Curious about Actual CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply (L4M7) Exam Questions?

Correct : A

Obsolescent stock is stock, usually finished goods, which is in good condition and satisfactory working but for which demand is irreversibly falling towards zero. Once this demand reaches zero the stock can be considered 'obsolete'. It cannot be used or sold in its current state. Food ingredients (like candy canes) which are out of date are another example.

LO 2, AC 2.1

Correct : D

Maintenance can represent a significant portion of the cost in asset intensive organisations (such as Sidel - a food processor), as breakdowns have an impact on the capacity, quality and cost of operation. However, the formulation of a maintenance strategy depends on a number of factors, including the cost of down time, reliability characteristics and redundancy of assets. Consequently, the balance between preventive maintenance (PM) and corrective maintenance (CM) for minimising costs varies between organisations and assets. Nevertheless, there are some rules of thumb on the balance between PM and CM, such as the 80/20 rule.

Preventive maintenance is a type of proactive maintenance, while corrective maintenance is an example of reactive maintenance. Therefore, the answer should be 'Balance between proactive maintenance and reactive maintenance'.

- Preventive and corrective maintenance -- cost comparison and cost--benefit analysis

- CIPS study guide page 158-163

LO 3, AC 3.1

Correct : B

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, also known as the Harmonized System (HS) of tariff nomenclature is an internationally standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products. It came into effect in 1988 and has since been developed and maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO) (formerly the Customs Co-operation Council), an independent intergovernmental organization based in Brussels, Belgium, with over 200 member countries.

The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is an identifier for trade items, developed by GS1. Such identifiers are used to look up product information in a database (often by entering the number through a barcode scanner pointed at an actual product) which may belong to a retailer, manufacturer, collector, researcher, or other entity.

The Global Location Number can be used by companies to identify their locations, giving them complete flexibility to identify any type or level of location required.

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a number, usually unique, to identify 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones.

LO 1, AC 1.2

Correct : B

Direct and indirect costs of holding inventory include the following:

1. Acquisition costs

2. Holding costs (carrying costs) are the costs associated with the storage and handling of physical stock. There are two different types of holding costs:

a. Costs related to the value of the goods: financial costs (i.e. the interest on the working capital tied up in inventory, which may be the bank borrowing rate or the company's target for return on capital); cost of insurance; losses due to product deterioration; losses due to obsolescence and redundancy of inventory; losses due to theft, accidental damage etc.

b. Costs related to the physical characteristics of the inventory include the following: storage space; power, heat and lighting of the store; movement equipment; labour costs; administration costs.

3. Costs of stockouts

LO 2, AC 2.2

Correct : D

In management accounting, reorder level (or reorder point) is the inventory level at which a com-pany would place a new order or start a new manufacturing run.

Reorder level depends on a company's work-order lead time and its demand during that time and whether the company maintain a safety stock.

If a company maintains a safety stock, reorder level calculation changes are follows:

Reorder Level = Average Demand Lead Time + Safety Stock

LO 2, AC 2.3