L3M3 Sample Questions Answers

Explanation

The items are complementary. Complements.

For example, a Tesla car and a Tesla charging point.

Explanation

Economic.

I think foreign exchange at least couldn't fit into any other STEEPLE factor, so that's a clincher and it has to be 'economic'.

Explanation

This is about risk, and the answer is 'treat'.

Risk management strategies can be classified into 'the 4 T's', which you need to know for your ex-am.

Treating the risk is essentially seeking to minimise the likelihood or impact of the risk. An example might be to carefully monitor key suppliers' ongoing financial performance to minimise the likeli-hood of their going into liquidation during the course of a contract with us. Etc.

Explanation

Outputs link to the concept of a performance (or 'output') specification, not a conformance specifi-cation.

Explanation

Cost transparency - this requires a high trust level, as both parties open up and share information on the costs of their operations.

Open book costing is a one-way share - the seller allows the buyer to look at their actual costs.

Explanation

2011 is the correct answer.

You may wish to search for the Guiding Principles to familiarise yourself a little.

Explanation

Comparison of prices across different suppliers would be called 'price analysis'; drilling down into costs of making or doing something would be called 'cost analysis'.

Explanation

The calculation which needs to be done is one hundred thousand (dollars) divided by the contribu-tion per bottle. The contribution per bottle is one dollar minus the variable cost - 25 cents. Thus the contribution is 75 cents. One hundred thousand divided by $0.75 = 133,333. Note the answer is in units - in response to the QUESTION NO: of how many bottles / units must be sold to break even.

For people who feel they have difficulty with calculations, just look at the possible answers. If the contribution is a bit less than a dollar, and the fixed costs are 100,000, we would expect the answer to be a number a little over 100,000 - one of the answers fits the bill, and this is the correct answer. So the QUESTION NO: may look complicated or difficult, but if you stay calm and think it through, it's not that difficult.

Explanation

The best quotation is selected, which would meet the specification as well as meeting the other re-quired criteria; and in order to progress things round the procurement cycle, a purchase order would be issued.

Explanation

The 'contribution' (selling price minus variable cost) for each bottle is 50 cents. Divide the fixed costs by the contribution (100,000 / 0.5) = 200,000

If your textbook or tutor has not covered this type of calculation, don't worry; it is a difficult ques-tion and is unlikely to be a significant issue in the CIPS examination.

Explanation

Selling price minus variable costs = contribution., or more accurately 'contribution towards fixed costs and making a profit'. I find this longer term for 'fixed costs' to be quite helpful in clarifying exactly what we are talking about here.

Explanation

An opportunity cost is the cost of not being able to do something else.

For example, if a firm opts to build a new factory, it may not be able to create ten new retail outlets which was another option open to it, in spending these particular funds. Or if you buy a holiday, you may not be able to buy a new television. The television is the opportunity cost of the holiday ie the benefit foregone.

The other types of cost shown are methods of classifying actual (real) costs. Opportunity costs are, in a sense, not real; they are hypothesized and therefore do not show in the balance sheet or profit and loss account of a business.

Explanation

Cost of production, and shareholder and managerial expectations of profit, are both internal factors in decision-making. Although shareholders may be outside the firm, management will condition shareholders' expectations. Customer perception of value and the extent of marketplace competition are significantly outwith the control of the company.

Explanation

'Five-Why Analysis' or 'Why-Why Analysis' is an approach to trying to determine the cause of an event. It can be used to link to / in conjunction with an Ishikawa diagram. The principle is thatone repeatedly (as often as necessary, not necessarily limited to five) asks 'why?', and eventually an un-derlying reason will emerge, which if addressed effectively, will successfully resolve the problem. This is something which can often be observed naturally in small children. 'Why, Daddy?'. 'But why, Daddy?. Etc. (Or Mummy)

Explanation

The business case will justify the expenditure.

Of the other answers offered, the only one which needs explanation presumably is 'cost analysis'. This needs to be distinguished from 'price analysis'.

Explanation

What is the likelihood of an event occurring?

What will be the impact of that event occurring?

This is the basis of almost all modern risk management.

CIPS has good content at Advanced Diploma level on the subject of Risk Management, and I have prepared tests for the two subjects in this area. :)

Sadgrove's book on business risk, in my view, is excellent; and NN Taleb's work (eg 'Antifragile') on risk, although difficult is, in my opinion, fascinating.

Explanation

Offer and acceptance together make up 'agreement'.

Explanation

The fact that the time period and the total quantity is known means it is a 'call-off' contract. The volumes of product are 'called off' from the contract as required by the buying organisation.

Make sure you understand the difference between a call-off contract and a framework arrangement.

Under a framework arrangement, there is no obligation on the part of the buyer to use the goods / services specified.

Explanation

In English law, implied terms exist, even if you can't see them in the contract documents. They commonly derive from statute. An example is the Sale of Goods Act.

Explanation

Other customer data.

It would, I think, be very unusual for a contract manager to feel it appropriate to ask for information from a supplier representative about other customers. Business partners normally want their dealings to be private. However, in informal discussions, in the normal course of conversation, information is often transferred in a benign manner.

Explanation

When a company's goals, resources, plans are aligned we should hope for better performance. And when the employee's values are also aligned, it just gets better.

Explanation

Contract price adjustment.

A contract may contain a contract price adjustment clause if the parties feel that costs may move significantly over the contract period. For example, in respect of commodities, metals, currencies or even sometimes, labour. Normally reference would be made to an index or indices which would help determine the direction and extent of adjustment in a minimally controversial way. An example of a widely-used index / formula in the UK is the BEAMA formula.

Explanation

It's a retrospective rebate, and can be a highly significant way of (often hidden) discounting for many businesses - sometimes a 'life-saver'. Something to think about in an open book costing situa-tion - are there rebates to suppliers which are 'forgotten' in discussions?

Explanation

Milestone plan.

This is difficult, and if you opted for 'staged', that is understandable. 'Milestone' or 'gateway' are terms often used to describe a situation in which a particular point must be reached on a project, pri-or to release of funds. By this means, a close linkage can be made between outputs achieved and payments made. The idea of stages goes towards this, and 'progress payments' ie payment based on alleged progress or simply time, have been shown in many cases, to be ineffective in achieving value for money.