Supply Chain Operation of the Apple Inc-Free-Samples for Students

Questions: The Physical Logistic Network and supporting system are of equal importance to firm supplying goods to international market. Discuss this statement critically drawing on appropriate literature and a detailed example of a product supply chain. Answers: Introduction: In general, logistics can be defined as a place utility which is done to move a product from one place to another. This is one of the integral aspects of the entire supply chain operations. A logistics is mean to transport goods which the seller or the buyer uses it to their purpose. It serves the needs of a manufacturer that receives the required raw materials from the selected suppliers. The product reaches the distribution center and then to the market by means of the transport or the logistics only (Ascencio et al. 2014). Logistics operation does have a very well impact on the total cost of production. It also affects the firms reputation also (Ascencio et al. 2014). If the logistics operation is cost-effective then the entire cost of production will also be minimized. On the other hand, if a firm has a good control on its logistics such as it can track the operation or manage a timely delivery of the products or the services, it will definitely have an edge on its competitors. T his is due to a fact that logistics operation has become a complex issue to many reputed firms in the countries across the globe (Ascencio et al. 2014). The main purpose of this assignment is to analyze the logistics operation in the light of few selected journal or if required the book articles in the literature review section. Literature review: Islam et al. (2013, p.3) have found the origination of logistics from the ancient Greek word logos which means the word, the ratio, the reason, the calculation, the speech and the oration. According to the authors Islam et al. (2013, p.3), the term logistics since then is in the practice for a much longer time than its present-day concept. The term logistics have further been explained in this article as the follows: Logistics= supply of raw materials to the manufacturers + management of materials in the distribution center + sending the goods to the customer ends; The logistics operation at the global level as according to the authors Islam et al. (2013, p.3) is indeed a very complex operation which involves the reception of a single product with a different logistic operation as well. This can well be understood from the example of Tesco that receives thousands of items from the different parts of the world and for each single item; it has to follow a very different logistic operation. The logistics manager in such cases needs to have a very diverse knowledge of the logistics operation in the different parts of the world. The author's dos Santos and Marins (2015, pp.575-585) have further added another dimension in the concept of logistics operation by focusing on the reverse logistics management. Reverse logistics as opined by the author's dos Santos and Marins (2015, pp.575-585) can be defined as a process which is used to enhance the customer loyalty for a firm by receiving the rejected or canceled or the defective goods. This is also a very good mean of avoiding any wastage of such goods. Moreover, it also delivers a very effective organizational image of the firm. In addition to the above-mentioned facts, the author's dos Santos and Marins (2015, p.579) have further added another dimension to the logistics operation by stating the importance of ICT implementation in the operation. According to the authors, dos Santos and Marins (2015, p.579) can generate several benefits in terms of affecting individuals, transformation efficiency, functional units and the organization as a whole unit. In the light of the above-stated facts, this can be said that it is now very important to implement the ICT in the logistics operation to attain a much better and a competitive logistics. Moreover, this is also necessary to attain a competitive advantage where many companies have struggled in the past and are still struggling to attain a robust logistics operation which is both cost-effective and highly-effective as well. The importance of ICT and the different other strategies in the logistics and the supply chain operation can well be understood from the way Apple delivers its operation. The company has shown a very distinguished strategy in regards to the logistics and the supply chain operation. Apple does purchase the different materials from the various suppliers; however, it is then shipped to the assembling plant in China. In addition to this, the manufactured goods are not brought to the distribution center; indeed, these are transferred to customers directly from China by means of UPS/FedEx. However, customers make the purchase from the Apples Online Store (Liang 2016). The above-mentioned facts on the Apples supply chain operation do produce some very important facts. The company is able to save in its manufacturing process as the process is conducted in the Chinese firms where the manufacturing costs are much more cheaper which is due to many facts like the low labor cost. Additionally, they are also able to save on the distribution center which they facilitate directly through the Chinese firms. It does not only save on the logistics operation but also on the cost of the distribution center (Khan, Alam and Alam 2015). Moreover, the CEO of the company was able to reduce the number of suppliers which has helped the company to reduce its dependency on the suppliers and let the suppliers compete to each other for supplying both the quality and the cheaper materials (Liang 2016). Conclusion: To conclude, this can be said that logistics operation is a vast task which is not only confined to the transport of goods to the customers but it is also responsible for the reverse transport of good from the customer ends. Reverse transport happens when a customer rejects a product or if there is any fault with the product or some other reasons. Logistics, as understood from the study conducted in this paper, is a part of the whole supply chain operation; however, it really matters in regards to reducing the overall cost of supply chain operation and the cost of production. References: Ascencio, L.M., Gonzlez-Ramrez, R.G., Bearzotti, L.A., Smith, N.R. and Camacho-Vallejo, J.F., (2014). A collaborative supply chain management system for a maritime port logistics chain.Journal of applied research and technology,12(3), pp.444-458. dos Santos, R.F. and Marins, F.A.S., 2015. Integrated model for reverse logistics management of electronic products and components.Procedia Computer Science,55, pp.575-585. Grant, D.B., (2012).Logistics management. Pearson Higher Ed. Islam, D.M.Z., Meier, J.F., Aditjandra, P.T., Zunder, T.H. and Pace, G., (2013). Logistics and supply chain management.Research in Transportation Economics,41(1), pp.3-16. Khan, U.A., Alam, M.N. and Alam, S., 2015. A critical analysis of internal and external environment of Apple Inc.International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management,3(6), pp.955-961. Liang, G., 2016. The FoxApple Partnership in the Global Value Chain: How Did Foreign Direct Investment and Contract Manufacturing Reshape the Landscape of the Electronics Industry?. 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