[mschuster91]

> They don't make the computers, fiber optics, switches, exchanges, or software that their web site requires to run.

Because they don't need to. The quality of their network setup has no, utterly no, relationship to the quality of the final product - the machines and materials however do have such a relationship and therefore it's done in-house.

Additionally this vertical integration removes the incentive for a supplier to cut corners somewhere for more profit - which is something that Tesla and SpaceX also have discovered and apply it wherever they can.

[bkeyes]

Vertical integration can certainly be a great approach and can have many advantages. It can also limit your risk of exposure to outside events.

However, my point is and was that controlling your whole supply chain is impossible.

Computers are critical to everyone's supply chain, including YKKs. If they aren't and YKK can fall back to pen, pencil, and paper then they are dependent on those manufacturers and industries.

Again every business and every one is DEEPLY dependent on hundreds if not thousands of others.

[seymore_12]

Well, Kodak tried to breed it's own cows, to control the quality of gelatin (used in film manufacturing) https://www.fastcompany.com/1806686/way-kodak-died Did not work that well.

[robocat]

https://www.guiavegano.com.br/vegan/acervo-vegano/respostas-...

Has some background about gelatine (not breeding).

[learc83]

The difference is that they can ride out a supply chain interuption for months for non consumables that aren't a direct part of the manufacturing process.

Giving them time to find alternative suppliers for things like computers and pencils.

If they instead depended on consumables like say zipper teeth, they would have to shut down almost immediately in the case of a supply chain interuption.