Most UptoDate CIPS L4M2 Exam Dumps PDF 2024
100% Free CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply L4M2 Dumps PDF Demo Cert Guide Cover
CIPS L4M2 exam is an advanced level certification, intended for professionals who are looking to enhance their career prospects and increase their earning potential. The qualification is highly respected throughout the industry, and is recognised by employers as a mark of excellence in procurement and supply chain management. L4M2 exam is designed to develop a range of skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, which are essential for success in the procurement profession.
Achieving the Defining Business Needs certification demonstrates a professional's commitment to developing their skills and knowledge in procurement and supply chain management. It also provides a benchmark for employers to evaluate the capabilities of their procurement and supply chain teams. By earning this certification, professionals can enhance their career prospects and contribute to the success of their organization.
NEW QUESTION # 42
XYZ Ltd is producing an engine which consists of many components. The procurement manager wants to find cost reduction opportunities and minimise part varieties. Which of the following may help her to achieve these objectives?
1. Value analysis
2. Segment analysis
3. Variety reduction
4. Standardisation
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 1 and 4 only
Answer: D
Explanation:
Value analysis is often defined as a systematic process for improving the value of a product, service or project. It is typically used in the following ways:
- To determine the value of each component used
- To find cost reduction opportunities by optimising the components used Segment analysis helps procurement and supply to shape and manage the supply markets.
There is no concept known as Variety reduction.
Standardisation is the process which is used to reduce varieties of products or parts.
In this scenario, the company's objective is cost reduction, then value analysis or value engineering is more likely to be applied. Also the company aims at reducing variety, standardisation can be combined with value analysis to produce the best results.
LO 3, AC 3.4
NEW QUESTION # 43
Buyers in the same industry with the same understanding of relative value and price may still make different decisions about whether to switch. Which of the following factors may prompt a buying organization to incline toward substitute products?
1. There is potential for backward integration
2. Access to financial resources
3. The switching cost is high
4. The substitute fits organisation's strategy
- A. 2 and 4 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 2 only
- D. 3 and 4 only
Answer: A
Explanation:
The threat of substitution is a function of three factors:
* The relative value/ price of a substitute compared to an industry's product
* The cost of switching to the substitute
* The buyer's propensity to switch
Buyers with different circumstances and in different industries do not all have equal propensities to substitute when faced with a comparable economic motivation. Differences in their circumstances lead buyers to respond to a given relative value to price (RVP) and switching cost differently. While such differences might be treated as factors that modify RVP or switching costs, it is more helpful in practice to isolate them.
Resources. Substitution often involves up-front investments of capital and other resources. Access to such resources will differ from one buyer to another.
Risk Profile. Buyers often have very different risk profiles, the result of such things as their past history, age and income, ownership structure, background and orientation of management, and nature of competition in their industry. Buyers prone to risk taking are more likely to substitute than buyers that are risk-averse.
Technological Orientation. Buyers experienced with technological change may be less concerned with some kinds of substitution risks, while extremely aware of others that a less technologically sophisticated buyer would be oblivious to.
Previous Substitutions. The second substitution may be easier for a buyer than the first, unless the first substitution has been a failure. The buyer's uncertainties over undertaking a substitution may have diminished if a past substitution has been successful, or risen if a past substitution has led to difficulties. In the soft drink industry, this seems to have worked to the benefit of aspartame.
Intensity of Rivalry. Buyers under intense competitive pressure and searching for competitive ad-vantage will tend to substitute more quickly to gain a given advantage than those that are not.
Generic Strategy. The RVP of a substitute will have different significance depending on the com-petitive advantage that industrial, commercial, or institutional buyers are seeking or the value of time and particular performance needs of the household buyer. A substitute that offers a cost saving will tend to be of more interest to a cost leader than a differentiator, for example.
Many of these factors that shape the buyer's propensity to substitute will be a function of the particular decision maker who is involved in the purchase decision.
Porter, Michael E.. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance (p. 278-289). Free Press. Kindle Edition.
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.2
NEW QUESTION # 44
Warwickshire Ambulance Service (WAS) is an NHS Trust. It operates throughout Warwickshire and the neighbouring areas. It has three core areas of activity, namely the provision of Emergency Ambulance Services, routine Patient Transport Services, and Logistic Medical Services. The agency is working towards higher service level through benchmarking. Which of the following is the benefit of benchmarking to WAS?
- A. Benchmarking is a panacea for all WAS's problems
- B. It will help WAS analyse the competitors in the industry
- C. It helps WAS identify better ways to deliver service through a cookbook process
- D. It will help WAS create performance standards derived from an analysis of the best in business
Answer: D
Explanation:
Benchmarking is 'the pursuit by organisations of enhanced performance by learning from the suc-cessful practices of others. Benchmarking is a continuous activity; key internal processes are adjusted, performance is monitored, new comparisons are made with the current best performers and further changes are explored. Where information about these key processes is obtained through a co-operative partnership with specific organisations (rather than via a third party such as an independently-maintained database), there is an expectation of mutual benefit over a period of time.
Reference:
- The Department of Navy Benchmarking Handbook: A system view
- CIPS study guide page 49-51
LO 1, AC 1.3
NEW QUESTION # 45
Apple's CPO is planning a budget for purchasing carbon-free aluminium next year. There are 27.4 tonnes of aluminum in stock, while Apple will need 200 tonnes for production next year and double inventory for production in the following year. How much aluminum will Apple need to purchase in next year?
- A. 172.6 tonnes
- B. 282.2 tonnes
- C. 227.4 tonnes
- D. 117.8 tonnes
Answer: C
Explanation:
The quantity of aluminium Apple needs to buy is calculated as follows:
Quantity needed for production + the inventory needed at the end of the year - inventory at start of the year That formula is quantified as: 200 + 54.8 - 27.4 = 227.4 Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.3
NEW QUESTION # 46
Which of the following are typical environmental considerations throughout the contract life cycle? Select the TWO that apply.
- A. Waste management
- B. Modern slavery
- C. Inequality
- D. Pollution control
- E. Health and safety
Answer: A,D
Explanation:
All procurement has some level of impact on the environment that needs to be minimised to ensure sustainable procurement practices.
The greatest opportunity to influence environmental outcomes is by selecting products and services with the least ongoing environmental impacts, such as use of water, electricity and fuel, waste/disposal management, and impact on human health over the life of the product or service.
Lifecycle stages that impact on the environment:
Most goods and services will have an element of environment impact in a number of areas. The five main impact areas are listed in the following table.
Source: Buying for Victoria
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 47
The position of a product in its life cycle can affect the price that suppliers set. Is this statement correct?
- A. Yes, each stage in product life cycle requires different levels of investment in promotion and distribution
- B. Yes, it is always the only factor determining the price
- C. No, in market economy, the state decides the price of all goods and services
- D. No, customer's perception of value is the ultimate determinant of the suppliers' price
Answer: A
Explanation:
A firm also has to look at a myriad of other factors before setting its prices. Those factors include the offering's costs, the demand, the customers whose needs it is designed to meet, the external environment-such as the competition, the economy, and government regulations-and other aspects of the marketing mix, such as the nature of the offering, the current stage of its product life cycle, and its promotion and distribution. If a company plans to sell its products or services in international markets, research on the factors for each market must be analyzed before setting prices. Organizations must understand buyers, competitors, the economic conditions, and political regulations in other markets before they can compete successfully.
[...]
The costs of the product-its inputs-including the amount spent on product development, testing, and packaging required have to be taken into account when a pricing decision is made. So do the costs related to promotion and distribution. For example, when a new offering is launched, its promotion costs can be very high because people need to be made aware that it exists. Thus, the offering's stage in the product life cycle can affect its price.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 90-91
- 15.2 Factors That Affect Pricing Decisions - Principles of Marketing (umn.edu) LO 2, AC 2.2
NEW QUESTION # 48
What is the contribution of marketing function to the development of specification?
- A. Marketing consults on technical requirements of the product
- B. Marketing ensures that procurement function doesn't involve in developing specification
- C. Marketing provides ideas on customer's taste and market trends
- D. Marketing ensures that conformance specification will never be used
Answer: C
Explanation:
Marketing plays a critical role in sales. The marketing department introduces products to the con-sumer, and creates strategic messaging that elevates appeal and ultimately drives sales. The feed-back and response from consumers is measured by the marketing team on a variety of levels. Ad-vertising is one means of seeing what performs and what does not perform. Marketers will note trends and demand in their specific markets. This plays into new product development, because the marketing team can work with product developers to create products based on that demand.
In development of specification, the role of marketing is largely the same. They provide the market insight so that right specification is developed and it matches the demands from customers.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 173-175
- Role of Marketing Management in New Product Development (chron.com)
LO 3, AC 3.4
NEW QUESTION # 49
Product development consists of various stages, including planning and analysis, design develop-ment, pre-production, production and maintenance. At which stages the opportunities for cost re-duction will be the greatest?
1. Planning stage
2. Pre-design stage
3. Detail design stage
4. Production stage
5. Logistics support stage
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 2 and 5 only
Answer: A
Explanation:
Writing a specification and then procuring and using the product or service has a number of stages. The further on in the process you are, the less potential there is for cost reductions. Therefore, opportunities for cost reduction will be greatest in the two first stages: planning stage and pre-design stage.
LO 3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 50
When a procurement manager considers a substitution, the number and nature of additional func-tions that substitute provides should be taken into account carefully. Which of the following ratio could help the procurement manager to make the right decision?
- A. Price to book value ratio
- B. Value to price ratio
- C. Price to Earnings ratio
- D. Reserve requirement ratio
Answer: B
Explanation:
One product substitutes for another if it offers buyers an inducement to switch that exceeds the cost or overcomes the resistance to doing so. A substitute offers an inducement to switch if the substitute provides the buyer with more value relative to its price than the product currently being used. There is always some cost of switching to a substitute because of the disruption and potential reconfiguration of buyer activities that must result, however. The threat of a substitute will vary depending on the size of the inducement relative to the required switching costs.
In addition to relative value to price and switching cost, the pattern of substitution is influenced by what I term the buyer's propensity to switch. Faced with equivalent economic inducements for substitution, different buyers will often evaluate substitution differently. The threat of substitution, then, is a function of three factors:
* The relative value/ price of a substitute compared to an industry's product
* The cost of switching to the substitute
* The buyer's propensity to switch
Porter, Michael E.. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance (p. 278). Free Press. Kindle Edition.
The price-to-book ratio compares a company's market value to its book value. The market value of a company is its share price multiplied by the number of outstanding shares. The book value is the net assets of a company.
The price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) is the ratio for valuing a company that measures its current share price relative to its earnings per share (EPS). The price-to-earnings ratio is also sometimes known as the price multiple or the earnings multiple.
The reserve ratio is the portion of reservable liabilities that commercial banks must hold onto, rather than lend out or invest. This is a requirement determined by the country's central bank, which in the United States is the Federal Reserve. It is also known as the cash reserve ratio.
LO 2, AC 2.2
NEW QUESTION # 51
Despite of better improvement rates than other types of benchmarking, functional benchmarking still has downsides. Which of the following is most likely to be a disadvantage of functional benchmarking?
- A. Difference of corporate cultures across companies
- B. Legal issues regarding intellectual property
- C. Unfair competition
- D. Benchmarking can only be undertaken within an industry
Answer: A
Explanation:
Functional benchmarking is a comparison to similar or identical practices (e.g., the picking process for assembling customer orders, maintaining inventory controls of spare computer parts, logistics to move operational forces, etc.) within the same or similar functions outside the immediate industry. Functional benchmarking might identify practices that are superior in your functional areas in whatever industry they may exist. Functional benchmarking would be accomplished at the federal level by comparing the IRS collections process against those of American Express. Comparing copper mining techniques to coal mining techniques is an example in the private sector.
Benefits
- Provides industry trend information
- Quantitative comparisons
- Better improvement rate
Challenges
- Diverse corporate cultures
- Great need for specificity
- Not invented here. syndrome
- Common functions can be difficult to find
- Takes more time than internal or percent
- Must be able to visualize how to adapt the best practices
Source: USN Benchmarking Handbook
LO 1, AC 1.3
NEW QUESTION # 52
Halfords is a major bicycle and car parts retailer with long history in the market. Its suppliers are plentiful and there is no threat of forward integration. Some other smaller retailers are applying 3D-printing technology to make personalized bicycle parts but their market share is relatively low. 3D-printing technology is an example of which competitive force?
- A. Threat of substitute
- B. Bargaining power of buyer
- C. Rivalry within the industry
- D. New entrants may enter the market
Answer: A
Explanation:
3D-printed parts can replace traditional metal parts. They are also more easily customised to fit customer's needs. This technology is an example of threat of substitute in Porter's Five Forces model.
Substitute goods or services that can be used in place of a company's products or services pose a threat. Companies that produce goods or services for which there are no close substitutes will have more power to increase prices and lock in favorable terms. When close substitutes are available, customers will have the option to forgo buying a company's product, and a company's power can be weakened.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 85-96
- Porter's 5 Forces Definition: Analyzing Businesses (investopedia.com) LO 2, AC 2.2
NEW QUESTION # 53
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. Reduce delivery cost
- B. Increase production
- C. Part standardisation
- D. Drive down prices by using market competition
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 # 54
Which of the following is an advantage of competitive benchmarking over other types of bench-marking?
- A. Cost effectiveness
- B. Similarity among processes
- C. Different corporate culture
- D. Limited access to competitor's data
Answer: B
Explanation:
Competitive benchmarking
Competitive benchmarking is a direct competitor-to-competitor comparison of a product, service, process, or method. This form of benchmarking provides an opportunity to know yourself and your competition better; combine forces against another common competitor. An example of competitive benchmarking within the Department of Defense, might include contrasting Army and Air Force supply systems for Joint initiatives. Within the private sector, two or more American car companies might benchmark for mutual benefit against common international competitor; or, rival chemical companies benchmark for environmental compliance.
Benefits
- Comparing like processes
- Know your competition better
- Possible partnership
- Useful for planning and setting goals
- Similar regulatory issues
Challenges
- Difficult legal issues
- Relatively low performance improvement
- Threatening
- Limited by trade secrets
- May provide misleading information
- May not get best-in-class comparisons
- Competitors could capitalize on your weaknesses
Source: USN Benchmarking Handbook
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.3
NEW QUESTION # 55
Andrew is responsible for procurement of capital assets at Lumber Ltd. He is devising new business case for the purchase of a new band saw. The purchase price of the saw is $50,000. Andrew estimates that the machine will generate $10,000 per year of net cash flow. What is the payback period of this band saw?
- A. 3 years
- B. 5 years
- C. 4 years
- D. 10 years
Answer: B
Explanation:
Payback period is the time in which the initial outlay of an investment is expected to be recovered through the cash inflows generated by the investment. It is one of the simplest investment apprais-al techniques.
Since cash flow estimates are quite accurate for periods in the near future and relatively inaccurate for periods in distant future due to economic and operational uncertainties, payback period is an indicator of risk inherent in a project because it takes initial inflows into account and ignores the cash flows after the point at which the initial investment is recovered.
The formula to calculate the payback period of an investment depends on whether the periodic cash inflows from the project are even or uneven.
If the cash inflows are even (such as for investments in annuities), the formula to calculate payback period is:
Payback Period = Initial Investment / Net Cash Flow per Period
When cash inflows are uneven, we need to calculate the cumulative net cash flow for each period and then use the following formula:
Payback Period =A + (B/C)
Where,
A is the last period number with a negative cumulative cash flow;
B is the absolute value (i.e. value without negative sign) of cumulative net cash flow at the end of the period A; and C is the total cash inflow during the period following period A Cumulative net cash flow is the sum of inflows to date, minus the initial outflow.
Reference:
- Payback Period | Formulas, Calculation & Examples (xplaind.com)
- CIPS study guide page 44-47
LO 1, AC 1.3
NEW QUESTION # 56
Aldar Properties is a property developer in UAE. In last month, it spent $2,160 for 10 tons of steel. In this month, it had planned 10% increment in budget for steel comparing to last month. But the number of orders boosted and total spend on steel reached $1,992.1 while Aldar has imported 11 tons. What is the main cost driver of steel budget?
- A. Price variance
- B. Inflation
- C. Both price and quantity variances
- D. Quantity variance
Answer: A
Explanation:
In this question, you have to calculate price variance and quantity variance.
Last month, 1 tonne of steel costed $216. This month, the price decreases to $181.1. Price variance = (P1 - P2)*Q2 = ($216-$181.1)*11 = $383.9 Quantity variance = (Q1-Q2)*P1 = -$216 Price variance is greater than quantity variance, therefore, price variance is the main cost driver.
LO 1, AC 1.4
NEW QUESTION # 57
Bob is a new procurement specialist at XYZ Ltd. He is assigned to categorise the company's sup-plies. After analysing, Bob realises that a group of low value products is sourced from a tiny geo-graphical area which is prone to flooding. What would be the best strategy to manage this category of products?
- A. Find an alternative source to secure supply
- B. Assign some of procurement jobs to user department
- C. Source this group of products from only one supplier
- D. Form partnership relationship with the current supplier
Answer: A
Explanation:
In the scenario, the products have low value and high risk of supply. This group is known as bottleneck or critical in Kraljic's portfolio matrix. The objective for such items would be securing the supply. The company can achieve this goal by 'making' the products themselves, or finding an alternative option.
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.1
NEW QUESTION # 58
When preparing through-life specification, which of the following requirements should procure-ment team define besides the physical asset? Select TWO that apply.
- A. Available substitute
- B. Logistics and installation
- C. Market analysis
- D. Objectives
- E. Customer service
Answer: B,E
Explanation:
Through-life Management involves the life-cycle management of the products, services and activities required to deliver a fully integrated capability to the customer, while reducing the cost of ownership for the customer.
Source: Andrew Graves
With through-life management, buyer not only cares about the physical asset but also other factors like customer services and maintenance.
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 59
......
The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) is a globally recognized professional body that provides training and certification in the field of procurement and supply chain management. One of the certifications offered by CIPS is the Level 4 Managing Procurement and Supply qualification. Within this qualification, one of the modules that professionals can take is Defining Business Needs (L4M2).
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