“For all the anxiety surrounding business this year, one positive trend that remains from last year is the growing importance of content or intellectual property as a key factor in supply chain strategy. Apple again tops our list, and still by a wide margin. The composite score tallied by Apple [7.97 vs. 5.86-4.36 for the rest of the top ten spots) shows dominance not only in peer and AMR Research opinion votes but also in financial metrics. The success of Apple’s iPhone continues to change the playing field for mobile devices. Even more importantly, it is changing the rules for software and consumer information services. The App Store adds to Apple’s ability to deliver massive sales growth with extraordinarily low levels of inventory,” AMR Research reports.
“Much discussion in 2008 surrounded Apple founder Steve Jobs’ illness and the question of how well the company would fare in his absence. Halfway through 2009, this worry seems largely for naught as supply chain veteran Tim Cook took the lead maintaining not only smooth operational performance, but a continued flow of innovation. The ripple effect of Apple’s leadership has pushed others in consumer electronics and mobile devices to rethink their place in the value chain,” AMR Research reports.
“The Apple effect also drove down rankings for mobile devices makers Nokia (No. 6) and Sony Ericsson (No. 24),” AMR Research reports. “Both companies again demonstrated the intensity of competition in this industry, but each seems to have lost something as Apple’s redefinition of the mobile phone has undercut their perceived leadership.”
Full article, with the complete list, AMR’s methodology, and more, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Mike B.” for the heads up.]
