Strategic Planning at Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. is a multinational company that deals with the provision of quality consumer electronics and appliances such as mobile devices, laptops and desktops. Partners Steve Jobs founded the company, Steve Wozniak in 1976 and its headquarters are located in California, US (Heracleous & Papachroni, 2016). Over the recent years, the company experienced rampant growth and expansion, a factor that has been mainly contributed by the company’s ability to offer quality goods to its consumers. Despite the elevated prices that the company sells its goods at, it has still been able to record rampant sales over time due to the increased loyalty that the consumers of the company’s product hold towards it (Heracleous & Papachroni, 2016). It has been able to build a successful brand which is one of the factors that have assisted it in marketing and promoting its products. 

In a case study of this company, SWOT analysis can be used to enable the company to realize the best opportunities that the company can invest in and therefore increase its productivity. Apple Inc benefits from an adequate supply of capital and the availability of the necessary workforce required to foster its expansion. However, the company may still land into huge losses if it made a mistake of investing its surplus resources in the wrong investments. Among the opportunities that the company benefits from including the high need for quality and effective services regardless of their monetary value. Currently, most people are going for quality rather than quantity. As a result, people are less sensitive to spending their revenue in accessing quality products and services. Apple Inc, having established a quality brand, benefits from the opportunity of selling its products in highly profitable margins and still acquire customers who are able and willing to buy the products regardless of their price (Helms  & Nixon,  2010).  

Additionally, a SWOT analysis would help the company to improve its operations by identifying its weaknesses consequently enhance its operations and activities. Growth and success of any organization lie in the ability of the firm to offer quality services to their consumers. Over time, the satisfaction derived from the consumption of products tends to decrease and when such a case happens, the business faces the threat of losing its loyal consumers who can no longer obtain the utility they previously used to obtain from the consumption of the product. To ensure that Apple Inc remains relevant and it offers consistent services and satisfaction to its customers, the company requires to invest in innovative and creative models of operating. A SWOT analysis would assist to identify the possible innovations that the company has undertaken over time and their relevance in the development of the company (Houben,  Lenie & Vanhoof,  2015). Moreover, the study would enable the researcher to identify the various ways in which the company has, over time, invested its resources.

An analysis would also provide a way for understanding the various risks and threats surrounding the business. A SWOT analysis carries out in-depth research and investigates the possible failures that a business is likely to face. A study considers the various environmental factors that surround industry and analyses their effects on the growth of the business. By doing this, an individual is able to realize the opportunities and identify the various risks and threats, as well as the opportunities and strengths that surround the business. In a case study of Apple Inc, a SWOT analysis would enable the researcher to evaluate the chances of expansion as well as the possible related failures. 

Strategic planning impacts the competitive advantage and sustainability of the Apple Inc by facilitating effective and efficient allocation of resources such as capital and human resources. Competitive advantageousness of a company relies on the company’s ability to make maximum profits that would enable it to expand and grow rapidly, making it easy for the company to invest wisely and win a more significant share in the market (Steiner, 2010). By planning strategically, Apple Inc is able to forecast any predictable future expenditure and expenses and therefore make the necessary strategies to ensure that such costs will be met adequately. Additionally, through strategic planning, the company is able to identify and forecast possible threats and risks and provide solutions through which such inconveniences can be effectively avoided (Steiner, 2010). As a result, strategic planning has helped Apple Inc to maintain its competitiveness and subsequently its sustainability. 

In conclusion, the A SWOT analysis is an essential tool in which the possible strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities of Apple Inc could be identified. Additionally, this would enable the researcher to predict the potential successes and failures of the company. Strategic planning in Apple Inc has helped the company to allocate its finances effectively and consequently, the company has been able to expand rapidly and win a more significant share of the market (Steiner, 2010). This has, therefore, earned the company a tremendous competitive advantage and guaranteed its sustainability. 

References

Helms, M. M., & Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis–where are we now? A review of academic research from the last decade. Journal of strategy and management, 3(3), 215-251.

Heracleous, L., & Papachroni, A. (2016). Strategic Leadership and Innovation at Apple Inc. doi:10.4135/9781526446565

Houben, G., Lenie, K., & Vanhoof, K. (2015). A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized enterprises. Decision support systems, 26(2), 125-135.

Steiner, G. A. (2010). Strategic planning. Simon and Schuster.