L3M1 Procurement and Supply Environments Questions and Answers

Explanation

All of these.

Explanation

In the not-for-profit sector, funding often comes from external sources or donors. The beneficiaries of the services are often beneficiaries of services because they don't have funds eg the homeless, the poor, the sick, etc

Thus in this sector, the 'paymaster' is often separated from the recipient of services provided, which has implications for the management of such organisations.

Which is the priority? The one providing funding; or the one receiving the services?

Explanation

Pre-qualification QUESTION NO:naire is the correct answer.

A supplier quotation comes from the supplier side; both the RFQ and the ITT are intended to be more formally binding, including the price element, than what is described here.

Explanation

This should be an easy QUESTION NO:. The definition describes nicely one possible form of cost-based price. It is important to try to be able to distinguish cost from price.

The 'target cost incentive' method of pricing might have been tempting as an answer, since the defi-nition shown mentions cost, but it mentions neither target nor incentive, and can therefore be ruled out.

And whole life cost is a different concept altogether.

Explanation

'Retention' - from the word 'retain', meaning to 'keep in place', 'hold back', 'keep possession of' something (Concise Oxford Dictionary, fifth edition) . In this case, 5% of the contract price.

Explanation

It is an economy in which the public and private sectors work together. This is now the norm in most countries, with private sector involvement to a greater or lesser extent. In North Korea there is a (rare example of a) planned economy, and in the United States there is a heavily market-led (pri-vate sector) economy.

Explanation

This is true.

A limited company has its own legal identity.

(Your syllabus makes reference to 'unincorporated companies'. This is something of a contradiction - the term 'company' implies incorporation. Although I have not been permitted to see your actual ex-am QUESTION NO:s, it seems unlikely that you will be QUESTION NO:ed on this particular point).

Explanation

Equilibrium price as demand and supply are perfectly balanced.

Equivalium is a made-up word. When I was studying for my MCIPS back in the 1980's it was a re-quirement to undertake a research study. My research was into the monopolistic supply of valium and librium to the UK's National Health Service by a Swiss company called Hofmann la Roche. That research endeared me neither to branded drugs, nor, possibly unfairly, to multinationals.

The likely choice of answers for people who don't know the correct answer is probably between 'equilibrium' and 'clearing'. Clearing would be a logical choice, but it's not the one your assessor re-quires.

Explanation

This is a practice associated with some very close commercial relationships, in which each party has a high level of trust with the other.

'Open book costing' would be the seller revealing its costs to the buyer, without reciprocation.

Explanation

The base rate is often used as a basis for the calculation of other rates, some of which eg credit card repayment rates, bear no resemblance to the base rate. Some longer-term, perhaps more responsible, lending, uses changes in the base rate to determine a repayment rate for debt egmortgage rates. For credit card repayment rates and for late payments in business contracts there is often a considerable amount of freedom to agree relevant rates, but government is often encouraged to influence to try to ensure some level of sanity.

The answer which references procurement of a new 'instrument' is an attempt at humour, 'base' be-ing a type of guitar.

Explanation

One of the best ways to combat maverick buying is for procurement to be seen to be doing a good job, reducing the justification in colleagues' minds for going outside the system.

The other terms shown in the answers are simply made up to create the question.

This is your final question in this practice exam - good luck in the real exam!

Explanation

This is true. In my view, 'Industry Structure Analysis' is a better term, not only because that is what Michael Porter originally called it, but because it better describes what the model is about. For ex-ample, it reminds us that the model is not about a single firm, but it is about an entire industry, and the structure around that industry.

Explanation

The only one of these four which fits the bill is 'purchase order'.

The supplier quotation and the invoice both come from the supply side.

The requisition is an internal document.

Explanation

All answers are correct. Each of these areas can create safety hazards for people in the workplace, and so in many countries government legislation has been passed to make these topics subject to regulation.

For example, within the UK, it is mandatory for employers to provide compulsory training for em-ployees who may be involved in lifting heavy items, and there are limits placed on the weight which can be handled by any one person. In many cases, mechanised lifting equipment is used to aid or replace humans.

Explanation

The GRN, invoice and PO should all match to enable payment to occur.

The BoM will help calculate the extent of the requirement, prior to the PO being issued.

An SLA will help ensure adequate and contractual delivery of any services required.

Explanation

It's a supplier quotation.

Both the RFQ and the PQQ (sometimes known as 'SQ') are issued by the buying side, not the sell-ing side.

A commercial invoice doesn't tell you what the price 'would be' - it tells you what is owed after the event (usually - an exception being with prepayment in mind; or a 'proforma invoice' which is issued in some circumstances, especially internationally).

Explanation

The Act was introduced in 2010. Although this is a UK-centric QUESTION NO:, it is valid for several rea-sons. Firstly, the UK was one of the first countries to introduce such a wide-ranging Act; secondly the Act is so wide-ranging that all UK managers need to be familiar with it. People who live and work outside the UK may wish to familiarise themselves with the content of the Act to have an idea of what the impact of such legislation might be like.

Interestingly, in the UK, the Act has seldom been used 'in anger'.

Explanation

Sources of funds for private sector commonly include revenues from sales, shareholders and long-term loans. Taxpayers would not normally be thought of as a source of funds for private sector, alt-hough in recent Coronavirus times, in some countries, such as the UK, businesses have received considerable support. But that is abnormal.

Short-term sources such as overdrafts are not to be relied upon on a regular or long-term basis.

Explanation

All except the self-employed tutor have a social arrangement with collective goals, and controls on performance.

The self-employed tutor may have a goal, but it is not collective; is not part of a(n internal) social arrangement and controls on performance may be entirely in their own hands, or perhaps even ab-sent altogether.

Explanation

This is a broad group of people deriving income from employment, including some skilled people through to unskilled.

A, B and C1 would be those people often referred to as upper middle class or upper class; whereas E would describe a broad group of the poor, the unemployed, etc.

These are rough generalisations regarding people's likelihood of income, taste, lifestyle, etc. To take an extreme example, there is probably not much point in trying to market Dom Perignon (an expen-sive brand of champagne) to the E group. But the E group might welcome promotion of a low-cost brand of tobacco or cigarettes.

Explanation

To gain market share and to create shareholder value (increase the value of shares) are common aims of private sector organisations.

The other two answers are the antithesis of what firms usually want.

Explanation

This is the standard definition, widely used, and given in your textbook.

Explanation

The correct answer, covering all of these, is 'economic'.

'Political' could also be considered, but 'economic' covers them all.

The other two answers suggested are not really relevant.

Explanation

This a definition of liquidated damages. Calculated in advance of the event occurring ie pre-contract and thus agreed by the parties in advance. Meaningful advance calculations (estimates) must be available to enforce legally.

The term and the spirit of 'penalty clause' is discouraged in English law - damages should be aimed at returning the damaged party back into the position they would have been in, had a wrong not been done.

Unliquidated damages can only be awarded by a court after the event, and should not be relied up-on.

An example of a quantum meruit award can be found in the British Steel v Cleveland Bridge (1984) case - a rare occurrence, and again something which must not be relied upon.