In a move that signals that Apple might not be happy with its current product quality, Apple has now promoted Jeff Williams to Senior VP of Operations; he’ll be working alongside Tim Cook (Apple’s COO, possibly the successor-designate to Steve Jobs) to ensure the company’s products are of the highest quality.

Williams will also keep an eye on the supply chain management side, a critical element in keeping costs low while pushing quality into the stratosphere. As AppleInsider reports, Williams cut his teeth at IBM before moving to Apple, and his expertise in supply chain management shone as he helped get the pieces for the iPod back when it was largely “off the shelf” components — the shelves being mostly located in China. Williams was instrumental in global rollouts of the iPod and, more recently, the launch of the iPhone. We hope his new position will improve Apple’s track record for quality gear.