It's a tough task for companies to accomplish if asked to develop a competitive advantage into a sustainable competitive advantage. If companies need to satisfy this criteria, it could mean that the designated company should not possess qualities such as a value creating ability or capability. By companies not possessing qualities of value creation, there is less scope for duplication or implementation by others firms (the concept of ?competitive dependability'). On a careful scrutiny, the thought of duplication does not dominate the competitive dependability scene. However, the fact that the development might be considered as redundant in the environment is of prime consideration. Now let us study the Competitive Advantages available at Apple.
[...] As well as inspiring its employees, he was very tough with them and this is what Apple needed. He was also tough enough to continue the restructuring policy. New project plans were reduced by headcount continued reducing as well as plant facilities. Internally, Jobs worked to streamline the operations and reinvigorated innovation. He also increased R&D expenditure to of the net sales. For Steve Jobs, the renewal of the company also happened through the internet. By 2001, Apple's online store accounted for 40% of the company's overall sales. [...]
[...] But in 1990, Apple realized that it had lost the war of the operating systems against Microsoft. Indeed, in 1990, Microsoft launched the Windows which was a great success. Around the same time (in 1991), Apple presented the operating system 7. To counter the success of Windows Apple, with the help of Novell, developed Mac OS, the Macintosh operating system. Then, with the help of Intel, Apple launched the Star Trek project. The project was a great success. At the same time, Apple launched the new Power PC CPU but it was too complicated to manage both projects at the same time so Apple decided to abandon Star Trek. [...]
[...] So we can say that the major sustainable advantage of Apple is the “Brand Image” that puts in place its entire success story. Part II. Analyze the structure of the personal computer industry over the last 15 years. How have the dynamics of the PC industry changed? ( The PC industry's history In the beginning, Apple pioneered the first usable “personal” computing devices, but IBM was the company that brought PCs into the mainstream. In the early 1980s, the personal computer was intended for rich people. [...]
[...] Moreover, Apple was unable to create another operating system that could compete with Microsoft's Windows 95. Apple represented only of the market during this period. Spindler, the CEO of Apple since 1993, was dismissed in 1995. Gilbert Amelio was appointed CEO of Apple in 1996. He put in place a very strong plan to cut 27% of the company's workforce. He also wanted to reduce costs by suppressing various Apple technologies: Pippin, OpenDoc, and Newton among others. He also reduced the number of suppliers. [...]
[...] This new competitive advantage permitted Apple to come back on the PC market. (Horizontal and vertical integration During the Apple started poring over the environmental supply chain. company practiced horizontal and vertical integration to a greater extent than any other PC company, with the exception of IBM. Apple typically designed its products from scratch, using chips, disk drives, and monitors, as well as unusual shapes for its computers' chassis . The company manufactured and assembled most of its own products in state-of-the- art factories in California. [...]
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