Apple Tops Gartner's List of Top 25 Supply Chains for the Seventh Year

Analysts have announced the findings from this year's research at the Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference, and once again Apple has come out on top.

The tech giant claimed the top spot for the seventh year running. Apple's ability to keep both its e-com and in-store channels in-stock is accomplished through constant investment in its supply-chain infrastructure. The retailer's recent expansion into China has put its supply chain to the test.

A primary goal of the Supply Chain Top 25 research initiative is to raise awareness of the supply chain discipline and how it impacts the business according to Stan Aronow, Gartner research director. 

He said: "2014 marks the 10th year of our annual Supply Chain Top 25 ranking.

As we reach this milestone, we have several long-time leaders with new lessons to share and a number of more recent entrants from the high-tech, consumer product and industrial sectors in the Top 25."

The top five-ranked organizations in 2014 include four that topped the list last year; Apple, McDonald's, Amazon and Unilever plus another familiar leader, P&G. Two new companies joined the Top 25 this year with Seagate Technology (No. 20) appearing for the first time and Kimberly-Clark (No. 21) re-emerging after a year's hiatus.

In taking the No. 1 slot again, Apple continues to outpace everyone else by a wide margin on the composite of financial and opinion measures used. McDonald's landed at No. 2 for the second year in a row.

The poll is calculated using a number of measures including votes from peers, return on assets, growth and inventory turnover.

The top 25 are:

1.     Apple

2.     McDonald’s

3.     Amazon

4.     Unilever

5.     P&G

6.     Samsung Electronics

7.     Cisco Systems

8.     Intel

9.     Colgate-Palmolive

10.   The Coca-Cola Company

11.   Inditex

12.   Nike

13.   H&M

14.   Wal-Mart Stores

15.   PepsiCo

16.   Lenovo Group

17.   Starbucks

18.   3M

19.   Qualcomm

20.   Seagate Technology

21.   Kimberly-Clark

22.   Johnson & Johnson

23.   Caterpillar

24.   Cummins

25.   Nestlé