The IT industry would not be the IT industry without Steve Jobs.
A man whose persona is almost as big as the mega-brand he built, Steve Jobs is often seen as the driving force behind not only Apple but also the computer industry at large.
The launch of the original iMac heralded an era where computer manufacturers focused on design, substance and internal architecture.
The introduction of the iTunes music store took the music industry by storm, rewriting everything we knew about how music sells and who buys it.
The iPhone, a late entrant into the smart-phone market, became one of the fastest selling mobile devices in history.
The world recognizes Steve Jobs as the brain behind these incredibly successful ventures.
What they fail to realize is that there are people behind him, many of whom are not as publicly visible at Jobs, that make the success of Apple possible.
And one of them is what industry-insiders call the supply chain management god.
If you own an Apple product, a Macbook or an iPhone, you probably know who Steve Jobs is.
The chances are, however, that you have no idea who his second-in-command is, the man that makes the Apple product you use practically possible.
His name is Tim Cook and although he may not be a household name like Jobs, within the industry he is well known and revered are someone who knows how to make things happen.
Tim Cook is in charge of what is known as supply chain management.
Supply chain management is essentially the process by which raw materials and components are brought for the manufacturing of a product.
Apple is responsible mainly for the design of the product.
The actual building happens in numerous factories across the world and the components that Apple products are made out of are sourced from many different suppliers.
An LCD display might have come from China.
The microprocessor might have been made in Taiwan.
The keypad may have been made in Korea.
Because there are so many components from so many places, the task that modern information technology companies have before them is to source quality materials and components and make sure they arrive on time to the right place.
The task is mammoth and incredibly intricate but it is a task that Tim Cook has managed to master.
Without Tim Cook's expert control of the supply chain, Apple designs would remain on the drawing board or would take copious amounts of time to become usable, sellable products.
Industry insiders know this truth better.
While the average man might laud Steve's command over design and user interfaces, a person that is well acquainted with the industry knows that Apple's success is actually in its impeccable supply chain management.
Apple executives and designers are free to concentrate on product design, market introduction and things like that.
Also, with a well-oiled supply chain in place, Apple is able to react quickly to market changes and give consumers what they need and want.
It is little wonder that Steve Jobs, because he will be unavailable at Apple on account of medical concerns, personally handpicked Tim Cook as his stand-in.
A man whose persona is almost as big as the mega-brand he built, Steve Jobs is often seen as the driving force behind not only Apple but also the computer industry at large.
The launch of the original iMac heralded an era where computer manufacturers focused on design, substance and internal architecture.
The introduction of the iTunes music store took the music industry by storm, rewriting everything we knew about how music sells and who buys it.
The iPhone, a late entrant into the smart-phone market, became one of the fastest selling mobile devices in history.
The world recognizes Steve Jobs as the brain behind these incredibly successful ventures.
What they fail to realize is that there are people behind him, many of whom are not as publicly visible at Jobs, that make the success of Apple possible.
And one of them is what industry-insiders call the supply chain management god.
If you own an Apple product, a Macbook or an iPhone, you probably know who Steve Jobs is.
The chances are, however, that you have no idea who his second-in-command is, the man that makes the Apple product you use practically possible.
His name is Tim Cook and although he may not be a household name like Jobs, within the industry he is well known and revered are someone who knows how to make things happen.
Tim Cook is in charge of what is known as supply chain management.
Supply chain management is essentially the process by which raw materials and components are brought for the manufacturing of a product.
Apple is responsible mainly for the design of the product.
The actual building happens in numerous factories across the world and the components that Apple products are made out of are sourced from many different suppliers.
An LCD display might have come from China.
The microprocessor might have been made in Taiwan.
The keypad may have been made in Korea.
Because there are so many components from so many places, the task that modern information technology companies have before them is to source quality materials and components and make sure they arrive on time to the right place.
The task is mammoth and incredibly intricate but it is a task that Tim Cook has managed to master.
Without Tim Cook's expert control of the supply chain, Apple designs would remain on the drawing board or would take copious amounts of time to become usable, sellable products.
Industry insiders know this truth better.
While the average man might laud Steve's command over design and user interfaces, a person that is well acquainted with the industry knows that Apple's success is actually in its impeccable supply chain management.
Apple executives and designers are free to concentrate on product design, market introduction and things like that.
Also, with a well-oiled supply chain in place, Apple is able to react quickly to market changes and give consumers what they need and want.
It is little wonder that Steve Jobs, because he will be unavailable at Apple on account of medical concerns, personally handpicked Tim Cook as his stand-in.