How Apple Built a Succesful Chinese Supply Chain, and are they TOO Reliant on China?

In this episode... Renaud and Adrian dissect two recent FT articles concerning how Apple set up a successful supply chain in China that helped them dominate rivals, how they handle the NPI process in a fairly unique way, and whether, in light of the current geopolitical situation, they're too reliant on China and what moves they're making to diversify.   Show Sections 00:00 - Greetings. 01:20 - The topic: A focus on Apple. How they built a successful supply chain in China, and whether are they too reliant on China now. 04:00 - "I want to make a product with Apple's quality and design." Realistic? 08:06 - Finding new suppliers to keep the pressure on their supply chain and get the best deal possible. 11:26 - Apple has 15k of their own staff in China. What does this mean? 17:47 - Apple may not own the factories, but they do own a lot of the equipment. Why? 23:32 - They get sub-suppliers to commit to building custom parts just for Apple in large quantities. 27:27 - The benefits of using CMs like Foxconn. 29:29 - Giving away too much control and technical know-how is not the Apple way. 35:27 - Apple's attempts to diversify supply chains into Vietnam and India. 40:07 - Will/should they leave China entirely? 49:48 - Wrapping up.   Related content... Article 1: How Apple tied its fortunes to China  Article 2: What it would take for Apple to disentangle itself from China Further confirmation that India’s exports to North America are booming ”Enterprise China” – China’s Strategy for Economic Success (Author Interview with Drs. Allen J. Morrison & J. Stewart Black) Can We Remove China From Our Supply Chains? [Podcast] How Sourcing From India Has Changed In 2022 (Part 1: Trends & Manufacturing Landscape) Globalism 2.0: North American Importers To Move Supply Chains Out Of China Soon? [Podcast] How to Manage the NPI Process based on your Manufacturer's Ability [Video]   Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Send us a tweet @sofeast Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel   Subscribe to the podcast  There are more episodes to come, so remember to subscribe! You can do so in your favorite podcast apps here and don't forget to give us a 5-star rating, please: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Podcasts TuneIn Amazon Podcasts Deezer iHeartRADIO PlayerFM Listen Notes Podcast Addict Podchaser