Apple Distribution

OK, it is a new day for me. The end of the PC and the beginning of the “Apple Era”.  Today I begin my journey with the MacBook Air.  Marketing Integrity needed a new computer, so an investment was made. I won’t bore you with the decision making process, but rest assured it was a long road of reading reviews and polling people on their experiences with Macs. So far, after initial setup, I am duly impressed with the equipment. 

One initial impression that disappointed me is Apple’s need to ship my entire order in multiple shipments. You see, I ordered 5 different items (wireless mouse, DVD drive, MS Office, the computer itself, and a backup drive).  Apple was providing free shipping, but they decided to ship each item on a different day over a 10 day period.  Hence, 5 boxes,  5 deliveries, and who knows how many gallons of gasoline to get my order to me.  In keeping with the theme of being environmentally friendly, this was totally unnecessary.  None of the components work without the main laptop (which was the last item shipped), so perhaps they should have asked a simple question during the order process…do you want your order shipped all together?  This could have saved some of the environment, and countless dollars on their distribution line.   

Now I realize distribution is a complex animal (and I being a marketer am not an authority on logistics), however, many companies in today’s business environment need to reassess this process…for the good of their bottom line and for the good of the environment. At least Apple managed to choose recyclable packaging and not a ton of Styrofoam! Welcome Apple!