The Agony/Ecstasy of Steve Jobs (and Apple's Supply Chain)

The Agony/Ecstasy of Steve Jobs (and Apple's Supply Chain):

Look, Apple isn’t alone in this. Many companies struggle to learn about the risks and tradeoffs that suppliers make on their behalf. To truly dig deep, as Patagonia has, is very difficult and costly for the company and its customers. Many more companies prefer not to look too carefully at their supply networks, believing that so long as the product is functional and they are not liable for damages wrought by their suppliers, then there is no reason to investigate further. Finally, we the customers are complicit when we demand better products on a yearly basis, and we want them cheaper.