Archive for April 19th, 2007
Nothing Beats Apple Supply Chain
Once again, my love for Apple continues. Hugh sums up my week.
Because my 20GB second generation iPod is starting to show it’s age, the battery lasts only an hour or two and it skips when I run, I knew I needed a new iPod. So I ordered a 2GB iPod Nano, with the Nike Sports kit and arm band. I had it engraved with a quote from Andy Millman, “Are you havin’ a laugh?”. The iPod left Shenzhen, China and flew to Anchorage, Alaska where it rested for a night. The next day it flew over Canada down to Fed Ex headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. From there, it flew north to my home in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. I ordered on a Saturday and it arrived on a Wednesday. I didn’t actually get it until Thursday because I missed the Fed Ex guy. Less than a week to get a personalized, engraved iPod all the way from China. When I missed the delivery Fed Ex knew exactly where the package was and scheduled me for an afternoon delivery the next day. My phone rang at 1pm, Fed Ex was calling to make sure I was home and that the package was on the truck for delivery. Seconds later the website update that information and in 45 minutes the truck was outside my door.
I realize that millions of packages are delivered this way everyday so my experience is hardly unique. But when you take a step back, the idea that you can track your package all across the world through the web (or have them email info. to your phone) is amazing. The world is really flat. None of this was possible in 1990.
What does the Apple, Fed Ex supply chain say about the future? Technology is changing every aspect of our lives. The delivery systems for everything from music, movies and books to news, information, goods and services has been turned upside down. There is virtually no difference between my local electronics store and a factory a world away. The disruption marches on.
