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CIPS L4M2 (Defining Business Needs) Certification Exam covers a wide range of topics related to business analysis, including the identification of business needs, the development of business cases, the analysis of business requirements, and the creation of solutions that meet these requirements. Defining Business Needs certification exam is designed to ensure that individuals who pass it have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a career in business analysis or project management.
NEW QUESTION # 81
Which of the following can cause overhead variance? Select TWO that apply:
- A. Spike in material price
- B. Decrease in production volume
- C. Spike in monthly leasing fee
- D. Rising production worker's wage rate per hour
- E. Decreasing packaging costs
Answer: B,C
Explanation:
Overhead variances arise when the actual overhead costs incurred differ from the expected amounts. Managers want to understand the reasons for these differences, and so should consider computing one or more of the overhead variances described below. Each of these variances applies to a different aspect of overhead expenditures. It is not necessary to calculate these variances when a manager cannot influence their outcome.
Fixed Overhead Spending Variance
The fixed overhead spending variance is the difference between the actual fixed overhead expense incurred and the budgeted fixed overhead expense. An unfavorable variance means that actual fixed overhead expenses were greater than anticipated. The formula for this variance is:
Actual fixed overhead - Budgeted fixed overhead = Fixed overhead spending variance The amount of expense related to fixed overhead should (as the name implies) be relatively fixed, and so the fixed overhead spending variance should not theoretically vary much from the budget.
Fixed Overhead Volume Variance
The fixed overhead volume variance is the difference between the amount of fixed overhead actually applied to produced goods based on production volume, and the amount that was budgeted to be applied to produced goods. For example, a company budgets for the allocation of $25,000 of fixed overhead costs to produced goods at the rate of $50 per unit produced, with the expectation that 500 units will be produced. However, the actual number of units produced is 600, so a total of $30,000 of fixed overhead costs are allocated. This creates a fixed overhead volume variance of $5,000.
Variable Overhead Efficiency Variance
The variable overhead efficiency variance is the difference between the actual and budgeted hours worked, which are then applied to the standard variable overhead rate per hour. The formula is:
Standard overhead rate x (Actual hours - Standard hours)
= Variable overhead efficiency variance
A favorable variance means that the actual hours worked were less than the budgeted hours, resulting in the application of the standard overhead rate across fewer hours, resulting in less expense being incurred. However, a favorable variance does not necessarily mean that a company has incurred less actual overhead, it simply means that there was an improvement in the allocation base what was used to apply overhead.
Variable Overhead Spending Variance
The variable overhead spending variance is the difference between the actual and budgeted rates of spending on variable overhead. The variance is used to focus attention on those overhead costs that vary from expectations. The formula is:
Actual hours worked x (Actual overhead rate - standard overhead rate)
= Variable overhead spending variance
A favorable variance means that the actual variable overhead expenses incurred per labor hour were less than expected.
In the study guide, CIPS splits overhead variance into volume and expenditure variance. They can be understood as variable and fixed overhead variance respectively.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 59
- What are overhead variances? - AccountingTools
LO 1, AC 1.4
NEW QUESTION # 82
A charity is reviewing their spend and budget after an operation in flooded areas. They realise that the operators save money against the budgeting plan. This saving is known as...?
- A. Negative variance
- B. Negative budget
- C. Positive budget
- D. Positive variance
Answer: A
Explanation:
The difference between the actual spend and budgeted spend is known as variance. The formula for variance is:
Variance = Actual spend - Budgeted spend
Variances can be adverse/unfavourable or favourable ie they can be positive or negative.
Be very careful with these terms. A positive or a negative variance may be favourable or it may be adverse/ unfavourable.
Adverse variances
Adverse variances are those variances that are unfavourable to the firm. Examples would be sales below plan; costs above budget, cash receipts lower than expected, and overtime payment more than forecast.
Favourable variances
Favourable variances are those variances that are beneficial to the business. Examples would be sales ahead of plan, costs below budget, and wages below forecast.
Positive variance
A positive variance occurs where 'actual' exceeds 'planned' or 'budgeted' value. Examples might be actual sales are ahead of the budget.
Negative variance
A negative variance occurs where 'actual' is less than 'planned' or 'budgeted' value. Examples would be when the raw materials cost less than expected, sales were less than predicted, and labour costs were below the budgeted figure.
When the operators create saving, it means that the Actual spend is less than Budgeted spend. Therefore the variance is negative.
Reference:
- Variance analysis
- CIPS study guide page 57-59
LO 1, AC 1.4
NEW QUESTION # 83
A procurement manager is requested to source a major component. She needs information on sup-pliers' direct and indirect cost, fixed and variable costs to prepare for negotiations. Therefore, she collects 17 annual reports from potential suppliers who are competing in the same industry. In order to estimate an approximate value of fixed and variable costs in that industry, which of the following technique should be adopted by the procurement manager?
- A. Variance calculation
- B. Line of best fit
- C. Open-book costing
- D. Total cost of ownership
Answer: B
Explanation:
Public annual reports can be a source of information that helps the procurement professional to analyse an industry's cost and revenue using the line of best fit. Line of best fit is one of the most important outputs of regression analysis. Regression refers to a quantitative measure of the relationship between one or more independent variables and a resulting dependent variable. Regression is of use to professionals in a wide range of fields from science and public service to financial analysis.
In this case, by collecting and analysing 17 annual reports, the procurement manager can find the line of best fit which goes approximately through the middle of the data points with an equal num-ber of data points above and below it.
The slope of the line of best fit is the approximate variable costs the industry. The easiest way to calculate it is to take a point at the right-hand end of the line of best fit and note its cost and output levels. Divide the cost by the output and this gives and approximate figure for the cost per unit of output or variable cost. This gives an approximate value for the industry fixed and variable costs.
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.3
NEW QUESTION # 84
Which of the following sources of information are considered as primary data? Select TWO that apply.
- A. The information about specific market sectors from trade associations
- B. RFI
- C. Commercial publishers of market reports
- D. Reports in business magazines
- E. The collection of data from surveying customers
Answer: B,E
Explanation:
The aim of this question is to check students' understanding of different types of data. There are 2 types of data:
- Primary data is the collection of original or raw data which are generated from field research. In this case, only RFI and surveys from customers are considered as primary data.
- On the other hand, secondary data is public information that has been collected by others. It is typically free or inexpensive to obtain and can act as a strong foundation to any research project - provided you know where to find it and how to judge its worth and relevance. Examples of secondary data are government statistics, industry associations, trade publications, published market reports, etc.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.2
NEW QUESTION # 85
Which kind of these following costs belong to fixed costs? Select TWO that apply.
- A. The packaging and distribution costs
- B. The depreciation of capital inputs
- C. The annual income tax charged by local authorities
- D. The costs of leasing or purchasing capital equipment
- E. Energy consumption in manufacturing
Answer: B,D
Explanation:
Based on variability, the costs has been classified into three categories, they are fixed, variable and semi variable. Fixed costs, as its name suggests, is fixed in total i.e. irrespective of the number of output produced. Variable costs vary with the number of output produced. Semi-variable is the type of costs, which have the characteristics of both fixed costs and variable costs (Source: Key Differences).
Among above costs, leasing and depreciation are relatively static and do not change if volume of business activities increase or reduce.
Packaging, utilities and annual business rate (tax) are variable costs.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.2
NEW QUESTION # 86
In 2016, ANA Airlines had to cancel some of its flight. The airline said it had discovered the cracks to the jet engine turbine blades. What should ANA procurement team do next to solve this problem?
- A. Define the ideal solution
- B. Assess the risks
- C. Analyse the situation and draw conclusion
- D. Generate options addressing the issue
- E. Collect data to identify the root cause
Answer: E
Explanation:
Cracks on the jet engine is a closed-end problem. A typical problem solving process has 8 steps:
Step 1: Define the Problem
- What is the problem?
- How did you discover the problem?
- When did the problem start and how long has this problem been going on?
- Is there enough data available to contain the problem and prevent it from getting passed to the next process step? If yes, contain the problem.
Step 2: Clarify the Problem
- What data is available or needed to help clarify, or fully understand the problem?
- Is it a top priority to resolve the problem at this point in time?
- Are additional resources required to clarify the problem? If yes, elevate the problem to your leader to help locate the right resources and form a team.
- Consider a Lean Event (Do-it, Burst, RPI, Project).
- Ensure the problem is contained and does not get passed to the next process step.
Step 3: Define the Goals
- What is your end goal or desired future state?
- What will you accomplish if you fix this problem?
- What is the desired timeline for solving this problem?
Step 4: Identify Root Cause of the Problem
- Identify possible causes of the problem.
- Prioritize possible root causes of the problem.
- What information or data is there to validate the root cause?
Step 5: Develop Action Plan
- Generate a list of actions required to address the root cause and prevent problem from getting to others.
- Assign an owner and timeline to each action.
- Status actions to ensure completion.
Step 6: Execute Action Plan
- Implement action plan to address the root cause.
- Verify actions are completed.
Step 7: Evaluate the Results
- Monitor and Collect Data.
- Did you meet your goals defined in step 3? If not, repeate th 8-Step Process.
- Were there any unforeseen consequences?
- If problem is resolved, remove activities that were added previously to contain the problem.
Step 8: Continuously Improve
- Look for additional opportunities to implement solution.
- Ensure problem will not come back and communicate lessons learned.
- If needed, repeat the 8-Step Problem Solving Process to drive further improvements.
ANA has already known what is going on, the next step they should adopt is collecting more infor-mation on the problem. If the airline is hurry to the solution, it may choose 'Generate options ad-dressing the issue'. The crack on turbine blade can be welded, or the airline replaces a new blade. However, jumping to solution without knowing the root cause does not completely solve the prob-lem. The root cause is unaddressed, then it may occur in the future. Therefore, the airline should still collect information to find the root cause, then remove it.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.1
NEW QUESTION # 87
Interserve is a construction contractor in UK. When receiving a huge and complex project, Inter-serve's procurement manager assesses the risks by quantifying them and recommends other stake-holders to plan mitigating actions. Is the procurement manager's action justified?
- A. No, because embedding the risk into pricing will decrease the company's competitiveness
- B. No, because no risks can be quantified, therefore the procurement manager's action is impossible.
- C. Yes, because procurement manager needs to assess the risks to prioritise and mitigate any potential risks
- D. Yes, because all the risks should be quantified and eliminated completely before they happen
Answer: C
Explanation:
Assessing the risks by quantifying them should be done. Even with qualitative risk assessment, quantifying is still important since risks need to be prioritised.
Risk assessment can be qualitative or quantitative. Perform qualitative and perform quantitative risk analysis are two processes within the project risk management knowledge area, in the planning process group. While qualitative risk analysis should generally be performed on all risks, for all projects, quantitative risk analysis has a more limited use, based on the type of project, the project risks, and the availability of data to use to conduct the quantitative analysis.
Qualitative Risk Analysis
A qualitative risk analysis prioritises the identified project risks using a pre-defined rating scale. Risks will be scored based on their probability or likelihood of occurring and the impact on project objectives should they occur.
Probability/likelihood is commonly ranked on a zero to one scale (for example, .3 equating to a 30% probability of the risk event occurring).
The impact scale is organizationally defined (for example, a one to five scale, with five being the highest impact on project objectives - such as budget, schedule, or quality).
A qualitative risk analysis will also include the appropriate categorization of the risks, either source-based or effect-based.
Quantitative Risk Analysis
A quantitative risk analysis is a further analysis of the highest priority risks during a which a numerical or quantitative rating is assigned in order to develop a probabilistic analysis of the project.
A quantitative analysis:
- Quantifies the possible outcomes for the project and assesses the probability of achieving specific project objectives
- Provides a quantitative approach to making decisions when there is uncertainty
- Creates realistic and achievable cost, schedule or scope targets
In order to conduct a quantitative risk analysis, you will need high-quality data, a well-developed project model, and a prioritized lists of project risks (usually from performing a qualitative risk analysis).
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.3
NEW QUESTION # 88
Which of the following is an advantage of competitive benchmarking over other types of bench-marking?
- A. Similarity among processes
- B. Cost effectiveness
- C. Different corporate culture
- D. Limited access to competitor's data
Answer: A
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 # 89
A procurement team is categorising their purchased items into four quadrants of Kraljic's supply chain portfolio matrix. They realise that there are some low-value items which come from very few suppliers in the market. The organisation is critically dependent on these suppliers. The team plans to reduce the dependence by finding alternative sources. Is this a right course of action?
- A. No, the organisation should run competitive biddings to exploit the competition
- B. Yes, this action will dramatically increase the supplier's bargaining power
- C. No, there is no way to escape this dependency
- D. Yes, the organisation needs to reduce the supply risks
Answer: D
Explanation:
According to Kraljic portfolio matrix, the low-value items with high supply risk are bottleneck items.
The purchasing strategy that is commonly recommended for these products is primarily based on acceptance of the dependence and reduction of the negative effects of the unfavourable position. An alternative strategy suggested by purchasing practitioners is to find other suppliers and move towards the non-critical quadrant.
- Accept dependence, reduce negative consequences: The main focus of this strategy is to assure supply, if necessary even at additional cost. Examples of this strategy are keeping extra stocks of the materials concerned or developing consigned stock agreements with suppliers. By performing a risk analysis firms can identify the most important bottleneck products and consider the implications. A possible action for dealing with unexpected bad dependence positions for certain products is to employ contingency planning.
- Reduce dependence and risk, find other solutions: This strategy is geared towards reducing the dependence on the supplier. The most common way to achieve this is to broaden the specifications of the product or to search for new suppliers.
The procurement team in the scenario has selected reducing dependency by finding alternatives. This is a right strategy for bottleneck item.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 82-84
- Purchasing strategies in the Kraljic matrix-A power and dependence perspective, Marjolein C.J. Caniels, Cees J. Gelderman LO 2, AC 2.1
NEW QUESTION # 90
Synergy Ltd is a fast-growing tool and hardware retailer. The company's customer services team has been using Excel worksheets to manage customer relationships. When the company is expend-ing its market presence, this way of working leads to poorer customer services as the database is scattered around in spreadsheet, leading to patchy and inconsistent conversations with customers. The company decides to purchase a CRM system. What requirement should Synergy's procurement team take into account in the specification for CRM system?
- A. The form and reference number of the purchase order
- B. The ability to import bulk data from Excel spreadsheets
- C. The relative size of the potential suppliers to Synergy
- D. Total number of the supplier's employees
Answer: B
Explanation:
The purpose of this Question:
to actionable requirements before communicating with the suppliers. The scenario suggests that Synergy Ltd's customer services team is using Excel spreadsheets, they lack a centralised customer database. This leads to problems in communications with customers.
A CRM system can solve the communication problem. But a Question: 100
will the previous data be imported? If the CRM system can support bulk import from Excel tables, it will save a lot of time.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.1
NEW QUESTION # 91
Datong is a defence and law enforcement equipment supplier. They are developing new product but largely concerns about the detailed specifications of components and the capability of supply market. Which of the following approach should Datong adopt in order to optimise the specification and shorten time to market?
- A. Request for quotation from potential suppliers
- B. Early supplier involvement
- C. Invite the supplier to tendering process
- D. Control the budget tightly
Answer: B
Explanation:
To improve production process and reduce supply risk, Datong should collaborate with suppliers early in procurement cycle. Collaborating with suppliers in this way is often referred as Early Supplier Involvement (ESI)
'Request for quotation from potential suppliers': Quotations should only be requested if the buyer know exactly what they need. In this scenario, Datong is not yet sure about the specifications of product's components, request for quotation is not a good idea.
'Mapping out business plan': A business plan, as defined by Entrepreneur, is a "written document describing the nature of the business, the sales and marketing strategy, and the financial back-ground, and containing a projected profit and loss statement." A business plan is not appropriate with improving production process and reducing supply risk.
'Budget controlling': Budget controlling largely concerns with dealing with budget variances. Tighter budget alone cannot lead to improved processes and fewer risks.
LO 3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 92
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. Both price and quantity variances
- B. Quantity variance
- C. Inflation
- D. Price variance
Answer: D
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 # 93
GSC Ltd is a manufacturer of car parts. To accommodate growing demands of electric cars, the company is developing a new component which requires different type of steel. The project team estimates that the component will be ready for production in 1.5 years. Until then, they need to keep the production busy.
After checking the inventory records, the production team sees that the company has 3 months of stock. The lead time for each batch is two months. Which of the following should be a priority ac-tion of the company?
- A. Create new specification to current supplier
- B. Standardise the specification
- C. Make a call-off order to current supplier
- D. Create new specification to new supplier
Answer: C
Explanation:
The scenario is very long with many distracting data. Students need to read carefully and use their experience to solve this problem.
The company is developing a new component which requires different type of material. But this component will not be available for mass production in 1.5 years. This means the company still needs to produce the current components with current materials until the development is finished. They must continue purchase the materials from current supplier through call-off orders. This situation is an example of straight re-buy.
Reference:
LO 1, AC 1.1
NEW QUESTION # 94
Which of the following specific markets engage in creation, liquidation and change of ownership of stock?
- A. Agriculture
- B. Manufacturing
- C. Financial
- D. Retail
- E. Construction
Answer: C
Explanation:
According to Investopedia, the financial services sector provides financial services to people and corporations. This segment of the economy is made up of a variety of financial firms includ-ing banks, investment houses, lenders, finance companies, real estate brokers, and insurance com-panies. As noted above, the financial services industry is probably the most important sector of the economy, leading the world in terms of earnings and equity market capitalization. Large conglomerates dominate this sector, but it also includes a diverse range of smaller companies.
According to the finance and development department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), financial services are the processes by which consumers or businesses acquire financial goods. For example, a payment system provider offers a financial service when it accepts and transfers funds between payers and recipients. This includes accounts settled through credit and debit cards, checks, and electronic funds transfers.
Companies in the financial services industry manage money. For instance, a financial advi-sor manages assets and offers advice on behalf of a client. The advisor does not directly provide investments or any other product, rather, they facilitate the movement of funds between savers and the issuers of securities and other instruments. This service is a temporary task rather than a tangible asset.
Financial goods, on the other hand, are not tasks. They are things. A mortgage loan may seem like a service, but it's actually a product that lasts beyond the initial provision. Stocks, bonds, loans, commodity assets, real estate, and insurance policies are examples of financial goods.
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.1
NEW QUESTION # 95
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. 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 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 # 96
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 conformance specification will never be used
- C. Marketing ensures that procurement function doesn't involve in developing specification
- D. Marketing provides ideas on customer's taste and market trends
Answer: D
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 # 97
Which of the following may allow suppliers free to choose the materials, manufacturing process or delivery process?
- A. Performance specification
- B. Conformance specification
- C. Technical specifications
- D. Design specification
Answer: A
Explanation:
The Performance Specifications define what the system being designed must do, and not how it must do it. In this step a list of needs and wants should be created. The needs are customer requirements, while the wants are engineering desires. If a buyer adopts performance specification, the supplier will be free to choose how to make and deliver the product.
A technical specification document outlines how you're going to address a technical problem by designing and building a solution for it.
A design specification is a detailed document providing a list of points regarding a product or pro-cess. For example, the design specification could include required dimensions, environmental fac-tors, ergonomic factors, aesthetic factors, maintenance that will be needed, etc. It may also give specific examples of how the design should be executed, helping others work properly (a guideline for what the person should do).
With conformance specification the buyer says what they want and how they want it and the supplier has to meet this Reference:
LO3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 98
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. 10 years
- B. 4 years
- C. 3 years
- D. 5 years
Answer: D
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 # 99
Which of the following are typical benefits of through-life asset management to buying organisa-tion? Select the TWO that apply.
- A. Greater supplier's bargaining power
- B. Lower total cost of ownership
- C. Better capability of supplier over time
- D. Lower risks as there are many suppliers accountable for costs and service over the life of the asset
- E. Shorter specifications
Answer: B,C
Explanation:
According to Andrew Graves, "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." Benefits of through-life asset management can be:
- Lower total life-cycle costs
- Better match between the asset and end-user's needs
- Better supplier capabilities over time because it gains experience of buying organisation's needs.
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 100
What is the output of regression analysis?
- A. Line of best fit
- B. Dependent variables
- C. Forecasting process
- D. Independent variables
Answer: A
Explanation:
Regression refers to a quantitative measure of the relationship between one or more independent variables and a resulting dependent variable. Regression is of use to professionals in a wide range of fields from science and public service to financial analysis.
To perform a regression analysis, a statistician collects a set of data points, each including a com-plete set of dependent and independent variables. For example, the dependent variable could be a firm's stock price and the independent variables could be the Standard and Poor's 500 index and the national unemployment rate, assuming that the stock is not listed in the S&P 500. The sample set could be each of these three data sets for the past 20 years.
On a chart, these data points would appear as scatter plot, a set of points that may or may not appear to be organized along any line. If a linear pattern is apparent, it may be possible to sketch a line of best fit that minimizes the distance of those points from that line. If no organizing axis is visually apparent, regression analysis can generate a line based on the least squares method. This method builds the line which minimizes the squared distance of each point from the line of best fit.
Line of best fit is one of the most important outputs of regression analysis.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 99-100
- Line Of Best Fit (investopedia.com)
LO 2, AC 2.3
NEW QUESTION # 101
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