Case Template for International Business

IBM 2016
Name: _______Anushka Gupta________ Group Number: __3__
General Instructions: Please fill up all the details pertaining to the case assigned to your group
for this academic week carefully. This is an individual assignment. Though the objective details
of the case will match with the details filled in by your group mates or the members of other groups
assigned the same case, in the descriptive sections, your insights are going to get evaluated.
Submit a hardcopy of this mode of assessment in the session assigned for the respective case
presentation.
1. Case Description
This section asks for basic information regarding the case assigned to your group. Each piece of
information is important.
1.1. Name of the case
___The iPhone Saga_______________________________________________________
1.2. Geography
___The United States of America_____________________________________________

<What geography is in focus in the case?>

1.3. Learning Goal
This case tells me how a whole lot of products can be outsourced at a low cost or even
saving manufacturing cost if NOT done in-house. It also teaches me how it is not always
about saving cost or cheaper labor etc. but to outsource because it is Faster.
_____________________________________________________________________

<Write a few sentences on what learning goals, the case is trying to focus on. Please
consult your course outline objectives>
1.4. Who are the main actors in the case? Provide their details.
Outsourcing from China – helped in fitting glass screen (produced 10,000 iPhones in a day)
Most (90%) rare-earth minerals like color screen, glass polishing, speakers, vibration unit,
phone circuitry etc come from Inner Mongolia & China.
85% of the iPhones are assembled in China (Foxconn & Pegatron – assembles iPhone
)

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 Case Template for International Business
IBM 2016
USA – Design, Software, Core Parts, Marketing. Things like A6 chip, gorilla glass, iTunes
app etc are created and manufactured in USA.
Korea & Taiwan – Provides iPone with LCD Panels, Chipset, Batteries, DRAM & Flash
Memory. It helps in making the iPhone thinner and the battery life stronger.
Europe – the French-Italian company STMicroelectronics manufactures an iPhone part, the
Gyroscope, it helps change the display from vertical to horizontal.

<Provide the details of the key actor involved in the use case. Typically, this individual is
the source of the event that stimulates the case pathway into action or contemplates to do
so. In case there are other actors that play a part in the case, please mention them also>
1.5. Constraints/Issues/Risks
In 2007 when Steve Jobs wanted a glass screen for their iPhones just a few weeks before
their launch. The deadline was nearly impossible to meet but a factory in China constructed
a dormitory even before signing a contract so its employees can work 12 hours a shift.
Despite of this available setup there was a certain amount of risk involved. This deal was
eventually sealed and 8000 workers were roused from sleep to work and meet the deadline.

<Is there a decision dilemma in the case? Are there any proposed solutions mentioned in
the case? >
1.6. Trigger Event(s)
Timing of product delivery was crucial in this case study, where in Apple was a only a few weeks
away from its product launch and their finished product wasn’t ready.

<Was there an external event or an internal set of events that led to these issues? Give the detailed
timeline>

2. Step wise Analysis

This section demands for a step wise analysis of the case. Please provide the details of how you
tackled this research in the box given below. (word limit: 500 words)

This case study talks about events which led to Apple outsourcing services from China. It further talks
about how Apple has almost outsourced all parts/features and even the assembling of the final product.
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 Case Template for International Business
IBM 2016
3. Optional question
This question is for extra marks to be adjusted later in case there’s a shortfall in the in-class
activity component. Please note, not to be included in any mid-sem exam related shortfall.
2.1. Additional Learning
It shows how International Business is important and plays a huge role in generating the final
products we use on a day to day basis. It is also important to be aware of what’s going on
internationally so as to meet their requirements when in need for outsourcing or expanding
etc._______________________________________________________________________
<You have already talked about the learning goals of this case. Do you see any additional contexts
in which this case can be used? Use your course-outline for hints>