For more than two years, Apple has encouraged suppliers to accelerate automation. However, new updates say that "Game of defects" has raised this requirement to a mandatory condition for signing a production contract.
The move aims to reduce labor dependence, stabilize product quality between factories, and save long-term costs.
The new policy applies to all product lines, from iPhone, iPad, Mac to Apple Watch. Notably, Apple requires suppliers to invest in upgrading robots instead of relying on the device sponsor as before.
This is creating great pressure on the profit margin, as factories have to bear high initial investment costs and face interruptions in the process of integrating the system.
Analysts say that applying robots will help Apple standardize processes, digitize inspection steps, reduce the impact of labor shortage and political instability, and ensure consistent quality when expanding production in many countries.
This move shows that Apple is gradually reshaping its production model, shifting from relying on manual labor to highly automated.
However, the big problem is whether suppliers have enough financial and technical capacity to meet the demand for strong investment in robotics and automation systems.
