Network Behind iPhone X
Behind the new iPhone X, there lies a global chain of components and technology suppliers that helped develop its parts such as batteries, memory chips, and 3D sensors. Its supply chain includes US companies like Intel, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, and even UK companies like Dialog Semiconductor. These companies that provide essential parts to the iPhone are expected to stay the same, while Apple’s manufacturing partners are not necessarily guaranteed a long-term relationship. Currently, all of these different parts are assembled by a Taiwanese manufacturing partner, Foxconn. However, Apple is also looking into manufacturing firms in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
This supplier and manufacturer web of Apple products is relevant to our course because it is a real world example of the Strong Triadic Closure proof we explored in class. Strong Triadic Closure Property states that if A has strong ties to B and C, then B and C must have an edge. In this scenario, Apple satisfies the Strong Triadic Closure Property, and we proved it in class using contradiction.
The picture below demonstrates an example of the iPhone supplier web, with A being Apple, B being Foxconn (the manufacturing firm) and C being one of the parts suppliers. We want to prove that Apple’s local bridge with B is a weak tie, by using the Strong Triadic Closure Property. To prove by contradiction, let’s say that Apple’s local bridge between A and B is a strong tie. Since the A-C edge is also a strong tie, having another strong tie on the local bridge would imply that there is an edge between B and C. However, There is no B-C bridge, because B (the parts suppliers) do not have a relationship with C (the manufacturing firms), simply because companies creating single parts do not need to maintain a relationship with the manufacturing company, just with Apple. Therefore, there is no B-C edge, and this contradicts our assumption that Apple satisfies the Strong Triadic Closure Property give it has a strong tie to the manufacturing firms. Therefore, we can conclude that Apple has a weak tie with the manufacturing firms, which is proven by its current act of exploring different firms in Karnataka.
Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41250220