CIPS Procurement and Supply in Practice - L4M8 Exam Practice Test

What do STEEPLE and SWOT stand for?
Correct Answer:
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Explanation:
After a need in an organization has been identified/understood, defined, justified and authorized, the next stages are to understand how commodity prices are reacting, which suppliers are available and their strength.
The make or buy decision can be reached with knowledge from this; the procurement professional can consider the organization external environment, strength, weakness opportunity and threat to develop strategy
/plan of how to achieve the procurement.
'STEEPLE' is an effective way to evaluate the external environment. It helps buyers to assess factors that could affect the need in hand and helps them to develop the plan accordingly. 'STEEPLE' is an acronym which stands for, Social, Technology, Economic, Environment, Political, Legal, Ethical
'SWOT' helps the organization to analyze its strength and within the organization and the oppor-tunity and threats outside the organization.
'SWOT' is an acronym which stands for, strength, weakness, opportunity and threats.
Describe five types of contract terms that a procurement professional should create with a supplier when forming an agreement.
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Explanation:
Terms are the right and duties agreed which are then documented in a contract. Five types of con-tract terms that a procurement professional should create with a supplier when forming an agree-ment includes; Price term is when the buying organization wants to protect its budged and spending, it include price terms in the contract, for the buyer to buy goods or services in response to a need they some-time enshrine a bespoke specification in the contract.
Payment Term is to specify when and how the buyer will pay the supplier. The buyer may include a payment term in the contract.
Warrantee is when the buyer requires a promise from the supplier that the product or service will meet the specified need in the contract.
Time is of the essence term is included in the contract to detail when a product or service should be delivered and explains the potential losses of business if time is not observed.
What is Decommissioning?
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Explanation:
When a fixed asset reaches the end of its life, it requires decommissioning before reconditioning or disposal.
Decommissioning is to observe all the safety measures and technical procedures and stop active machinery or an asset from operation (example; gas plant, power generator, transformer etc.
Decommissioning process include the following aspect
1) Preparation: Plan the process
2) Dismantle: Take the asset apart and remove hazardous waste
3) Processing: make safe any hazardous waste
4) Disposal: Ensure paper work is received to confirm removal and disposal
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Explain why it is deemed better to use Sea freight rather than air.
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Explanation:
It would be rare to find a supplier who does not emit any form of pollution. However, part of ethical and responsible sourcing is to make effort to reduce impact of population on the planets. Pollution can be factory emission, Noise, smell, Transportation De-velopment, waste disposal. Transportation is a major cause of pollution. The carbon dioxide emitted from vehicles contributes greatly to air contamination. Yet it is better to use sea freight rather than air because it has a smaller impact on the environment.
Which contract term contains details of when a product or service should be delivered and ex-plained the potential loss of business?
Correct Answer:
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Explanation:
Contract terms are the right and duties agreed between parties with which are then documented in contract.
Terms can be either implied or expression.
Implied terms are always present in a contract and are set by national laws; like the sales of goods act, whereas express terms are negotiated and created, for example; time is of the essence. When the procurement professional is setting key performance indicators, where which the supplier's performance will be monitored and managed, the KPI is expected to be SMART. The SMART is an acronym that is used to set KPI and specification. It means:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time bound
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Explain how a lack of understanding of a global supplier's culture and ethical behavior could cost buying organization money.
Correct Answer:
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Explanation:
Organizational culture is made up of behaviors, traits, values and beliefs and these differ signifi-cantly across the globe. Gestures that may be positive in one country can be highly offensive in another. This culture could mean; for example, individualistic/collectivistic, masculine/feminine, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, Time perspective, indulgence/restraint.
When negotiating and forming contracts within the extended supply chain, it is important that the culture of the suppliers is understood to be compatible with the buying organization or else their might be loss of reputation, time, money material and equipment.
Also, being not aware of what is an acceptable ethically behavior in global sourcing can cost a buying organization. In some countries, bribery and kickbacks are a standard part of doing business. If procurement professional is not aware of the fact that some countries methods of doing business involves or expect kickbacks, for example, this could be costly to the organization and cancel out any savings that had originally been seen.
Cost of poor quality and rework: if the product or service quality is poor the organization may not satisfy it customers and this can lead to a loss of reputation in the market. For example, a residential building construction company contracting a supplier that supply would require home owners to reinstall a new door within three months. The organization would spend more funds in carrying out rework.
More administrative cost in contract management: an organization will have to manage it sup-pliers and the contracts to ensure they are delivering what they were contracted to do. A poor con-tract management is a waste in the process of delivery that can lead to loss of money. Also, to cor-rect this would cost the organizations administrative cost.
What is commissioning?
Correct Answer:
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Explanation:
Commissioning is bringing something new into working condition, e.g start running a gas plant after building it. Commissioning is one of the eight elements that form the cycle of whole life asset management. The commissioning of an asset has the following associated costs, installation, training insurance, testing, operational efficiencies/performance and quality.
Describe four factors that could damage reputation within the supply chair
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Explanation:
The reputation of all the organizations within a supply chain is linked. A Company's reputation is an intangible asset that can contribute to the failure of an organization if damaged. Factors that could damage organizational reputation within the supply chain are;
1. Quality: if the product or service quality is poor the organization may not satisfy it customers and this can lead to a loss of reputation in the market. For example, a residential building construction company contracting a supplier that would do a bad job which in three months may require home owners to reinstall new doors.
2. Sustainability: if the organization is not replenishing that which it is extracting, it will some day run out of business or probably loss loyal customers. For example a drilling company that spills hydrocarbon as it drills.
3. Fit for purpose: if an organization produce a product or carry out services that are not fit for purpose, it may run at loss for there will be so much rejection and rework. This can lead to customers switching to another organization which product or services are fit for their purpose.
4. Contract management: an organization will have to manage its suppliers and the contracts to ensure they are delivering what they were contracted to do. A poor contract management is a waste in the process of delivery that can lead to reputational loss.
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Why do some specifications need to adapt?
Correct Answer:
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Explanation:
Specification is a detailed description of what is required or needed. Due to certain reasons, needs sometimes increase in importance or lose their essence, therefore speci-fications need to adapt and develop to reflect the changing requirements of the con-sumer and also to comply with regulations and legislatures as this are amended.
Standard, regulations and legislation are continually evolving and new updated versions of existing guideline, as well as completely new initiatives one being released.