Apple's supply chain again considered best of the best

Apple's supply chain has not lost its luster.

The California-based consumer electronics company known for its iPhones, iPads, and iPods ranked number one on Gartner Research's 2011 list of the top 25 supply chains for the fourth consecutive year. The report ranks companies for supply chain excellence based on execution metrics such as return on assets, revenue growth, and inventory turns as well as on analysts' and peers' assessments. Following its acquisition of AMR Research, Garner took over the annual report on supply chain leaders, now in its seventh year.

This year's report noted that while each supply chain is unique, "they all share a dedication to customer value that drives them to constantly remake their supply chains in concert with the shifting needs of the markets they serve." The report also contends that well-run supply chains contribute to a company's financial success.

Notable developments on this year's list: the restaurant chain McDonald's moved into the top 10, displacing IBM, and four companies—Nestlé, Starbucks, 3M, and Kraft Foods—joined the list for the first time.

Here are the research firm's picks for the top 10:

1. Apple
2. Dell
3. Procter & Gamble
4. Research in Motion (RIM)
5. Amazon
6. Cisco Systems
7. Wal-Mart Stores
8. McDonald's
9. PepsiCo
10. Samsung

To view the entire list and read the report, go here.