How the Apple Watch Should have been sold

[Bocks]

First post so go easy on me. I got up at 1:55 AM (CST) on April 10th to preorder my Apple Watches (42MM SS BSB for me and 38MM SE WSB for my wife). My wife's Sport is on the UPS truck for delivery today and mine is still stuck in "Processing".
Reading the posts it seems that Apple's choice to bundle the bands with the watch was a huge mistake as this has limited their ability to ship the watches in the order their were received due to color / band choices.

Maybe its just me but wouldn't it have been simpler to have the order selection go as follows:
1. Select your Version - Sport, Steel or Edition
2. Select your Size - 42mm or 38mm
3. Select your Color - Space Grey or Standard
4. SELECT YOUR BAND - Sports Band, Leather Loop, Classic Buckle, etc
5. AppleCare - Y or N
DONE

Had apple done this they could have shipped the watch and the bands as 2 separate SKU's and avoided the logistics of making the band part of the watch. They could have also had their inventory system current with band availability when preordering so to avoid someone ordering a watch that is in stock being paired with a band that's not (Black Sports Band).

To me this would have made things easier on Apple and better for the customers.

Tell me where my logic falls short.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Eventually it will be a retail product, so it is easier and more efficient for them to pack different SKUs in a single package.

 

[Bocks]

I still don't think it would be much harder to separate the band from the watch. In this case its done the opposite.

 

[KPOM]

It would skew sales toward the bands that are available, which isn't necessarily the optimal sales mix from Apple's perspective, or necessarily what the customer really wants. Once Apple gets a handle on supply and knows what demand is, things will get better. It's better to buy a watch with a band and to get a complete package.

 

[Bocks]

It would skew sales toward the bands that are available, which isn't necessarily the optimal sales mix from Apple's perspective, or necessarily what the customer really wants. Once Apple gets a handle on supply and knows what demand is, things will get better. It's better to buy a watch with a band and to get a complete package.

I would have taken a white or blue or green sports band if I could have had it today. I would have gladly ordered a black one later too. AS long as the price of the watch goes down when the band isn't included.

 

[KPOM]

I would have taken a white or blue or green sports band if I could have had it today. I would have gladly ordered a black one later too. AS long as the price of the watch goes down when the band isn't included.

But perhaps Apple didn't even place some the orders for the bands until they started getting pre-orders. In theory they shouldn't take a long time to make. If they ran into production issues (entire possible) then we would still be in the same position we're in today.

Alternatively, if they had a bunch on order and sold out on some of them, we'd have had people complaining that the band they wanted was "sold out." To some extent that's what Apple suggested with the June shipping dates. Obviously it wasn't accurate since some of the "June" shipping dates are arriving today, which suggests to me that Apple didn't have the capability to precisely estimate availability.

 

[Bocks]

But perhaps Apple didn't even place some the orders for the bands until they started getting pre-orders. In theory they shouldn't take a long time to make. If they ran into production issues (entire possible) then we would still be in the same position we're in today.

Alternatively, if they had a bunch on order and sold out on some of them, we'd have had people complaining that the band they wanted was "sold out." To some extent that's what Apple suggested with the June shipping dates. Obviously it wasn't accurate since some of the "June" shipping dates are arriving today, which suggests to me that Apple didn't have the capability to precisely estimate availability.

Makes sense but there is 0 excuse to announce a product 7 MONTHS in advance, give people a 2 week period between preorder and delivery and have such low stock.

 

[SixtyK]

Makes sense but there is 0 excuse to announce a product 7 MONTHS in advance, give people a 2 week period between preorder and delivery and have such low stock.

When they announced the product 7 MONTHS ago, it was not a finished product and they made no claims that it was a finished product.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I would say that the company with a market cap of over 750 BILLION $ knows exactly what they are doing, in terms of production, release and shipping.

Do you think that nobody in the company thought of your idea?

 

[Bocks]

I would say that the company with a market cap of over 750 BILLION $ knows exactly what they are doing, in terms of production, release and shipping.

Do you think that nobody in the company thought of your idea?

I have no doubt it was thought of and I am sure there was a good reason (or one that seemed to be at the time) for proceeding the way they did. But with the way this launch has gone IMHO it wasn't the right decision.

 

[Lustan]

But perhaps Apple didn't even place some the orders for the bands until they started getting pre-orders.

Is there some sort of expiration shelf life on metal and rubber watch bands that I'm not aware of? Watch bands should NOT NOT NOT have been a limiting factor. It must be either the faces themselves or the limit of people doing final assemble and sku creation for each watch/band combination that is slowing the process.

They absolutely should have kept faces and bands separate. It would have been a good exercise to have the consumers "assemble their watch". And have the Gold watches all preassembled since they are "special".

 

[Bocks]

When they announced the product 7 MONTHS ago, it was not a finished product and they made no claims that it was a finished product.

I think they would have saved face by pushing things back by 2 additional weeks and launching when they have enough inventory to have a real launch.

 

[CASEACE79]

My idea was similar. Ship all (except Edition) with a black sport band (most unisex and went with all watch case designs) each band would be x amount extra maybe -$20 or whatever if purchased together. That way you wouldn't get people with later dates shipping before earlier because of band availability. Pretty sure if you ask those who ordered early and are still processing if they would have been happy to just wait on the band it would be a resounding yes. Launching 38 SKUs all at one time and not disappointing at least one group if not more isn't a reality.

 

[diablo2112]

If you're unhappy, don't give Apple your business. That's how free markets work. There's plenty of smart watches you can buy today. Head over to Bestbuy, and take your pick of about a dozen models.

If you know so much about global logistical rollout of a multi-million unit new product, then start your own company and compete with Apple. Otherwise, stop whining.

Me, I have a July delivery of the same model, and I'm perfectly happy. The folks here having a conniption over not getting a watch today are no better than toddlers. Is this what adults have come to today? Good grief.

 

[KPOM]

Makes sense but there is 0 excuse to announce a product 7 MONTHS in advance, give people a 2 week period between preorder and delivery and have such low stock.

Clearly there was a supply chain issue. Remember at one point the rumor was that only 30% of the product from Quanta passed muster and the rest had to be redone. Remember that the models shown 7 months ago were pre-production. It didn't leak early, not even by a day, so my guess is that Quanta hadn't completed retooling its production line, and did so only after the announcement.

I'm not saying that there should have been supply chain delays like this, but what I am saying is that once they drew a line in the sand as to what the release date was, they were stuck with it. Announcing "Early 2015" back in September was not a good idea in retrospect.

 

[Bocks]

If you're unhappy, don't give Apple your business. That's how free markets work. There's plenty of smart watches you can buy today. Head over to Bestbuy, and take your pick of about a dozen models.

If you know so much about global logistical rollout of a multi-million unit new product, then start your own company and compete with Apple. Otherwise, stop whining.

Me, I have a July delivery of the same model, and I'm perfectly happy. The folks here having a conniption over not getting a watch today are no better than toddlers. Is this what adults have come to today? Good grief.

Tell me how you got from me suggesting that this launch order method could have been done differently to improve things for us customers and then somehow acting like a spoiled toddler? I fail to see the connection?

 

[diablo2112]

Tell me how you got from me suggesting that this launch order method could have been done differently to improve things for us customers and then somehow acting like a spoiled toddler? I fail to see the connection?

I do apologize. Your comments aren't whining, and instead offer constructive suggestions. My response was more to the tone of the forum the last few days, and would have been more appropriate under a different thread. After reading dozens of posts that are whining about this and that associated with the rollout, I offered a personal opinion that in retrospect, unfairly tainted your original comments. Do accept my public apology here.

 

[mchoffa]

When they announced the product 7 MONTHS ago, it was not a finished product and they made no claims that it was a finished product.

But it WAS a finished product at the March 9 event, a month prior to preorders. They announced it once (not very Apple like) then announced it again 6 months later (even less like Apple) then set up preordering a month after that (which is also not like Apple) for delivery 2 weeks later which ended up being extremely limited and many models were not actually available to ship

 

[Bocks]

I do apologize. Your comments aren't whining. My response was more to the tone of the forum the last few days, and would have been more appropriate under a different thread. After reading dozens of posts that are whining about this and that associated with the rollout, I offered a personal opinion that in retrospect, unfairly tainted your original comments. Do accept my public apology here.

Completely accepted, thanks. And agree that the tone of this sub forum is a lot of complaining and not much constructive, hence the reason for this thread.

 

[NT1440]

Makes sense but there is 0 excuse to announce a product 7 MONTHS in advance, give people a 2 week period between preorder and delivery and have such low stock.

Without understanding the Chinese manufacturing model (Just in time manufacturing) there is not excuse.

Now, if you understand how all electronics are made...it makes perfect sense.

These aren't TV's with mature supply chains. This is a whole new product chain with hundreds of components (some using new manufacturing processes no less, like sapphire) that need to be made with acceptable yields, shipped and assembled in China, then transported all around the world.

Just the sapphire production alone is a staggering manufacturing logistics feat. But yes, clearly Apple should be able to move these as easily as they do laptops...which only have over 5 years of logistical maturity to them.

 

[CASEACE79]

If you're unhappy, don't give Apple your business. That's how free markets work. There's plenty of smart watches you can buy today. Head over to Bestbuy, and take your pick of about a dozen models.

If you know so much about global logistical rollout of a multi-million unit new product, then start your own company and compete with Apple. Otherwise, stop whining.

Me, I have a July delivery of the same model, and I'm perfectly happy. The folks here having a conniption over not getting a watch today are no better than toddlers. Is this what adults have come to today? Good grief.

Dude I wasn't whining. Actually I'm getting mine today. I do however feel for those that ordered early and people who got delivery dates in June are getting theirs today due to band availability. I enjoy problem solving and work in inventory management and logistics. But you are right I can't imagine a rollout of 38 new SKUs on one day. I was just thinking of how to minimize the amount of potential unhappy customers. That's all.

 

[Bocks]

Without understanding the Chinese manufacturing model (Just in time manufacturing) there is not excuse.

Now, if you understand how all electronics are made...it makes perfect sense.

These aren't TV's with mature supply chains. This is a whole new product chain with hundreds of components (some using new manufacturing processes no less, like sapphire) that need to be made with acceptable yields, shipped and assembled in China, then transported all around the world.

Just the sapphire production alone is a staggering manufacturing logistics feat. But yes, clearly Apple should be able to move these as easily as they do laptops...which only have over 5 years of logistical maturity to them.

You missed my point. To have $600 items sitting ready to go just waiting to be shipped but help up because of a $30 piece of rubber is the wrong color is a supply chain error.

 

[edlex]

Just having try ons a week or two before would have been helpful to me. Would have probably also avoided a lot of the multiple orders and returns as well.

 

[fischersd]

Yep, I had suggested that on another thread earlier Bocks. If the bands are back-ordered, walk into the Apple store and buy one that would be your second or third choice - whatever they have stock of - then just use it as a spare when yours arrives.

 

[Vanilla Face]

Tell me where my logic falls short.

Because a customer opening their watch box and not seeing the watch they want isn't the customer experience Apple wants to give. Your idea of give customers something so that they can have it is a mediocre experience at best. I'd rather get my watch as a whole than pieces of a watch as they become available. You and forum readers are in the minority of customers that would rather have anything that they can get now, than the product they actually want.