Apple Inc. is one of the world's largest technology companies, with annual revenue more significant than the GDP of countries, including Kenya and Tanzania combined. In 2019 , the company attained an income of over 200 billion dollars, and it is one of the companies with a well-defined strategy. Apple's success did not start overnight, as it is a journey that began with Steve Jobs, a college dropout who changed the way people view computer technology. Steve Jobs was a leader and a visionary; he developed an idea into a multi-billion business. Jobs was a man that could change the world many times over. However, his successor, Tim Cook, is well-defined and more oriented than he was. Steve Jobs brought Tim Cook into the company in 1998 after his return to Apple, and since then, he enabled a business that was crushing to grow even more significantly. The leadership of Cook is seen by the company's leadership and competitive strategy in the sector. He introduced the Apple Watch, Airoods, and Siri products that have continued to increase its income even further. Apple has many products; however, this does not mean that these products are sold in the same way or in the same market. Apple's PC market differs from the iPhone market, and more importantly, the products' marketing strategies differ significantly. The Mac Pro was promoted based on value and designed for experienced people who needed to build high bandwidth capabilities. Apple's mp3 player was created for music lovers who loved music but could not manage the stress of carrying CD cassettes. The Mp3 player completely redesigned how people listened to music. Likewise, Apple's first mobile phone targeted both the phone market and the IPod market. These were the people who needed their music players but could not deal with the pressure of carrying both the music player and their phones. Another factor that made the iPhone popular is that it introduced an easy-to-use mobile phone software. Apple has many other products, including the IPad and Apple Watch; however, two elements remain consistent in all these products: simplicity and differentiation. 1. In your own word, describe Apple's supply chain. 2. What differences set Apple apart from its competitors in terms of product design and innovation? Compare with Samsung or Huawei. 3. In your opinion, why Apple totally outsource its manufacturing to Foxconn. What are Apple's key advantages in how it manages its supply chain operations? 4. What are the challenges that Apple faces in the future and what are the implications for its supply chain? For examples, the effect of COVID19 to the supply chain, trade war between China and USA, continuous lockdown in some Chinese cities, congestion in major ports during the pandemic, insufficient supply of microchips from TSMC etc. 5. What could be the reason why Foxconn has its plant in Kulaj, Johor and not other parts of Malaysia