AMR Research has released its Supply Chain Top 25 report for 2008, an annual ranking highlighting companies that display superior supply chain performance, capabilities, and leadership. This year, Apple traded places with Nokia to move into the top spot (AMR’s Top 25 for 2007). The analysis uses basic public data as a foundation—return on assets, inventory turns, and growth—and incorporates expert and peer assessments of the future supply chain potential of each company.
AMR Research’s Supply Chain Top 25 consistently outperforms the market. Last year, the average total return of the companies ranked in the 2007 Supply Chain Top was 17.89%, compared with returns of 6.43% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and 3.53% for the S&P 500.
The Supply Chain Top 25 for 2008 is:
1. Apple
2. Nokia
3. Dell
4. Procter & Gamble
5. IBM
6. Wal-Mart Stores
7. Toyota Motor
8. Cisco Systems
9. Samsung Electronics
10. Anheuser-Busch
11. PepsiCo
12. Tesco
13. The Coca-Cola Company
14. Best Buy
15. Nike
16. SonyEricsson
17. Walt Disney
18. Hewlett-Packard
19. Johnson & Johnson
20. Schlumberger
21. Texas Instruments
22. Lockheed Martin
23. Johnson Controls
24. Royal Ahold
25. Publix Super Markets
“With companies such as Apple, Disney, and Nike securing their ranks on the Supply Chain Top 25 this year, a new manufacturing model emerges,” said Kevin O’Marah, chief strategist at AMR Research, in the press release. “The old model, relying exclusively on products or services, is increasingly being replaced by a content economy that builds and delivers value with ideas.”
“With its introduction of the iPhone, Apple could have stumbled meeting demand or failed on quality. It did neither,” AMR’s report states. “Behind-the-scenes moves like tying up essential components well in advance and upgrading basic information systems have enabled Apple to handle the demands of its rabid fan base without having to fall back on their forgiveness for mistakes.”
AMR Research is the No. 1 research firm focused on the intersection of business processes with value chain and enterprise technologies. Founded in 1986, AMR Research provides subscription advisory services and peer networking opportunities to operations and IT executives in the consumer products, life sciences, manufacturing, and retail sectors.
More info about AMR Research’s Supply Chain Top 25 report can be found here.
Source: AMR Research
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Mike” for the heads up.]
Booya Apple! Way to go….
Without knowing the absolute difference in separation between each company how can one quantitatively assess the differences? Obviously, no ANOVA or means separation testing was reported.
I did not find the methodology well explained from the AMR Research website. Nowhere did I see that the data collected were randomized, independent, and unbiased.
Seems to be another worthless popularity poll. Doesn’t really mean much, as long as Apple is ranked number one that’s all that matters to ignorant fanbois.
Have any clues there, Mike? How about you, MDN?
He he. What part of first place in very good company don’t you understand?
Gee, this is a tough choice. Who are we to believe?
An anonymous coward and “master baiter” named He, he that trolls MDN threads with a bizarre, self-important agenda that reeks of low self-esteem and insecurity or a well-respected, 22 year old research firm with an open and descriptive methodology (http://www.amrresearch.com/supplychaintop25/ourmethodology.asp) and a peer opinion overview?
Wow. It’s a toss up.
“Behind-the-scenes moves like tying up essential components well in advance and upgrading basic information systems have enabled Apple to handle the demands of its rabid fan base without having to fall back on their forgiveness for mistakes.”
I knew I must be a mad dog!
@ He, he
Bye, bye. Your hatred is ignored here. Just take your vile venom and leave.
Way to go Apple!!
Way to hang in there, Publix.
@ Who, who?
Well, since you SEEM to have the most basic understanding of statistical analysis maybe you can explain the answers to my questions. Or, maybe, the best you can do is simply parrot the laughable ambiguous methodology foisted by AMR.
@ CYxodus
You may help Who, who? if you can.
@ He, he, he.
” laughable ambiguous methodology “
Could you atleast point out the ambiguous parts of their methodology? Which paragraph or part of the graph you find most perplexing?
iPhone User,
I mentioned the ambiguities in my post at 10:39 PM EDT.
You may start with the questions there.
Obviously, the rest of the MDN Apple fanboi brethren haven’t a clue how to answer these simple questions. Can you?
Apparently, no MDN fanbois know the purpose of a well defined methods section or how to correctly interpret the methods section.
Your silence is deafening. I reckon you all know what is meant by the left-hand side of the bell curve.
No, CYxodus, I don’t hate you. I do despise you because you promote ignorance and stupidity.
Poorly performed research does not yield valid results. Like my dear old prof said, “It’s not garbage in, garbage out that is the problem. Rather it’s garbage in, gospel out.”
Too bad you never had a decent education or never took the advantage of your educational experiences.
Poor, sad little He, he, he.
He he he’s so upset that his fav (whatever it might be) didn’t top the list, that he’s trolling Apple sites and stooping to the absolute low of name calling.
Gee, he he he, I’ve got an 8 year old nephew that used to act just like you do- Back when he was 5.
Grow up.
i remember the times when apple couldn’t meet demand for a hotseller or had month of inventory for a not so hotseller like the cube. these days are gone. they hired a genius for that position.
I must admit that to any sad Apple hater stumbling into MDN, it must be very painful. Bit like falling into a mix of brambles and stinging nettles really.
No wonder the likes of He he, or is it He he he, don’t stay around long…
Nah. The angriest trolls can’t resist. They’re too compulsive to stay away. For them it’s like potato chips and masturbation.
While Apple has moved from #2 to #1, Dell is at #3. Still there? Moved there? Doesn’t really matter that much, now, does it? They are ahead of IBM, Toyota, Cisco and Disney. Behind Apple, to be sure, but ahead of some solid companies.
Have we been mistaken in our vilification of that industry giant? #3! Ahead of HP, back at #18! Perhaps He he had a point? Not that Apple does not belong at this pinnacle, but that the methodology is, perhaps, somehow flawed?
DLMeyer,
This is a ranking of companies’ supply chain capabilities which has always been Dell’s (sole) strong point.
Think back 10 years. That Apple is #1 on this list is nothing short of a miracle.
FWIW: AMR Research Announces The 2007 Supply Chain Top 25
Thursday, May 31, 2007:
http://www.amrresearch.com/content/View.asp?pmillid=20450
“Have we been mistaken in our vilification of that industry giant?”
No, but for different reasons.
Dave, please don’t encourage obviously angry trolls. He’s only really interested in a flame war.
@he he
It would truly depend on who is doing the analysis. If you look at any company that does this type of research, not all of them do an analysis of variations. While I do agree with you that ANOVA is very important, it would highly depend on what you are trying to measure. The company in question does provide their metrics and their methodologies.
As for your comment regarding the left-hand side of the curve, I find your comment to be disingenuous. Without sounding facetious and air of egotistic snottiness, you might want to further elucidate the masses to allow us to see your point of view.
You might want to also consider the book “How to lie with statistics” as a precursor in considering how to interpret the numbers presented by the company. Anyone can come up with numbers and make it sound good. However, as this company did, they provided their metrics and methodology. The rest is up to us to whether accept or deny the findings.
I wonder how the iPhone shortages of this year will affect next year’s ranking?
AMR Research’s Supply Chain Top 25 consistently outperforms the market.
And Dell is #3?
I guess there is an exception to every rule.
The problems with Dell are not in their supply chain, but rather in their supply. The products that they efficiently deliver are of poor quality and have frustrated too many, too much and too often. They have no margins because there is little demand for less than mediocre computers in shiny cases. Michael Dell built his empire on a masterful supply chain, not a great machine.