Apple
is always coming up with new innovative products or updating old ones to
satisfy its consumers as it mission statement says, “Apple is committed to
bring the best technology experience to consumers around the world through its
innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. " As the textbook says, Apple was selected
to be the one of the most innovative companies in 2011. There is no doubt that Apple
is one of the very few firms that achieved a newly established product that
have shown innovation in features and design that became very popular and
profitable.
Categories of New Products:
New to the world products: these products create entirely
new market such as Iphone, and Ipad. Maybe someone will question that Apple
wasn’t the first company to introduce these two products. That’s true, the
iPhone wasn’t the first smart phone, and the iPad wasn’t the first tablet to
the market, but when we compare these two products to the first smart phone and
tablet, they have really incomparable advantages and features.
New product lines: these products, which the firm has not
previously offered, allow it to enter an established market, for example, Ipod
series. Mp3 market existed before Apple had its mp3 player.
Additions to existing product lines: this category includes
new products that supplement a firm’s established line. For example, Ipad mini
is expansion of Ipad product line. Ipad mini has exactly same features and
functions as regular Ipad but the size. The purpose of Ipad mini is to satisfy
a special group of consumers’ expectation of its products.
Improvements or revisions of existing products: the “new and improved” product may be
significantly or only slightly changed. Apple is always coming up with its revisions
products every year replace obsolete items.
Repositioned products: these are existing products targeted
at new markets or market segments, which may be done to boost declining sales.
Lower-price products: this category refers to products that
provide performance similar to competing brands at a lower price. The purpose
of Iphone 5c is to gain market shares in developing countries through its
lower-price strategy. However, Apple hasn’t reached its goal yet because it
still doesn’t have competitive price in those countries.
Apple
is so admired today for it’s innovation, not just because of their products,
but the innovative ways they are used and interacted with and all the other
innovations they have sparked.
This is the framework on which every Apple product
development is hung:
Design: Every
product at Apple starts with design. Designers are treated like royalty at
Apple, where the entire product conforms to their vision.
A start-up team:
Once a new product has been decided on, a team is organized and segregated from
the rest of the company by secrecy agreements and sometimes-physical barriers.
Apple New Product
Process (ANPP). Once the design of the product has begun, the ANPP is put
into action.
Products are reviewed every Monday. The ET (Executive
Team) meets every Monday to go over every product that the company has in
process.
The EPM mafia. Once
a product begins production, two responsible people are enlisted to bring it to
fruition. The engineering program manager (EPM) and the global supply manager
(GSM).
Once a product is
done, it is designed, built and tested again. At times there are leaks that
display versions of a product like the iPhone that we never see released.
The packaging room.
A room in the Marketing building is completely dedicated to device packaging.
The launch is
controlled by the Rules of the Road. An action plan for the product launch
is generated, called the Rules of the Road.
Work cited http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/01/24/this-is-how-apples-top-secret-product-development-process-works/