The Interesting Journey of an iPad from Apple.com

[SwampYankee]

Although maybe no one will find it as interesting as I did.

I ordered a 16GB WiFi iPad for my 8 yo son w/Down syndrome for his birthday. They have an extensive selection of educational and special educational Apps available. He's mastered the iPhone and thought the iPad would be great since it's so much bigger and we can utilize its memory rather than our phones'.

Anyway, I ordered it from Apple.com during their Black Friday/Cyber Saturday sale (saved enough to buy a protective cover and a screen protector in addition to Free Shipping). Apple makes no secret about their stuff being Designed by Apple in California and Assembled in China, it's printed on everything. What surprised me was that the order was fulfilled in China. I guess that's just logistics in 2010. Rather than sitting in inventory in a warehouse that came over by the container-load, they ship them on a per-order basis from their distribution center there.

• 11/29 Picked up 11/29 Shenzhen CN
• 11/30 Departed local FedEx facility Shenzhen CN
• 12/1 Arrive local FedEx facility Lantau Island HK
• 12/1 International Release Anchorage, AK
• 12/2 Departed FedEx location Newark, NJ
• 12/3 On FedEx vehicle for delivery

It just goes to show how efficient companies are these day and how well they control their inventory level. It takes me a full business week (sometimes plus a day or two) to get ground shipments from California. Shipping time isn't a concern anymore when it comes to moving operations out of the country.

I was kind of surprised by the stop in HK, why no go direct from Shenzhen to Anchorage? Maybe that's a main FedEx facility for everything out of S.E. Asia?

[PaulC]

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Although maybe no one will find it as interesting as I did.

I ordered a 16GB WiFi iPad for my 8 yo son w/Down syndrome for his birthday. They have an extensive selection of educational and special educational Apps available. He's mastered the iPhone and thought the iPad would be great since it's so much bigger and we can utilize its memory rather than our phones'.

Anyway, I ordered it from Apple.com during their Black Friday/Cyber Saturday sale (saved enough to buy a protective cover and a screen protector in addition to Free Shipping). Apple makes no secret about their stuff being Designed by Apple in California and Assembled in China, it's printed on everything. What surprised me was that the order was fulfilled in China. I guess that's just logistics in 2010. Rather than sitting in inventory in a warehouse that came over by the container-load, they ship them on a per-order basis from their distribution center there.

• 11/29 Picked up 11/29 Shenzhen CN
• 11/30 Departed local FedEx facility Shenzhen CN
• 12/1 Arrive local FedEx facility Lantau Island HK
• 12/1 International Release Anchorage, AK
• 12/2 Departed FedEx location Newark, NJ
• 12/3 On FedEx vehicle for delivery

It just goes to show how efficient companies are these day and how well they control their inventory level. It takes me a full business week (sometimes plus a day or two) to get ground shipments from California. Shipping time isn't a concern anymore when it comes to moving operations out of the country.

I was kind of surprised by the stop in HK, why no go direct from Shenzhen to Anchorage? Maybe that's a main FedEx facility for everything out of S.E. Asia?

That's the same route my iPhone 4 took when I purchased it through AT&T.

[pawoSD]

Wow....Apple managed to get rid of having any american employees even in a warehouse.

For what they charge for their products they could practically be built here at a profit.

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Wow....Apple managed to get rid of having any american employees even in a warehouse.

For what they charge for their products they could practically be built here at a profit.

I doubt anything can be "built here at a profit" anymore, at least not any consumer electronics.

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by PaulC

That's the same route my iPhone 4 took when I purchased it through AT&T.

It wouldnt surprise me if a lot of electronics ordered online take a similar route. I just hadn't really thought of it before since I never tracked them all the way. And the only reason I did was I was hoping it would arrive in time for his party so I checked it every few hours, every day. Otherwise I never gave much thought to what happened between online order and delivery. I just figured there was a domestic (North America) warehouse full of Chinese made products.

[okyoureabeast]

Remember!


Designed by Apple Computer in California

Made in China

Originally Posted by okyoureabeast

Remember!


Designed by Apple Computer in California

Made in China

Now they say:

"Designed by Apple in California
Assembled in China"

Works for me, I don't really want anything designed in china or assembled in the US.

[ramonajim]

There are multiple "most economic shipping routes" depending on which economic zone a facility is on the Chinese mainland. The Foxconn factory in Shenzhen is in a zone that dictates landing in Hong Kong on the way to the US.... cuts many dollars and several days off the shipping.

A few blocks away (just outside the border of the economic zone Foxconn sits in) is a factory shipping some of my company's products - direct from the mainland to the US.

Swamp, if you want to get more blown away by modern efficiencies, do some digging about for articles about Foxconn. 300,000 employees on a single campus. Truly mind boggling place to see.

[Pavka007]

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Although maybe no one will find it as interesting as I did.

It just goes to show how efficient companies are these day and how well they control their inventory level. It takes me a full business week (sometimes plus a day or two) to get ground shipments from California. Shipping time isn't a concern anymore when it comes to moving operations out of the country.

I think I can provide some more inside about shipping. For years before my semi retirement I was working for a HUGE Pharmaceutical company. I was involved in with running clinical trials for new drugs development. Without going into any details let me just share that blood samples need to arrive in designated laboratory that hold a FDA approval within 24 hours after the sample is taken from the patient. It doesn't sound a lot till you realized that for Europe, Middle East and Asia the only such a laboratory is located in Bathgate (just outside Edinburgh/Scotland) Some of the clinical sites were in Vladivostok . This is 9 hours ahead of UK It was such a important business for DHL that they've set up an office with 6 people working from our facility. For 11 years on the job, there was only 1 time they did not deliver on time. Astonishing.... This guys never fail to impress me with the logistics involved to move any cargo around the globe.

[LandYaghtLover]

Most of my old Macs were, interestingly, made in Ireland.

But its true that Apple has such efficient inventory control that many times things are practically built to order. Its also why they can clear out channels of inventory within a week when a new product is announced. No need to discount the old model since they pretty much sell out.

[Pavka007]

Originally Posted by LandYaghtLover

Most of my old Macs were, interestingly, made in Ireland.

But its true that Apple has such efficient inventory control that many times things are practically built to order. Its also why they can clear out channels of inventory within a week when a new product is announced. No need to discount the old model since they pretty much sell out.

This is a very interesting point, now when I think about it I don't remember Apple ever to offer anything like "End of line promotion" or "Discontinued Model" etc.

Originally Posted by Pavka007

This is a very interesting point, now when I think I don't remember Apple ever to offer anything like "End of line promotion" or " Discontinued Model"
etc.

They usually ramp down production of old models; you can usually tell that a new version of something is coming out because there will be shortages of the old model. I suspect some of the old overstock also ends up being sold as "refurbished" through their website.

[lutzTD]

they have such a profit margin that air freight is no issue. most things come by slow boat, 4-7 weeks and a salt spray for good measure.....

[TylerH860]

I had an interesting thought. Someone describing their vintage Mercedes as "Never seeing salt" forgot about a little trip across the Atlantic.

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Wow....Apple managed to get rid of having any american employees even in a warehouse.

For what they charge for their products they could practically be built here at a profit.

I'd have to imagine they're not the only ones. And the ones who aren't are trying to figure out how to.

I agree Apple products are expensive; I own PC's but I've got an i4, an i3 and the iPad. The iPad is perfect for our application.