The major resource of Apple Inc. is its staff, the people who strive every day to make the company be ahead of the competition. Innovation and its management is the key strength of Apple. Another strength factor is the fact that Apple does not outsource design to cheaper, outside, companies but everyone, including the COE, Steve Jobs, gets involved thoroughly in the design process of a new product. And the last strength factor is that Apple always tries to give the consumers what they need by making it the easiest way possible to fulfill those needs. Like the example of the iPod’s idea, which came from the customer need to have an mp3 who can manage the music list. These factors combined together make Apple unique.
In my opinion, the major weakness for Apple is the fact that it does not have a wide range of products. It has been focused on a certain category of them, but this limits its choice for the customers, and it leaves open the possibility that if customers have a backoff these types of products, then Apple could go into serious difficulties.
The opportunity for Apple is that most of the other hardware companies, by using outsourced manufacturers for cost purposes, are offering quite the same thing with just a little different in it. The ‘think different’ logo of Apple is their greatest opportunity. By delivering something different to the consumer, the public attracts their attention and gives the possibility for success.
The threat is that due to outside environmental factors, the consumers hesitate to buy Apple products. These outside environmental factors could be like the ones formed during the last financial crisis.Since Apple makes most of the work in California and tends not to outsource its product development, the price is also higher than the competition. But in a financial crisis, the individual consumer, or family consumer, may decide to cut expenses for Apple products and replace them with similar products of rival companies.
