In: Operations Management
Select a Company you are familiar with, then propose a product development process for one of its products or services.
PLEASE NOTE i want it with example explained completely according to the product development other than dominos pizza garlic bread or sony tv or ikea
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APPLE'S PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
ith the development of technology at high speed, particularly in the field of electronic products, some companies have launched brilliant products which are full of imagination and creativity. These products are exercising an invisible and formative influence on society. Among these products, the series of products from Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.) may be some of the most noticeable ones. Apple Inc., whose products have attracted people’s attention all over the world and have occupied considerable market share in global range, is one of the most successful international company currently. According to the statistics from NPD group, in the term of premium personal computer, Mac, which is the name of a series of Apple’s PC, revenue market share was 91 percent on June 2009. (Wilcox 2009). This consequence can be attributed to two major reasons: Apple’s product development and Apple’s extensive marketing (Schumacher 2009). In the meanwhile, Apple’s success affects society in two aspects, namely fashion style and changing people’s habits. This essay will expand the reasons mentioned above to analysis why Apple have achieved huge success worldwide, and then illustrate the positive effects on society owing to Apple’s products. Due to the success of Apple Inc. and its contribution to society, I would like to consider that Apple Inc. is one of the most outstanding companies at present age.
KEY REASONS FOR APPLE’S SUCCESS
Admittedly, the reasons which may bring about Apple’s success are
various, nevertheless this essay mainly propose two most important
reasons. Of major consideration is Apple’s product line, which is
assuredly responsible for Apple’s success. Specifically, there are
four sub reasons, which are constantly improving, innovative
product line (Kingsley-Hughes 2009); simple design and user
interface; high quality components; coherent hardware and software
(Schumacher 2009), relevant to Apple’s product development.
APPLE'S PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
First of all, Apple’s product line encompasses a series of
brilliant and distinctive products, such as Mac (Macintosh), iPod,
iPhone and iPad; and in the mean time the designers of Apple Inc.
are improving and innovating on their product line constantly.
Innovative spirit of Apple Inc. has been approved across the world.
In 2005, Boston Consulting Group held a poll whose is called “Top
20 Innovative Companies in the World”, and collected the
statistical data from 940 senior executives in 68 countries. The
result of this investigation revealed that Apple Inc. was appraised
as the most innovative company in the world and accounted for
24.84% of the entire vote (Nussbaum 2005). For example, iPod, as
one of the representative product of Apple, was launched in 2001.
Initially, although it attracted consumer attention, it only
supported the Macintosh operation system, which meant that it could
only be used on Macintosh computers and lost many other users who
used windows operation system. Then, in 2002, Apple Inc. launched
the second generation of iPod, which began to support Windows OS.
As a result, iPod became more widely popular with both Macintosh
and Windows users. Three years later, a new generation of iPod,
which can play not only audio files but also video files, was
launched on 12th October 2005. Moreover, for users’ convenience,
the battery life was longer than before. In 2007, the newest
generation with larger capacity which can store up to 4000 songs or
100 movies, was launched. (Identifying iPod models 2010) During the
process of iPod’s development, we can see that Apple Inc. is
improving their products constantly and adding innovative elements
on the products to offer distinctive and unique user
experience.
The second element, which is considered to be relevant to Apple’s
products, is their simple design style and friendly user interface.
To take a panoramic view of Apple’s product line, whether an iPod,
an iPhone or an iPad, they retain the simple design consistently.
There are only a few buttons and different parts embedded into
Apple’s products. The appearance of these products is one whole
piece of technology and has no splicing traces on them. The simple
user interface is a distinctive character, as well. For instance,
an iPhone have no different submenus or other ways to display the
menu, it is easy for users to reach the function which they want to
use directly and avoid unnecessary confusion.
Thirdly, high quality components could lead to the success of Apple’s products. These products do not tend to integrate newest hardware and offer highest available capacities. That is to say, Apple’s products use suitable components to provide suitable functions, which ensure these products can run stably. For example, although there may be only have a 2 mega pixel camera integrated into an iPhone and this camera could not satisfy any user to take photos, the moment it is necessary for people to take a picture, the camera is ready and gives full scope to photography.
Finally, the cohesion of hardware and software brings the
success of Apple’s products. Apple Inc. not only focuses on
developing the hardware but also developing the software, which
enhances the performances of these products. For example, in order
to improve iPod’s performances and provide convenience to users,
Apple Inc. developed the software named iTunes, which is a software
supporting a Mac or a PC. It arranges and plays audio and video
files on a computer. Moreover, all media stored on a computer can
be synchronized with an iPod, an iPhone and an iPad. In the
meantime, it is a digital store on a computer and other apple’s
products with a large quantity of music and movies. Additionally,
iTune is updated on Apple’s website regularly, so that users can
use newest version to enhance their iPods.
In brief, Apple Inc. insists on improving and innovating on the
product line to develop brilliant products constantly. And these
products offer friendly user interface and simple design style for
users who can operate these products easily. Moreover, high quality
components are integrated into Apple’s products to enhance their
performance. In addition, Apple’s Inc. develops software to support
their products in order to providing convenience to users.
Therefore, Apple’s product development is the basis of Apple’s
success.
APPLE’S S MARKETING
Assuredly, Apple’s product development is a necessary premise to
Apple’s success. On the other side, Apple’s extensive marketing
plays an important role as well. Apple’s marketing strategies can
be summarized as two primary sides. One is advertising; the other
is the communication style.
Firstly, the success of Apple’s market could be caused by Apple’s
advertising strategy. The slogans for Apple’s products can be seen
in almost every place, such as in the streets, at the bus stops and
on the large screens of squares. With Apple’s products, the slogans
are creative and attractive, for instance, “The first music player
that talks to you” (iPod shuffle n.d.) and “Soon there will be 2
kinds of people. Those who use computers, and those who use Apples”
(Alex 2006). Due to these dense and eye-catching advertising with
memorable slogans, Apple’s products are deeply rooted among the
people quickly and accepted by people.
Secondly, one of the most brilliant points of Apple’s marketing
strategies is the communication style. Midgley and Midgley decribe
a successful communication style as “Golden Circle” in the
following words:
If a company aligns itself with the customer’s values and
consistently delivers its product or service in accordance with
those values, then the customer will consistently utilize the
company’s offering. Consistent utilization of a company’s offering
will ensure a healthy top line. A healthy top line, in turn,
produces healthy cash flow.
Apple Inc. is performing this kind of communication described in
Midgley and Midgley’s book. Apple Inc. develops their products
based on consumers’ requirements and values, and then transmits its
ideas and service to consumers in various ways. For example, in
Apple’s stores all over the world there are lecturers propagating
their products and explain why these products are consistent with
consumers’ requirements and values. Besides the open lectures,
Apple stores hold a series of events regularly to show the
brilliant ideas integrated into Apple’s products. Via the
interaction between Apple Inc. and consumers, how Apple’s products
satisfy consumers’ values is accepted by consumers in global
scope.
At first, Apple Inc. establishes the beliefs to meet consumers’ values, and then it realizes the beliefs via the development of its products. At last, Apple’s products are world wildly accepted by consumers. Therefore, Apple Inc. communicates with users in an “inside-out” way which is a remarkable way and has achieved huge success across the world in marketing.
In sum, Apple’s products infiltrate into people’s daily life via dense advertising, and these products, which benefit from the communication style of Apple Inc, are accepted by people. Hence, the marketing strategies of Apple Inc. are another key reason that brings about its success.
EFFECTS ON SOCIETY
The reasons mentioned above have led to Apple’s success. Two
consequences may emerge, owing to Apple’s success, which are
fashion style and changing people’s habits.
FASHION STYLE
With the increasing popularity with Apple’s products, an iPod or an
iPhone is not only an mp3 player or a mobile phone but also a
fashion symbol. Especially an iPod has become a synonym for an mp3
player. Lavey described the effects of Apple’s products on
fashionable style as the words below:
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Apple’s product development and its extensive
marketing have resulted in the success of Apple Inc. As a premise
factor of the success, Apple Inc. persists in developing innovative
products with friendly user interface and simple design style.
Moreover, high quality components integrated into Apple’s products
ensure the stable performance. In addition, coherent software and
hardware of these products provide more convenience to users.
Besides brilliant products, the marketing strategies of Apple Inc.
are remarkable as well. people’s daily life is infiltrated by
Intensive advertising of Apple Inc. and then its communication
style is also approved by consumers in global range. Owing to the
success, Apple Inc. have guided a new fashion style and changed
people’s habits in some fields. Therefore, it is evidently
reasonable to consider that Apple Inc. is one of most outstanding
companies in the world currently.