Apple should be spending about $7.1 billion on its supply chain in 2012, not including another $2.4 billion in prepayments to suppliers, says BusinessWeek. In a profile of Apple's approach to supplies, the publication cites interviews with Apple workers, supplier executives and management experts as evidence that Apple has used deals and bulk prepurchases to ensure a constant flow of cheap parts. The strategy has also reportedly interfered with the ability of competitors to operate, however.
