Apple Inc. (AAPL) At Top of This List

Like many, when you hear the phrase “supply chain” the first company that comes to mind is Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). When it comes down to it, the Cupertino based company relies on its supply chain to not only keep up with orders but to ensure the high quality of its products. A big responsibility, to say the least.

Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research, recently published its annual “Supply Chain Top 25” list.

“The goal of the Supply Chain Top 25 research initiative is to raise awareness of the supply chain discipline and how it impacts the business.”

This is a great point by Gartner. Taking Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), for example, many people only see what is on the surface: great products. But as you dig deeper, it becomes obvious that having the right supply chain in place is one of the primary reasons why the company has been able to achieve so much success over the long haul.

Debra Hofman, managing vice president at Gartner, added the following:

“At the heart of the Supply Chain Top 25 is the notion of demand-driven leadership. We’ve been researching and writing about demand-driven practices since 2003, highlighting the journey companies are taking: from the old ‘push’ model of supply chain to one that integrates demand, supply and product into a value network that orchestrates a profitable response to ever-shifting changes in demand.”

It is no surprise to many that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is at the top of this list. That being said, there are many other well known brands near the top including McDonald’s and Amazon among others.

Additionally, three new companies have cracked into the top 25 this year: Ford, Lenovo, and Qualcomm.

Here is some more from Gartner, speaking about Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s dominance:

“Apple tops Gartner’s ranking for a record-breaking sixth year in a row, continuing to outpace everyone else by a wide margin on all five measures used (see Table 1). Apple was ranked No. 1 again by the peer voters, capturing 75 percent of the highest possible points a company can get across the voting pool.”

As you can see, Apple has no problem dominating this list. For the sixth year in a row, Cupertino has been top dog and there is no reason to believe that this will change in the future.

How do you feel about the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) supply chain in terms of where it stands today?

See the full table below: