[Q44-Q67] Defining Business Needs Practice Tests 2024 Pass L4M2 with confidence!

Defining Business Needs Practice Tests 2024 | Pass L4M2 with confidence!

Practice CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply L4M2 exam. Online Exam Practice Tests with detailed explanations!

CIPS L4M2 (Defining Business Needs) Certification Exam covers a wide range of topics related to business analysis, including the identification of business needs, the development of business cases, the analysis of business requirements, and the creation of solutions that meet these requirements. Defining Business Needs certification exam is designed to ensure that individuals who pass it have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a career in business analysis or project management.

 

NEW QUESTION # 44
Thani Ltd is a fast growing logistics company with a fleet of 20 tractors. To meet Net Zero objec-tive, the company needs to electrify its fleet. Angelica is assigned to investigate the market price of electrifying services. After the investigation, she realises that the current market price is very expensive and unsustainable for her company. She decides to break down the costs before negotiating with the suppliers. Which internal stakeholders may help Angelica estimate the breakdown of costs? Select TWO that apply.

• A. Sales and Marketing department
• B. Commercial agency
• C. Engineering department
• D. Suppliers
• E. Finance department

Answer: C,E

Explanation:
Despite of its importance, cost analysis is often a daunting task for procurement professionals. In order to analyse supplier's costs effectively, procurement may need the input from other depart-ments. Normally, technical (or engineering) department may help them to identify the direct costs of the product/service (how much material is required to make the product, or how many people are needed to perform the job, etc), while finance (or accounting) department may have ideas on the overheads of the supplier.
In this scenario, engineering department may provide insights on the components needed and the tasks to perform. Similarly, finance may know how much supplier pays for the overheads.
On the other hand, while commercial agency and suppliers are external stakeholders, Sales and marketing is unlikely to provide valuable information in this case.
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.3

NEW QUESTION # 45
Daytona Ltd is developing a new product which is more environmental friendly. Though the objectives are set, the project team has no idea on which functions will be customers' favourites. Which of the following will help them decide the 'should-have' functions of the new product?

• A. Thomas-Kilmann model
• B. Taguchi method
• C. Kano model
• D. Six Sigma

Answer: C

Explanation:
The Kano model is useful in gaining a thorough understanding of a customer's needs. You can translate and transform the resulting verbatims using the voice of the customer table that, subse-quently, becomes an excellent input as the whatsin a quality function deployment (QFD) House of Quality.
The model involves two dimensions:
Achievement (the horizontal axis), which goes from the supplier didn't do it at all to the supplier did it very well.
Satisfaction (the vertical axis), which goes from total dissatisfaction with the product or service to total satisfaction with the product or service.
Dr. Noriaki Kano isolated and identified three levels of customer expectations: that is, what it takes to positively impact customer satisfaction. The figure below portrays the three levels of need: expected, normal, and exciting.

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) is a conflict style inventory, which is a tool developed to measure an individual's response to conflict situations.
Genichi Taguchi, a Japanese engineer, proposed several approaches to experimental designs that are sometimes called "Taguchi Methods." These methods utilize two-, three-, and mixed-level fractional factorial designs. Large screening designs seem to be particularly favored by Taguchi adherents.
Six Sigma is a method that provides organizations tools to improve the capability of their business processes. This increase in performance and decrease in process variation helps lead to defect re-duction and improvement in profits, employee morale, and quality of products or services.
Source:
- CIPS study guide page 171-172
- WHAT IS THE KANO MODEL?
LO 3, AC 3.4

NEW QUESTION # 46
In 2016, ANA Airlines had to cancel some of its flight. The airline said it had discovered the cracks to the jet engine turbine blades. What should ANA procurement team do next to solve this problem?

• A. Assess the risks
• B. Analyse the situation and draw conclusion
• C. Generate options addressing the issue
• D. Collect data to identify the root cause
• E. Define the ideal solution

Answer: D

Explanation:
Cracks on the jet engine is a closed-end problem. A typical problem solving process has 8 steps:
Step 1: Define the Problem
- What is the problem?
- How did you discover the problem?
- When did the problem start and how long has this problem been going on?
- Is there enough data available to contain the problem and prevent it from getting passed to the next process step? If yes, contain the problem.
Step 2: Clarify the Problem
- What data is available or needed to help clarify, or fully understand the problem?
- Is it a top priority to resolve the problem at this point in time?
- Are additional resources required to clarify the problem? If yes, elevate the problem to your leader to help locate the right resources and form a team.
- Consider a Lean Event (Do-it, Burst, RPI, Project).
- Ensure the problem is contained and does not get passed to the next process step.
Step 3: Define the Goals
- What is your end goal or desired future state?
- What will you accomplish if you fix this problem?
- What is the desired timeline for solving this problem?
Step 4: Identify Root Cause of the Problem
- Identify possible causes of the problem.
- Prioritize possible root causes of the problem.
- What information or data is there to validate the root cause?
Step 5: Develop Action Plan
- Generate a list of actions required to address the root cause and prevent problem from getting to others.
- Assign an owner and timeline to each action.
- Status actions to ensure completion.
Step 6: Execute Action Plan
- Implement action plan to address the root cause.
- Verify actions are completed.
Step 7: Evaluate the Results
- Monitor and Collect Data.
- Did you meet your goals defined in step 3? If not, repeate th 8-Step Process.
- Were there any unforeseen consequences?
- If problem is resolved, remove activities that were added previously to contain the problem.
Step 8: Continuously Improve
- Look for additional opportunities to implement solution.
- Ensure problem will not come back and communicate lessons learned.
- If needed, repeat the 8-Step Problem Solving Process to drive further improvements.
ANA has already known what is going on, the next step they should adopt is collecting more infor-mation on the problem. If the airline is hurry to the solution, it may choose 'Generate options ad-dressing the issue'. The crack on turbine blade can be welded, or the airline replaces a new blade. However, jumping to solution without knowing the root cause does not completely solve the prob-lem. The root cause is unaddressed, then it may occur in the future. Therefore, the airline should still collect information to find the root cause, then remove it.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.1

NEW QUESTION # 47
Sabic is a petrochemical manufacturer. It wants to digitalise its operation and is looking for new IT system. The procurement manager approaches this matter with a through-life specification. He supposes that stating "good quality" in the specification will be enough for quality standard section. Is the procurement manager's thought appropriate?

• A. Yes, because IT sector has its own standard of quality, therefore, suppliers may deliver good quality without any further Explanation:
• B. Yes, because the specification should be concise.
• C. No, because "good quality" is an in-house jargon that suppliers are not familiar with
• D. No, because "good quality" is very ambiguous for suppliers to identify Sabic's re-quirement

Answer: D

Explanation:
Specifications for through-life contracts must be clear. They should use precise technical language and avoid any ambiguity as much as possible. In most cases, 'good quality' is ambiguous. The con-tractor doesn't know exactly which product the buying organisation needs and how to supply that product.
Other notices for description of requirement are:
- Short and simply description
- Clear definitions at the beginning of the documents
- Clarify abbreviations (if any), but abbreviations should be avoided as much as possible
- Avoid any 'slang'
- Use imperative forms of language whenever possible.
LO 3, AC 3.2

NEW QUESTION # 48
GE has developed TurboProp engine that is made from over 850 metal parts. These parts are sourced from many suppliers. Value of spend on these parts make up 73% of total spend. Any delay in receiving a part will cause a bottleneck around the production of the engine. Which of the following should be the best course of action of GE's CPO?

• A. Drive down prices by using market competition
• B. Increase production
• C. Part standardisation
• D. Reduce delivery cost

Answer: C

Explanation:
In this scenario, the final product has vast range of parts. The second problem is lacking any part can cause disruption to the production process. So GE has 2 things to do: to reduce the part varie-ties, and secure the supply. Part standardisation is the best option here. It can simplify the range of parts or materials used, and simultaneously, it expands the supply base of GE. If a supplier fails to deliver the part, the company always has other options to replace.
Costs are also a concern, but bottleneck in production imposes a serious risk to the organisation. Driving down costs using market competition cannot be a foremost priority.
Increasing production may help to reduce bottleneck. However, it will also increase the inventory of finished products and unnecessary upkeep costs.
LO 3, AC 3.4

NEW QUESTION # 49
A CPO is making a business case for acquiring a new computer system. He has set out objective, generated options, cost and benefit of each option and implementation plan. Which of the following elements should be included in the business case?

• A. Contract management
• B. Invitation to tender
• C. Operation management
• D. Risk assessment

Answer: D

Explanation:
Before a project commences (either capital purchase or switching to a new supplier), a business case should be developed. The business case outlines the why, what, how, and who necessary to decide if it is worthwhile continuing a project.
Basically, the following criteria can be applied to the assessment of a business case:
1. Objectives
This part describes why you are doing the project. The business objective answers the following questions:
- What is your goal?
- What is needed to overcome the problem?
- How will the project support the business strategy?
2. Option identification and selection
Identify the potential solutions to the problem and describe them in enough detail for the reader to understand.
For instance, if the business case and proposed solution makes use of technology, make sure to explain how the technology is used and define the terms used in a glossary. Since most problems have multiple solutions an option appraisal is often needed. This will explore the potential solutions and recommend the best option.
When writing the initial business case the option appraisal is likely to contain a long list of options and will cover many possibilities. As the project continues a number of options will be rejected. The final business case may contain three to five options - the short list - that includes a do nothing or benchmark option.
3. Benefits and limitations
The benefits and limitations section describes the financial and non-financial benefits in turn. The purpose is to explain why you need a project.
For instance, to:
- Improve quality
- Save costs through efficiencies
- Reduce working capital
- Generate revenue
- Remain competitive
- Improve customer service
- Align to corporate strategy
The business case should also include any limitations since these present potential risk to the pro-ject.
4. Risk management
The risk assessment summarizes the significant project risks and opportunities and how they are managed. The risks included should cover those that could arise from your project or the organiza-tion's ability to deliver change.
This section answers the following questions:
- What risks are involved?
- What are the consequences of a risk happening?
- What opportunities may emerge?
- What plans are in place to deal with the risks?
- Every project should include a risk log.
When writing a business case, make sure this is included as it explains how risk and opportunity are managed.
5. Implementation plan
The outline plan provides a summary of the main activities and overall timescale - project schedule - for the project.
Ideally, the project should be divided into stages with key decisions preceding each stage. Use this section to answer the following questions:
- What is required?
- How is it done?
- Who does what?
- When will things happen?
This outline plan lists the major deliverables and includes a brief project description plus accountabilities for each activity.
In the scenario, the CPO has set out objective, generated options, cost and benefit of each option and implementation plan. In order to make the business case more compelling, he should reinforce it with risk management.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.3

NEW QUESTION # 50
Why is the specification considered as the most important document in procurement?

• A. It always shifts the balance of bargaining power in favour of the buyer
• B. It eliminates all possible supply risks
• C. It helps the buyer to gain at supplier's loss
• D. It provides a mean to appraise the performance of supplier

Answer: D

Explanation:
Specification is the most important document in procurement because it sets out the quality which supplier must provide. If there is no spec or the spec lacks clarity and details, supplier's perfor-mance may vary and possibly lower than actual requirements. This puts the buyer at risks. On the other hand, if the spec is clear and detailed, the supplier is liable to provide 'fit for purpose' products or perform the service at required level of quality. This will ensure that the buyer achieve 'Right Quality'.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 116-130
- How fitness for purpose works - Evocurement
LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 51
Which of the following are main focuses of ISO 27001:2013 standard?
1. Confidentiality
2. Logistics
3. Process
4. Life cycle

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 3 and 4 only
• D. 2 and 4 only

Answer: A

Explanation:
This International Standard (ISO 27001:2013) has been prepared to provide requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system. The adoption of an information security management system is a strategic decision for an organization. The establishment and implementation of an organization's information security management system is influenced by the organization's needs and objectives, security requirements, the organizational processes used and the size and structure of the organization. All of these influencing factors are expected to change over time.
The information security management system preserves the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information by applying a risk management process and gives confidence to interested parties that risks are adequately managed.
It is important that the information security management system is part of and integrated with the organization's processes and overall management structure and that information security is considered in the design of processes, information systems, and controls. It is expected that an information security management system implementation will be scaled in accordance with the needs of the organization.
This International Standard can be used by internal and external parties to assess the organization's ability to meet the organization's own information security requirements.
The order in which requirements are presented in this International Standard does not reflect their importance or imply the order in which they are to be implemented. The list items are enumerated for reference purpose only.
ISO/IEC 27000 describes the overview and the vocabulary of information security management systems, referencing the information security management system family of standards (includ-ing ISO/IEC 27003[2], ISO/IEC 27004[3] and ISO/IEC 27005[4]), with related terms and defini-tions.
Reference:
- ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information technology - Security techniques - Information security management systems - Requirements LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 52
Synergy Ltd is a fast-growing tool and hardware retailer. The company's customer services team has been using Excel worksheets to manage customer relationships. When the company is expend-ing its market presence, this way of working leads to poorer customer services as the database is scattered around in spreadsheet, leading to patchy and inconsistent conversations with customers. The company decides to purchase a CRM system. What requirement should Synergy's procurement team take into account in the specification for CRM system?

• A. Total number of the supplier's employees
• B. The form and reference number of the purchase order
• C. The ability to import bulk data from Excel spreadsheets
• D. The relative size of the potential suppliers to Synergy

Answer: C

Explanation:
The purpose of this Question:
to actionable requirements before communicating with the suppliers. The scenario suggests that Synergy Ltd's customer services team is using Excel spreadsheets, they lack a centralised customer database. This leads to problems in communications with customers.
A CRM system can solve the communication problem. But a Question: 100
will the previous data be imported? If the CRM system can support bulk import from Excel tables, it will save a lot of time.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.1

NEW QUESTION # 53
A buyer in Housing Authority is considering using performance specification in upcoming social housing project. What should buyer be aware when using this type of specification?

• A. In performance specification, specific brands and preferred suppliers must be appointed to avoid the competition
• B. The buyer must be able to clearly define the performance metrics to ensure that the of-fered solution will achieve the desired outcome
• C. The buyer must be able to define the materials to be used, the execution and installation methods required and the specific design of the building
• D. Using performance specification means that the buyer will bear all the risks regarding the fitness for purpose of the facility.

Answer: B

Explanation:
In construction, specifications are written documents that describe the materials and workmanship required for a development. They do not include cost, quantity or drawn information but need to be read alongside other contract documentation such as quantities, schedules and drawings.
Specifications vary considerably depending on the stage to which the design has been developed, ranging from performance (open) specifications that require further design by a contractor or sup-plier, to prescriptive (closed) specifications where the design is already complete when the project is tendered.
Prescriptive specifications give the client more certainty about the end product when they make their final investment decision (i.e. when they appoint the contractor), whereas a performance specification gives the contractor and suppliers more scope to innovate and adopt cost effective methods of work, potentially offering better value for money.
Typically, performance specifications are written on projects that are straight-forward, standard building types, whereas prescriptive specifications are written for more complex buildings, or buildings where the client has requirements that might not be familiar to contractors and where certainty regarding the exact nature of the completed development is more important to the client.
Performance specification has some disadvantages:
- Well-defined performance metrics are needed to ensure that the specified performance will achieve the desired outcome
- Require reliable, practical, economical tests of performance
- Evaluations are subjective and require additional time and effort to complete Therefore, if a performance specification is used, the buying organisation will have to ensure that they are able to define and conduct tests on whether supplier's solution can deliver the desired out-come.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 118-121
- Performance specification - Designing Buildings Wiki
- Partnership for Public Procurement (cips.org)
LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 54
When analyzing direct and indirect costs of potential suppliers for negotiations and planning pur-chasing budget, the procurement manager collects reports from specialist organisations like Mintel, Gartner and Forrester. Which kind of information source is used by the procurement manager?

• A. RFI
• B. Technical data
• C. Company annual report
• D. Market data

Answer: D

Explanation:
Using Porter's value chain helps procurement professionals know what are direct and indirect costs of supplier. Information on direct and indirect costs will have been collected as part of the market analysis. Information sources that may help include the following:
- Company annual reports
- Market data
- Technical data
- Request for information
- Plan visits
- Discount lists
Market data is the information that is collected and analysed by specialist organisations like Mintel, Gartner, Forrester,...
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.3

NEW QUESTION # 55
Which of the following standards specifies requirements for a quality management system?

• A. ISO 22000:2018
• B. ISO 14001:2015
• C. ISO 27001
• D. ISO 9001:2015

Answer: D

Explanation:
ISO 9001:2015 specifies requirements for a quality management system.
ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an or-ganization can use to enhance its environmental performance. ISO 14001:2015 is intended for use by an organization seeking to manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability.
ISO 22000:2018 specifies food safety management systems - Requirements for any organization in the food chain ISO 27001 provides requirements for an information security management system.
LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 56
Housing Ltd is inviting a number of contractors to a tender for the construction of a commercial building. In the attachment to the invitation to tender, there is a document which describes the re-quired materials and installation methods. This document is known as...?

• A. Functional specification
• B. Drawings
• C. Prescriptive specification
• D. Performance specification

Answer: C

Explanation:
This question mentions about specification in construction. In this sector, specifications are written documents that describe the materials and workmanship required for a development. They do not include cost, quantity or drawn information and need to be read alongside other contract documentation such as quantities, schedules and drawings.
Specifications vary considerably depending on the stage to which the design has been developed, ranging from performance (open) specifications that require further development by a contractor or supplier, to prescriptive (closed) specifications for which the design is already complete when the project is tendered.
Prescriptive specifications typically contain detailed descriptions of the following components:
- General requirements relating to regulations and standards.
- The type of products and materials required.
- The execution and installation methods required.
Prescriptive specifications give the client much more certainty about the end product when making investment decisions (such as when they appoint the contractor), and place a greater burden on the designer to ensure proper installation rather than the contractor.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 116-120
- Prescriptive specification - Designing Buildings Wiki
LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 57
Ethan is the newly appointed CEO of ATT Group. He sees that the company is wasting financial resources on unnecessary spends. To solve this problem, Ethan requires all functional managers to prepare their department budget from scratch. Each spend must have justification or it will not be approved. Which budgeting method is Ethan using?

• A. Activity-based budget
• B. Value preposition budget
• C. Zero-based budget
• D. Incremental budget

Answer: C

Explanation:
There are four common types of budgets that companies use: (1) incremental, (2) activity-based, (3) value proposition, and (4) zero-based.
Incremental budgeting takes last year's actual figures and adds or subtracts a percentage to obtain the current year's budget. It is the most common method of budgeting because it is simple and easy to understand.
Activity-based budgeting is a top-down budgeting approach that determines the amount of inputs required to support the targets or outputs set by the company. For example, a company sets an out-put target of $100 million in revenues. The company will need to first determine the activities that need to be undertaken to meet the sales target, and then find out the costs of carrying out these ac-tivities.
In value proposition budgeting, the budgeter considers the following questions:
- Why is this amount included in the budget?
- Does the item create value for customers, staff, or other stakeholders?
- Does the value of the item outweigh its cost? If not, then is there another reason why the cost is justified?
Value proposition budgeting is really a mindset about making sure that everything that is included in the budget delivers value for the business. Value proposition budgeting aims to avoid unneces-sary expenditures - although it is not as precisely aimed at that goal as our final budgeting option, zero-based budgeting.
As one of the most commonly used budgeting methods, zero-based budgeting starts with the as-sumption that all department budgets are zero and must be rebuilt from scratch. Managers must be able to justify every single expense. No expenditures are automatically "okayed". Zero-based budgeting is very tight, aiming to avoid any and all expenditures that are not considered absolutely essential to the company's successful (profitable) operation. This kind of bottom-up budgeting can be a highly effective way to "shake things up". This is the method used in the scenario.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 58
- Types of Budgets - The Four Most Common Budgeting Methods (corporatefinanceinstitute.com) LO 1, AC 1.4

NEW QUESTION # 58
A consulting firm in London had previously had static budgets. They were set once and locked in for the year. This resulted in departments meeting their budgets early and doing virtually nothing the rest of the accounting period. To address this imbalance, the company tossed out the static budget and developed a new one for each department of the next 18 months. And each month, real sales figures are analyzed against the plan and the budget is adjusted accordingly. Then the company adds another month into the budgeting plan. What type of budget this company is using?

• A. Rolling budget
• B. Activity-based budget
• C. Zero-based budget
• D. Incremental budget

Answer: A

Explanation:
A rolling budget is continually updated to add a new budget period as the most recent budget period is completed. Thus, the rolling budget involves the incremental extension of the existing budget model. By doing so, a business always has a budget that extends one year into the future.
Think of continuous (rolling) budgets as waves rolling ashore on the beach. A new wave comes in each time, replacing the one that was there before. From a financial perspective, the wave is your budget, and the time between waves is longer! These reporting time frames can be monthly, quar-terly, yearly, etc.
An incremental budget is a budget prepared using a previous period's budget or actual performance as a basis with incremental amounts added for the new budget period.
Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period. The process of zero-based budgeting starts from a "zero base," and every function within an organization is analyzed for its needs and costs. Budgets are then built around what is needed for the upcoming period, regardless of whether each budget is higher or lower than the previous one.
Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is a system that records, researches, and analyzes activities that lead to costs for a company. Every activity in an organization that incurs a cost is scrutinized for potential ways to create efficiencies. Budgets are then developed based on these results.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.4

NEW QUESTION # 59
Which of the following are typically reasons why an organisation implements value analysis? Select TWO that apply:

• A. To provide an outline business case for the specification
• B. To shape and manage supply market
• C. To determine the value of each component used
• D. To find cost reduction opportunities by optimising the components used
• E. To decide whether there will be sufficient surplus funds to reinvest in the business

Answer: C

Explanation:
Value analysis is a systematic review of the production, purchasing and product design processes to reduce overall product costs. This can be accomplished through a variety of activities, including the following:
- Designing products to use lower-tolerance parts that are less expensive
- Switching to lower-cost components
- Standardizing parts across product platforms in order to achieve volume discounts
- Altering production processes to minimize the amount of production cycle time, thereby reducing labor costs
- Introducing automation to strip labor costs out of the production process
- Altering product packaging to lower its cost while still protecting the product The process is not a wholesale attack on costs. Costs are only reduced when the result will not im-pact the perceived level of quality experienced by customers, or the level of customer satisfaction.
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.4

NEW QUESTION # 60
Which of the following is a risk to buying organization when using conformance specification?

• A. Time to produce specification is shortened
• B. Buyer is responsible for product failure
• C. Buyer may face liquidity risks
• D. Buyer cannot control the inputs

Answer: B

Explanation:
When using conformance specification, the buying organisation is responsible for the performance of the purchase. If the product fails due to poorly designed specification, the buyer is wholly responsible for it. It cannot blame the supplier for the failure because they still provided 'fit for purpose' product.
'Time to produce specification is shortened': Conformance specification requires details on dimen-sion, materials, design, etc. With such requirements, time to produce a complete conformance specification is often longer than producing performance specification.
'Buyer cannot control the inputs': Conformance specification is a list of inputs from buyer, so buyer has control over the inputs that will make the product. It also means that buyer is responsible for any product failure.
'Buyer may face liquidity risks': Liquidity means that how quick a business turns its assets into cash. This is a financial term, it does not link directly with specification failure.
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 61
Which of the following are the fair and reasonable comparators in price analysis? Select TWO that apply:

• A. Pricing formula
• B. Strike price
• C. Cost driver
• D. Price indices
• E. Competitive bidding

Answer: A,D

Explanation:
Price Analysis is the process of deciding if the asking price for a product or service is fair and rea-sonable, without examining the specific cost and profit calculations the vendor used in arriving at the price. It is basically a process of comparing the price with known indicators of reasonableness. When adequate price competition does not exist, some other form of analysis is required. Some reasons that could affect adequate price competition are: specifications are not definitive, tolerances are restrictive, or production capacity limits those eligible to bid.
Examples of other forms of price analysis information include:
* Analysis of previous prices paid
* Comparison of vendor's price with the in-house estimate
* Comparison of quotations or published price lists from multiple vendors
* Comparisons with government agencies (such as GSA in the US) published prices A strike price is the set price at which a derivative contract can be bought or sold when it is exercised. For call options, the strike price is where the security can be bought by the option holder; for put options, the strike price is the price at which the security can be sold. Strike price is also known as the exercise price.
A cost driver is the direct cause of a cost and its effect is on the total cost incurred. For example, if you are to determine the amount of electricity consumed in a particular period, the number of units consumed determines the total bill for electricity. In such a scenario, the number of units of electricity consumed is a cost driver.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.2

NEW QUESTION # 62
Which of the following problems may be identified as open-ended problems? Select TWO that apply:

• A. Engine failures cause flight cancellations.
• B. Shortage of key medicines in healthcare industry
• C. The suppliers don't comply with the company's policy on underage labour.
• D. Logistics costs incur a large portion in wholesale prices
• E. A cyber attack takes down whole company's IT system

Answer: C,D

Explanation:
Open-ended problem is something stopping the achievement of an objective or blocking progress. To solve this type of problems, procurement professional should find a way to unblock the block-age. In the above question, high logistics cost is an obstacle to cost cutting objective while suppli-er's incompliance prevents the company to achieve its sustainable objective.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.1

NEW QUESTION # 63
When devising a business case for purchasing a new copier, Maria analyses its whole-life costs as following:

Though cost generating activities are identified, she has not categorised the costs. What is the total value of copier's end of life costs?

• A. $450
• B. $150
• C. $300
• D. $75

Answer: B

Explanation:
Life cycle costing is a key asset management tool that takes into account the whole of life implications of planning, acquiring, operating, maintaining and disposing of an asset.
The process is an evaluation method that considers all ownership and management costs. These include;
- Concept and definition;
- Design and development;
- Manufacturing and installation;
- Maintenance;
- Support services; and
- Retirement, remediation and disposal costs.
End of life costs often comprise of decommissioning, removing and disposal costs. In the copier scenario, the end of life costs equal to removal cost, which is $150.
Reference:
- Life Cycle Cost Guidelines (dlgsc.wa.gov.au)
- CIPS study guide page 36-40
LO 1, AC 1.2

NEW QUESTION # 64
Which of the following provides in-depth detail for both functional and non-functional require-ments and covers assumptions, constraints, performance, dimensions, weights and reliability of a product?

• A. Statement of work
• B. Tolerance
• C. Performance specification
• D. Design specification

Answer: D

Explanation:
Design specification is a detailed document providing a list of points regarding a product or pro-cess. For example, the design specification could include required dimensions, environmental fac-tors, ergonomic factors, aesthetic factors, maintenance that will be needed, etc. It may also give specific examples of how the design should be executed, helping others work properly (a guideline for what the person should do).
Performance specification is written requirement that describes the functional performance criteria required for a particular equipment, material, or product.
Tolerance is the permissable limit of a variable used to define a product Statement of work is the document that captures and defines all aspects of a project, including the activities, deliverables and the timetable for the project.
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.1

NEW QUESTION # 65
This is the information on an organisation's activities over the past year
* Sale were $5,000,000. The value of accounts receivable was $450,000 at the start of the year and $525,000 at the end of the year
* The value of direct costs was $2,500,000 and 75% of this was bought on credit
* Indirect costs were $3,000,000 and 25% of this was bought on credit
* During the year the organization spent $1,500,000 on new assets and sold $150,000 of old assets. $1,000,000 of the spend on assets was funded by a bank loan
* The organization declared a dividend of $200,000 at the end of the year but this was not paid for another two months
* Opening balance was $175,000
Which of the following is the bank balance of that organization at the end of the year?

• A. $1,700,000
• B. $2,025,000
• C. $1,675,000
• D. $1,875,000

Answer: D

Explanation:
In this question, you should understand the concept of cash flow and formula of cash flow. Cash flow calculates the physical money moving in and out a company's bank balance. The cash flow from sale activity is:
cash flow from sale = account receivable at beginning of the year + revenue - account receivable at the end of the year = $450,000 + $5,000,000 - $525,000 = $4,925,000
75% of direct costs was bought by credit, therefore, the company spent 25% on direct cost: -$2,500,000*25/100 = -$625,000
25% of indirect costs was bought on credit. Cash flow out on indirect costs is: -$3,000,000*75/100 = -$2,250,000 Company spent $1,500,000 on new assets funded by a loan of $1,000,000. Cash flow out from this activity is -$500,000 Company received $150,000 from selling old assets Dividends have not been paid for another 2 months, thus, they are not accounted as cash flow out.
The bank balance at the end of the year is: $175,000 + $4,925,000 - $625,000 - $2,250,000 - $500,000 + $150,000 = $1,875,000 LO 1, AC 1.4

NEW QUESTION # 66
Which of the following is an assumption of Kano model?

• A. The relationship between product functionality and customer satisfaction is always linear
• B. All customer requirements are basic requirements
• C. All types of customer requirements have the same impact on customer satisfaction
• D. Different types of customer requirements have different impact on customer satisfaction

Answer: D

Explanation:
Kano model of excitement and basic quality (Kano et al, 1984; Berger et al, 1993; Matzler et al, 1996) brings a different perspective for the analysis of improvement opportunities in products and services because it takes in consideration the asymmetrical and non-linear relationship between performance and satisfaction. The Kano model classifies customers requirements in three categories (figure 3):
a) Basic Requirements. The basic requirements fulfill the basic functions of a product. If they are not present or their performance is insufficient, customers will be extremely dissatisfied. On the other hand, if they are present or have sufficient performance, they don't bring satisfaction. Customers see them as prerequisites. For instance, for luxury automobiles, "air bags" are considered basic. A customer won't feel satisfied if the automobile has "air bag", however he/she will not buy it if "air bag" is not present.
b) Performance Requirements. As for these requirements, satisfaction is proportional to the performance level - the higher the performance, the higher the customer's satisfaction will be and vice-versa. Gas consumption in automobiles is an example of these requirements. Usually customers explicitly demand performance requirements.
c) Excitement Requirements. These requirements are key to customer satisfaction. If they are pre-sent or have sufficient performance, they will bring superior satisfaction. On the other hand, if they are not present or their performance is insufficient, customers will not get dissatisfied. For instance, a surprise gift at the end of a dinner in a restaurant will certainly bring satisfaction, but it will not cause dissatisfaction if not offered. These requirements are not demanded nor expected by customers.
Two other types of requirements may be identified in the Kano model: neutral and reverse ones. Neutral requirements do not bring either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Reverse requirements bring more satisfaction if absent than if present.

Reference:
- Integrating Kano model and QFD for Designing New Products
- CIPS study guide page 171-172

NEW QUESTION # 67
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The CIPS L4M2 course comprises of five modules, each covering a specific aspect of the procurement and supply chain management process. The modules are designed to build upon each other, providing learners with a comprehensive understanding of the procurement and supply chain management process. Upon completion of the course, individuals will have the skills required to effectively manage the procurement process from start to finish, ensuring maximum value for their organization.

 

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