To turn now to other industries, Nike was also one of the first US companies to send production to other countries. In the 1980s, the company initially sent the manufacturing of its sports shoes to its subcontractors in Japan and China. This process has become known as ‘offshore’ outsourcing. It’s argued that this approach allows Nike to focus more on what it does best: brand building, marketing and design, and it leaves the manufacturing to offshore third parties. One consequence of outsourcing Nike did not anticipate was the bad publicity it received in the 1990s, following reports of poor working conditions in its outsourced Indonesian factories. The company’s response has been to monitor its subcontractors closely in different countries to avoid any future scandals. Dell Computers and Apple are just two manufacturers of consumer electronic goods that get suppliers in countries such as Taiwan and China to make their products. Today most US manufacturers outsource some or all of their products. In fact, companies that are in the manufacturing and distribution sectors all over the world are moving towards the Nike model. Outsourcing may have its critics and its disadvantages but there is no doubt that it is here to stay.