Apple has been constantly revamping its supply chain so as to ease the lives of its consumers. The company has initiated the concept of Mac App Store in January 2011, which makes it easier for the customers to find, download and install the applications for their Macs. This is another example of an innovative business model. Apple Inc is present throughout the supply chain from being a hardware provider to software solutions provider to distributor of its products and services. The product and service portfolio of Apple has been designed in a manner that its various products and services complement each other. As an example, a consumer who buys iPod can access music from its software iTunes. Its solutions are easy to use and robust which helps the company to create a brand loyalty for itself. Correspondingly, it can capitalize on this brand equity through the introduction of newer products by the strategy of brand extensions. The knowledge management process that is carried out at Apple is an implicit process and its competitive advantage stems from its ability to be the first mover and offer unique solutions to its customers.
Impact of Innovation on Apple’s performance and performance of other businesses
Apple Inc operates on a diversified yet consolidated business model and as such, there are no direct competitors of Apple. However, its competition can be compared on a segment wide level, wherein its major competitor in the mobile phone business is Research in Motion and its primary competitor in the tablet market segment is Hewlett Packard. The profitability measures and key statistics for Apple, its competitors and the industry as a whole have been tabulated in the following page.
苹果一直在不断改造其供应链，以减轻消费者的生活。于2011年1月，该公司已经启动了Mac App Store的概念，这使得它更容易为客户寻找，下载和安装应用程序为他们的Mac。这是一个创新的商业模式的另一个例子。苹果公司是从一个硬件提供商的软件解决方案供应商，分销商，其产品和服务在整个供应链。苹果已经设计的产品和服务组合的方式，其各种产品和服务相得益彰。作为一个例子，一个消费者购买iPod的音乐软件iTunes可以访问。其解决方案易于使用和强大的，这有助于公司创造了品牌的忠诚度本身。相应地，它可以利用这个品牌权益上，通过引进新的产品品牌延伸战略。在苹果进行知识管理的过程，是一个隐含的过程，其竞争优势源于它的能力是先行者，并提供独特的解决方案给客户。
苹果公司的业绩和创新的影响，其他业务的表现
苹果公司经营一个多元化而又综合的商业模式，正因为如此，有没有直接的竞争对手苹果。然而，它可以比竞争一个分部层面上，其中手机业务的主要竞争对手是Research in Motion公司和它的主要竞争对手是惠普在平板电脑市场分部。苹果的盈利措施和关键统计数据，它的竞争对手和行业作为一个整体已列在下面的页面。
