“Research from Professor Loizos Heracleous indicates that [Apple’s] future is still very bright thanks to its ‘Quantum Strategy,'” Dennis Sellers writes for Apple Daily Report.
“Heracleous found that Apple has achieved the rare feat of accomplishing serial innovation and outstanding design, while keeping costs incredibly low to regularly hit margins above 20 percent,” Sellers writes. “At a quantum level of reality the same electron can be at two places at the same time, hence, the Warwick Business School Professor has dubbed Apple’s game plan ‘Quantum Strategy.'”
Sellers writes, “‘Apple will stand the test of time because it has pursued a strategy which is both rare and incredibly difficult for competitors to imitate,’ says Heracleous, professor of strategy at Warwick Business School. ‘Over the last 15 years Apple has revolutionised the personal electronics, telecoms, computer and media industries through a string of blockbuster products that offer unique, integrated customer experiences.'”
Full article here.
Ugh, “quantum” strategy? Looks like xkcd was right: http://xkcd.com/1240/
At a quantum level of reality, this business professor has no idea what he’s talking about.
XKCD is always right. Except about the Netherlands – I don’t think they have it in them. 🙂
http://what-if.xkcd.com/53/
‘Over the last 15 years Apple has revolutionised the personal electronics, telecoms, computer and media industries through a string of blockbuster products that offer unique, integrated customer experiences.’
That thought probably originated in his mind in 1991, but because he wasted the last twenty-years of his life wording his Apple Quantum Strategy, he completely missed out on some of Apple’s more innovative electronics ideas, that have occurred in Apple’s long-solid business history.
Apple’s innovation goes back to April 1, 1976, and it makes you wonder what affect it would have on his research if he included the complete history of Apple innovation?
Perhaps he’s writing to a much younger audience here at MDN?
What’s Cook’s strategy here? Lump all new releases into the 4th quarter? That’s stupid for a couple of reasons.
1. Consumers will not be able to spread spending across the entire year and so will spend less relatively speaking as a proportion to total income.
2. The financial year will look very lumpy with profit and revenue clumped into the final (Christmas) quarter.
I would rather spread my product launches across the year so that consumers will have more opportunities for impulse buys rather than having to decide whether my limited budget goes to the new iPhone or iPad.
Management 101, Cook you dumbass.
Consumers don’t hold off all of their spending until Apple releases new gear, only to say, “Oops, too much to buy now!”
@Nut
How about a smidgeon of modesty, expressed as, “In my opinion” or “I think” or “It might be better”.
And finishing off with “Management 101, Cook you dumbass” really says nothing as loudly as, “Hey, everybody — I’m an arrogant, bombastic pig.”
Goodness aren’t you an arrogant fuck. All full of herself. Shame you don’t know what you are talking about. by Weekend (member)
You wrote that line in a comment to me earlier, under a different name and it sure as hell sounds like the following:
“Hey, everybody — I’m an arrogant, bombastic pig.” which is what you called BLN.
Do you deny you are Weekend, Seamus? Liar.
Lose your predisposition to fix people, or look up the word arrogance.
This isn’t over, Shameus.
Grow up, G4. At least get irate about what I DID write, if you like, rather than about fantasies. No, I’m not “Weekend”.
Name calling (Liar) based on fantasy (Weekend). Sheesh!
Grow up? That’s rich.
Apple ships products when they’re ready, just like they always did.
-jcr
This separates Apple from the wannabe’s. They ship when the product is perfected (design, ease of use, component reliability) to awe the people.
As an aside, it seems component reliability is the weakest link in Apple’s chain. Must drive them crazy.
“component reliability is the weakest link in Apple’s chain.”
Show me a chain where the weakest link isn’t the weakest link?
Everything suffers from this anomaly, including Mammals. Apple, I’m sure factors this in to the cost of doing business.
My sense is, you’ve never cared much for Apple and your second sentence is painfully obvious your just a troll.
Brain-dead Switchers like you with your clever backhanded swipes at Apple’s, nay Tim Cook’s logistical system, that catapulted Apple into rarified air of supremacy, is not the place to look for what ails Apple.
No Mac user I’ve ever met in thirty-plus years ever mentioned component reliability! That is a box-builder term; those who build their own computers component by component.
The word “component” isn’t even in a Mac users vocabulary. Not a technical one, anyway.
Goodness aren’t you an arrogant fuck. All full of herself. Shame you don’t know what you are talking about.
Yes, but have you ever been quoted? I have, so shove it up your ass.
And not a moment sooner.
That’s what we love most about this company; they always exceed our expectations regardless of the wait and they always come perfectly wrapped, without the bow.
Actually your wrong, what apple does is lump the release of lower cost consumer electronics ie iPhones, iPods and iPads into the 4th quarter while releasing laptops in the spring and summer to hit the back to school, heading off to college market. It’s a great strategy, release the more gift-able items during the holiday quarter and save the more investment purchases for later in the year.
Apple should consult with you Damian.
You’ve got it all figured out and you should be made to feel special.
Good job, Damian. You get a star for your effort.
Does everone still hate t.cook?
Few people hate Cook personally, but a lot of people hate how slow and plodding he is at fixing obvious issues where Apple can do better. It is not that he is living in the shadow of his predecessor, it is that Apple — now a very large and powerful corporation — is failing to execute with the speed and vigor that it can and should.
“Apple — now a very large and powerful corporation — is failing to execute with the speed and vigor that it can and should.”
How would you do it differently, Mike? Please use bigger words so we don’t have to read as much, k?
But in a billion words or less, how would you restore the speed and vigor that, apparently Apple consumers have been clamoring for?
Speed & vigor are two nouns I’ve never seen used to describe Apple before, much less used with any criticism.
It is possible for Apple consumers to have completely different experiences with the same Apple product. It really depends on where live, because let’s face it, if you are using an Apple product outside the US, chances are you face many more restrictions and taxes and fees, than Americans do.
But there are trade-offs; Americans are sold 4G but everyone outside of America knows American companies are ripping Americans off with dumbed-down 4G, compared to the speed of the 4G service the rest of the world is getting for the same money.
@BLN
Their release strategy seems simple: when its ready they release it, especially after the maps blunder.
And the iMac blunder. That’s two in one year. So they don’t actually release when the product is ready.
BLN is right for another reason. Releasing new products throughout the year maintains a level of excitement that makes Apple unique. It keeps apple in our thoughts. This new decision to release everything just before the Christmas holiday is prosaic and uncreative, it reeks of the herd mentality.
Nothing is ever ready before it’s released.
It’s just released and Apple waits to see what people do with it, and make course corrections for the life of the product.
Nothing man makes ever,
is ready on the first try
Everything’s remixed.
Haiku for Persistence
By G4Dualie
That’s bank.
It’s true it may be an embarrassment of Apple riches this fall with too many temptatious delights and I too have been waiting for certain updated things like Mac Pro’s, Retina Display Mini iPads and Mac Book Pro’s. “Fortunately” it looks as though the RD iPad Mini won’t be out until next year – whew! My iPhone 5 though will hold me in good stead until next year’s major iPhone update.
Hhmmmm. Has someone cottoned on that positive Apple coverage in the mainstream could be the new link bait?
This sounds like the obverse of yesterday’s “word mapping” bollocks: suspect analysis attached to a high profile stock to adverise the author’s dubious reasoning.
It would make a welcome change; but should still be criticised if it fails the basic “is it bollocks?” test.
Keep the customer satisfied has always been Apple’s strategy.
In the alternate reality of Windows consumers have fought tooth and nail dragging Microsoft into the 21st century.
Enterprise, not consumerism is Microsoft’s raison dêtre.
You are right. MS loved the enterprise IT doofus. MS and doofus know better than the conumer what the consumer wants. Ballmer has zero interest in the consumers. Consumers love Apple because Apple distains the enterprise doofus and gives the consumer magical products.
IT Doofus is to consumerism what a virus is to computers.
Has Apple found the Holy Grail of business strategy?
YES, and it’s all about engendering creativity and devotion to the benefit of the customer. IOW: Apple uses a core business strategy that is ALIEN to today’s self-destructive global biznizz environment. Thus Apple is the greatest business on the planet and remaining so. Hurray. 😀
Later, Loizos Heracleous was consulted by Hubertus Bigend in another international caper involving high tech and colorful local culture.
Someone at Apple has read and understood what Dr W Edwards Deming was teaching and then applied it. That’s “the secret” behind their success.
The culture at Apple hasn’t changed for many years. The way that Apple works has been known about for years. How come it’s taken this long for Professor Loizos Heracleous to work out what some of us knew ages ago ?
Because like many, who’s first exposure to Apple products was ushered in with mobile devices and not the Macintosh, have no sense of historical perspective, or Apple’s place in it.
“Hey! Did you know Apple also made computers?!”
“Are you talking about iPhone?”
“No, MACS”
“What’s a MAC?”
Besides design and innovation, Apple is going to eventually produce its own chips thus cutting its costs and increasing its profit margins even more. It will eventually control everything stuffed into an iPhone or one of its products making copying an Apple product difficult if not impossible. That is its overall strategy.
Apple designs and manufactures its own chips now, i.e., A5/A6… which currently run iPads and Phones. They have reduced operating costs and have increased margins. They’ve even adopted the strategy to make their products wholly designed and produced by Apple, to make it impossible to copy.
So all you said, has come true, Rip.
You look tired, need a nap?