(xiàn)在都會(huì)有項(xiàng)目管理與全球供應(yīng)管理部門(mén)參與…而當(dāng)我與會(huì)時(shí)，工程部門(mén)決定我們所需要的，過(guò)去這是產(chǎn)品管理與供應(yīng)管理部門(mén)的工作?，F(xiàn)在出現(xiàn)了優(yōu)先級(jí)的變化。”
與此同時(shí)，蘋(píng)果公司的主要競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手之一──谷歌(Google)──也開(kāi)始致力于打造其供應(yīng)鏈。Google公司最近聘請(qǐng)供應(yīng)鏈專(zhuān)家Mark Randall負(fù)責(zé)其供應(yīng)鏈業(yè)務(wù)；Mark Randall曾經(jīng)為Amazon Kindle與Kindle Fire開(kāi)發(fā)與管理采購(gòu)業(yè)務(wù)。隨著Google公司開(kāi)始深耕手機(jī)等硬件業(yè)務(wù)，建立起完整的供應(yīng)鏈對(duì)于未來(lái)的策略發(fā)展格外重要。
Apple Elevates Supply Chain Under Cook
Tam Harbert
As Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) holds its 23rd annual WorldWide Developers Conference this week, the iFaithful may be watching for signs of change under CEO Tim Cook. While I haven't seen or heard any big surprises from WWDC so far (although the week is young), even before the big event some observers were already noting subtle but important differences since Cook took over the CEO role in August 2011.
It seems inevitable that Apple will change under Cook's leadership. Indeed, he has said publicly that Jobs did not want the company always wondering, "What would Steve do?" Rather, he says, Jobs told him, "Just do what's right."
But Cook is a supply chain guy. (He served as Apple's chief operating officer, managing Apple's worldwide supply chain, since 2005. Before that, he was vice president of materials for Compaq.) His idea of "what's right" is bound to be different than that of Jobs, who was a design guy.
In a recent article in Fortune, "How Tim Cook is changing Apple," Adam Lashinsky points to several signs that supply chain issues have moved up in importance. "Tim Cook's stewardship of Apple is beginning to come into focus," he writes. While Cook is maintaining much of Apple's culture, "shifts of behavior and tone are absolutely apparent." Among them:
· Cook has tackled public criticism regarding working conditions and possible environmental problems at Chinese suppliers. Rather than trying to dismiss them, as Jobs did, Cook is working to address the problems. He personally visited the Foxconn Electronics Inc. factory. And Apple has finally joined the Fair Labor Association, which monitors the factories.
· Cook appears to be beefing up Apple's supply chain dramatically, perhaps in preparation for an Apple TV. The company has disclosed the value of its Chinese assets ($2.6 billion), and Lashinsky speculates that most of that is material and equipment Apple bought for its contract manufacturers. The company is "financing massive upgrades in its manufacturing capabilities in Asia," he writes. The article quotes David Eiswert, a portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price, noting Apple's deep pockets and manufacturing prowess. "The Apple supply chain is doing things no one else can," says Eiswert.
· Cook is making sure supply chain management is involved at the highest levels of corporate strategy. The article quotes a former Apple engineering vice president. "I've been told that any meeting of significance is now always populated by project management and global-supply management... When I was there, engineering decided what we wanted, and it was the job of product management and supply management to go get it. It shows a shift in priority."
Meanwhile, one of Apple's chief competitors -- Google -- may be getting supply-chain religion. A recent article in Business Insider notes that Google recently hired Mark Randall, a supply chain expert who developed and managed procurement for the Amazon Kindle and Kindle Fire. As Google moves into building hardware, such as phones, its supply chain will be critical to its strategy.
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