Apples Operational Challenges - Case Study Example

Apple’s Operational Challenges By: Name: Tutor: Subject: City: Date: Introduction Apple is an international company that engages in the design, and the production of consumer electronics. There have been cases where the company has performed both positively and negatively according to the expectations. There have been incidents where the company criticized in the way it conducts its activities. In other areas, Apple has been standing out in the way it carries its operations to benefit the community in which it touches the lives of people positively. Three members founded Apple in the year 1976 where it has built itself to be one of the reputable companies in the world in dealing with consumer electrons. Its brand remains to be one of the superior brands in the market throughout the world. In the innovation sector, Apple has been one of those companies that have been having taken into account the new trend in the market. It has gone ahead to be considered to be one of the companies with the best new technologies in the production of electronic devices. The products meet the consumer needs which make them be of higher demand on the market. However, there are issues that remain outstanding in the way the operation of the company is done making it necessary for them to address. Some of this issues that are in context include working conditions and product recall. Working conditions at Apple Working conditions are the existing issues associated with the way the company relates to the people who associate with it including customers and employees. When we talk about working conditions we are referring to; managing quality, supplier responsibility, labor & human rights, offshore, ethics. There have been problems presented in the event of trying to ensure all these are doing best on their own. The report is going to look into each of them and specify the problem that each factor has. Managing quality Quality is the ability of the products and services that are being provided by a given company can meet the required expectations of consumers. When it comes to management of quality has been finding it difficult to ensure that it is met. The difficulty faced is due to the fact there has been a dynamic change in the innovations and the expectations that are needed by the customers day in day out. Dynamic environment makes it necessary for the company to keep on adjusting its production to ensure that the consumer gets the desired product in the market. Production and constant change in the production procedures require extra costs which lead to rise of production costs which are way far from the budget (Erick, 2010, pg. 2). Management of quality also requires a lot of research and a lot of customer feedback. The research requirement presents a difficult situation for the company as the customers of Apple are found scattered all over the world something that makes it difficult for them to get the desired feedback. On the other hand, the changing dynamics in the market present a difficult situation when it comes to making decisions regarding the nature of the product to be produced in the market. Supplier responsibility When it comes to supplier responsibility, it is the ability of those who are in the supply chain to ensure that they are enabling goods to reach the market at the right time and all destinations. Apple being a worldwide company, it can be difficult to ensure that all suppliers are doing their job in the required manner and according to the company’s laid regulations. With the fact that it deals with markets which are in different jurisdictions, some tariff laws in some countries may require several procedures that may lead to a delay of goods from being delivered to the market on time. Some of the countries may want to promote their local industries. The requirement makes it difficult for able to deliver its goods to such like countries where the level of taxation may be higher than normal (Marc, 2010, pg. 3). Labor and human rights Human rights are one of the areas where the United Nations have emphasized that all those regulations regarding the basic human rights observed. However, in those countries that Apple has been able to open its subsidiaries to enable smooth conduction of business. However, in developing nations, some rogue managers may be infringing the rights of employees and their customers. Private information stored within the company at some point finds its way to the public and also, you may find that this is mistreating some of the worker's managers. Due to the developed technologies and the internet also, you may find that some hackers are getting information from the company database resulting to an infringement of the rights of those that had stored their data there (Dan, 2013, pg. 6). The hacking has presented a very difficult moment to Apple Company, as they have to struggle to ensure that the information is well kept and the public does not get access. The laborers are not also left behind as they find their rights frequently being infringed leading to some being discouraged from exploiting their potential in their job. Offshore Offshore relations are those that exist between the parent company and those subsidiaries held by the companies. The relationships can present a difficult situation for the mother companies to manage. With the fact that the parent company found in an environment which is somehow different from those of subsidiaries, the decisions taken may differ. The different environment has presented a situation where the mother company conveys indications that are different from those that are issued by the subsidiaries. The difference has presented the problem of contradiction making it difficult for the subsidiaries controlled by the parent companies in running their operations (Andrew, 2006, pg. 7). Ethics Ethics is a very important virtue when it comes to the company operations. Companies where the ethics are not well observed make it difficult for the company to deliver quality services according to the expectations. Ethics at a point are broken where the company is involved in deals that are meant to make it earn profit fraudulently. There are also circumstances where other companies have complained of cases where Apple has not been carrying itself in a genuine manner. Product Recall in Apple Product recall in a company depends on ways the organization of chain management is carried out by the company. Where the company does not conduct out effective monitoring, you will find out that it faces frequent problems in controlling its products in the market. The lack of control makes its products look uncontrolled making it necessary for it to take precautionary measure that will ensure its products in the market are doing well in the market. Where suppliers are not well monitored when a client gets a problem with the product in the market, it will be difficult to have the customer issues addressed. Mechanisms that will cater for the customer interests should always be available. Facilities that will enable the company to be in a position of monitoring the satisfaction of the customers in the market are necessary. Efficient supplies management will mean that customers served with easy without having the doubt of not getting the results they expected. Having the right procedures mean that the feedback will easily be passed to the company and the right measures taken (Nicholas, 2010, pg. 2) Conclusion Management of all functions of a business organization is not an easy task. It requires a fully understanding of the operations and the measures taken in ensuring everything being in control. When a company grows, there are new challenges that present themselves to the management and if care is not taken it will be difficult for the management to have the required profits. The management should start from researching on the methods that are best in ensuring that things are right from the immediate environment to that is in the distance. Challenges presented in the organization should not just be left to one department; it should collectively solve. Apple as a company had a very good beginning, however, with the growth of the company, there are problems that have arose due to some of the management roles not being able to cover those areas that will make the whole organization come out of these problems. The problems have made some complains be raised about the operations of the company. Problems ranging from work conditions to product recall have been observed due to a large area of operation where Apple as a company operates. It is prudent for the manager in Apple to take into consideration each problem and come with ways that will lead to solving the problems without affecting the company operations and profits. References Carlson, Nicholas, 2010. "What It's Like To Work In China's Gadget Sweatshops Where Your iPhones And iPads Are Made". Business Insider. Orlowski, Andrew, 2006. Apple sues itself in the foot (again). Musgrove, Mike, 2006. "Sweatshop Conditions at IPod Factory Reported," The Washington Post. Flores, Marc, 2010. Over 5000 apps stricken from the Apple app store, new rules in place, MobileCrunch. Paul Mozur, 2012. "Life Inside Foxconn's Facility in Shenzhen". The Wall Street Journal. Schonfeld, Erick, 2010. Is Steve Jobs Ignoring History Or Trying To Rewrite It?, TechCrunch. Sumption, Dan, 2013. "Review of iCon - Steve Jobs, The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business by Jeffrey S. Young and William L. Simon". Worthham, Jenna, 2010. "Apple Places New Limits on App Developers," The New York Times Read More