APPLE- A LOOK INSIDE
On our way north from Mexico, we stopped at the Apple Sacramento Factory and took a private tour of the production line where the current G4 Towers are made. It's important to preface this by saying that it's not easy to get access to the inside of the factory, normally tours are for large groups of people (vendors, large potential customers...) that are arranged way before the actual tour date. We were given the green light, only after talking with certain "Powers that Be" (Thank You Anna, Andy, Kathie, & Joy). Needless to say security is VERY tight at the factory. Our first step in getting in was to check in with security at building D, once we had security's blessing we met our Apple contact, and we were then walked down to building B(the production line). Inside building B we had to register with security again, sign our ND (Non Disclosure) forms, and receive our badges. Then our Apple contact handed us over to the Apple Quality Systems Coordinator for the private tour..............We were finally in! Through the big doors was the factory, we all felt a little like Charlie going inside the Chocolate Factory for the first time in Willie Wonka.
Sacramento has played a key role in Apple's operations since the early 1990's. The layout of the site is a cluster of 4 huge warehouse, each having a different function (Production, Service, Distribution, & Call Center). Many of the people that work there today, originally worked at the Cupertino headquarters but were swayed by Sacramento's lower cost of living. The deal was that you could transfer to Sacramento if you took a pay cut. Needless to say, you could buy a mansion in Sacramento with what a normal house in the Bay area would cost. So in the end it all worked out well for everyone. Plus it's closer to the Sierra's for ski trips!
SACRAMENTO-APPLE G4 WONDERLAND
The start of our tour was an academic overview of Sacramento's work flow and production process. Apple certainly employs a talented group of Logistic PHD's in it's production design, as they have trimmed their inventory on hand to just a "couple of hours".......yes that's right I said "hours" not days my friends! I remember in college that days compared to months was impressive inventory management. Apple has given "JIT" (Just in Time) logistics a whole new meaning. With such a small window for the production run, it's essential that Apple have Real Time stats on what it has on hand and what's coming down the pipe. A Super Computer sits in a clean room in Sacramento and powers the SAP program that keeps tabs on every Apple product out there.
Only the high end G4 Tower is assembled here. The lower end computers are outsourced, and produced in other countries to save money. Much like the Outdoor gear manufacturer "The North Face" choosing to produce their high end tents (for big climbs like Everest & K2) in Berkeley, and all the other camping oriented tents being sent over seas to be manufactured. Other computers do pass through the Sac facility, but only if they require changes from the original configuration. Apple refers to these as "CTO" computers or in plain English "Configure to Order". Say a customer orders a new G4 Titanium P-Book on Apple.com but wants it to sport a Gig of Memory, then the computer is routed from overseas (where it's produced) to Sacramento, and then the computer is opened up, new memory added, then forwarded to the customer. Thus a true "CTO" computer.
APPLE G4 = SCREAMING COMPUTER + COOL DESIGN
One of the very first things I noticed upon entering the production floor was the smell of electronics. For those of you that have unpacked and worked with the Apple G4 towers, you know what I'm talking about. It's not a bad smell but very distinct, now I know where the smell comes from every time I work with one. The production line is very clean and organized, basically a "W" shape where 2 production lines run on the outside the of the "W" then both lines meet in the middle where the new G4's are put on pallets (cardboard I may add, saving Apple $ compared to wood). I have never seen so many G4's in my life, the production line is very sophisticated with every machine being turned on & off multiple times as it moves down the line. All of the new G4's are connected by ethernet & spit data back to a row of AppleShare servers (old beige ones) that keep track of ID's, batches, and production stats. Then after the G4 is on a pallet, a random selection is done and additional "Yield" tests are performed. If a problem is found in the random test, the whole pallet is unpacked and every computer will be examined. This insures Apple that the new computers are close to perfect before being shipped out. Some PC/ Windows manufactures only turn their computers on once while on the production line, thus having "DOA" (Dead on Arrival) rates of close to 30%, that's 1 in 3 that will be dead when plugged in.
Probably the most interesting feature of the production floor, were the long dark gray drapes hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the of the building. After a little Q&A with our witty Apple liaison, we found out that these drapes are pulled when new product is being made, and no one except for the few behind the curtains, can see what new computer is being created. It can not be overstated how important the element of surprise is in high tech. This has been Apple's "bread & butter" since day one. If one was to connect the dots on this, it's really quite exciting.
SIERRA & ANYA INSIDE THE APPLE FACTORY
Apple's commitment to recycling is also evident on the production floor, EVERYTHING is recycled. The Sacramento production facility has achieved a recycling rate of close to 97% for it's packaging materials..........yeah PC manufacturers can say that or even care about it! The recycled material also makes a great Frisbee (a little gift of our Tour), Sierra and I tested it thoroughly. The G4 assembly workers on the floor were a sampling of every country in the world. The running joke about having a potluck at Apple is "taste it before asking what it is". We met a woman that was hearing impaired on our tour, that I believe was an assembly worker. I think it's cool that Apple gives opportunity to people that may have trouble finding work because of their challenges. The diversity of the work force is it's strength, and a true commitment within Apple.
Another highlight of the tour was the Apple's "mini-museum". It was a collection of various computers that Apple has manufactured throughout the years. Including the first Macintosh ever made (Mac 0001)........... that would be worth a fortune on e-bay! We were also able to check out some "One offs" such as a clear i-Mac........very cool! We really enjoyed our private tour of the Sacramento facility, and feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to see it first hand. As an Apple Consultant, I now have a much better understanding of the production process, logistics, and overall role Sacramento plays in the "Apple" universe.