L4M6 Supplier Relationships Questions and Answers

The relationship reflects a partnership due to the strategic alignment, resource sharing, and focus on long-term growth, even without a formal contract. CIPS highlights that partnerships are based on trust and collaboration.

Partnerships emphasize mutual goals such as quality improvement and long-term collaboration, contrasting with adversarial relationships that focus on cost and short-term gains.

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘Reduced waste in the supply chain’ – this is not a risk, this is a benefit P.134

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

In the context of portfolio analysis, particularly using the Kraljic Matrix, procurement items are categorized based on their profit impact and supply risk.Strategic criticalitems are those with high profit impact and high supply risk. These items are vital to the organization's operations and often have limited suppliers, making them critical to secure.

For such items, developing apartnership relationshipis appropriate. This involves close collaboration, mutual trust, and long-term commitment between the buyer and supplier to ensure reliability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Partnerships require careful planning, including alignment of goals, stakeholder involvement, and clear expectations. Poor planning leads to unmet objectives and lack of value generation, as highlighted by CIPS.

Intense rivalry occurs when suppliers are equally balanced and face high barriers to exit, leading to aggressive competition to retain market share, as described in Porter’s Five Forces model.

Explanation

Barriers to entry are economies of scale (in the air travel industry you can't just start off small and grow), access to capital (you need to already have a lot of money to buy airplanes) and licences and permits (you need to ensure you have the correct licences to fly planes). These are listed on p.41. Other barriers include; strong brand identity already dominant in the market, high switching costs for buyers, access to distribution networks and government policy.

Explanation

This question is very, very similar to a real exam QUESTION NO: and is a really mean one. The CIPS study guide describes stages of team development as forming, storming, norming and performing. Of those listed in the book only forming is listed above. What the textbook fails to tell you is that some people add on two additional stages to this model which are mourning and adjourning. I strongly recommend doing some further reading on this (it’s called the Tuckman Group Development Model) as it comes up a lot in the exam and the study guide doesn’t really go into enough detail.

Explanation

The correct answers are information sharing and trust. Further qualitative KPIs are listed on p.102. Deliveries in full and on time would be a quantitative KPI and early supplier involvement is not a KPI at all.

Explanation

This is a threat of a new entrant. The competitor has now entered the washing machine market and is competing directly with you. This is not a threat of substitution as it is the same product. A substitution would be if they invented a new product that washed clothes and people started buying this instead of washing machines. There are many questions in the exam on Porter's 5 Forces - see p. 39

Drivers for partnership include a high spend with the supplier, criticality of the product, and technical complexity. These factors encourage collaboration for cost efficiency, quality improvement, and risk management. Partnerships are less likely when there are many suppliers or the product is a commodity, as competition and standardization reduce the need for close collaboration.

Buyers with a strong brand profile and adherence to ethical standards attract suppliers, as they provide market prestige and assurance of fair practices. This aligns with CIPS's emphasis on ethical procurement.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

A restricted market is characterized by high barriers to entry, often due to stringent government regulations and the need for substantial financial investment. These factors limit the number of new entrants, resulting in a market dominated by a few established suppliers. While existing suppliers may offer excellent services, the key defining features of a restricted market are the regulatory constraints and the significant capital required to compete.

Explanation

This would reduce inventory (holding stock). Inventory is considered a business waste because it costs money to store stuff (e.g. paying the rent on a warehouse, electricity to light it up etc). If you can reduce the need to store materials and components on site- you reduce costs. You also save time because you get deliveries when you need them- you don’t need to allow for staff unpacking things, storing them away, then going back to them later when they need them. For more information on the 7 Business Wastes see p.70. This comes up in a couple of modules, so it’s worth remembering.

Technological factors play a pivotal role in IT equipment supply chains. Advancements, obsolescence, and innovation significantly affect production, cost, and competitiveness, making it a primary focus in supply chain development.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Early Supplier Involvement (ESI) refers to the practice of involving suppliers early in the product development process to leverage their expertise and capabilities. Cross-organisational involvement entails collaboration across various departments within the organization, such as procurement, engineering, manufacturing, and R&D, to ensure the product design is feasible and efficient for production.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

By acquiring an Australian office furniture manufacturer, COFM can:

Access the Restricted Local Market:Acquisition allows COFM to operate as a local entity, thereby overcoming barriers to entry and benefiting from any local government support available to domestic manufacturers.

Improve Knowledge of the Local Market:The acquired company brings with it an understanding of local customer preferences, regulatory requirements, and market dynamics, which is invaluable for successful operations.

However, the acquisition does not remove government support for other local manufacturers, nor does it necessarily decrease competition.

In the context of the IT equipment industry,Technologicalfactors are paramount. The rapid pace of technological advancement influences product development, supply chain processes, and market competitiveness. Utilizing the STEEPLED framework, technological considerations would significantly impact the company's supply chain strategy.

As per the CIPS Intelligence Hub:

"STEEPLED analysis is a strategic planning methodology that can be used across all business functions to discover, evaluate, organise, and track external risk."

— CIPS Intelligence Hub: Using STEEPLED analysis to develop your supply chain

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘accommodating’. This QUESTION NO: is based on the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict model on p.87. This comes up quite a bit in the exam. It is comprised of 5 techniques for dealing with conflict; competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating. In this instance, the supplier should have a high degree of co-cooperativeness and a low degree of assertiveness as the long-term relationship is very important- more important than the outcome of the disputed invoice.

Explanation

The correct answer is Measurable, achievable and time-bound. This is from SMART KPIs on p. 151. Smart stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. In the exam they come up in different orders so be careful.

Explanation

Open Tender processes are a one-stage process which issues and ITT. It has no PQQ (selection) stage. P. 77

When contracts for services transfer between providers, TUPE regulations (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) apply in many jurisdictions. Employees retain their rights and continue employment under the new employer. Thus, employment rights are the key legal concern.

Explanation

Richie should do a Force Field Analysis – this is explained on p.86 and is an idea of Kurt Lewin – it identifies the driving forces for a project and the restraining forces (basically who will be for it and who will be against it). The textbook doesn’t go into much detail on this but there are questions on it in the exam- so have a quick google to familiarise yourself with Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis.

Explanation

Designing the specification is not a stage in the relationship cycle- this would be done before the relationship begins. There are 6 stages of the relationship cycle; on-boarding, qualification,segmentation and risk management, performance management, development and innovation, phase out. P.13

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Collaborative partnering relationships are characterized by high levels of trust, mutual objectives, shared information, and long-term commitment. Among the options provided:

Co-destiny: This represents the highest level of collaboration, where both parties' futures are closely linked, and decisions are made jointly for mutual benefit.

Strategic alliance: This involves a formal agreement between organizations to pursue shared objectives while remaining independent entities.

These relationship types are positioned on the collaborative end of the relationship spectrum, emphasizing joint efforts and shared success.

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘Building better relationships with primary stakeholders’. This is a direct quote from the start of chapter 2.2: ‘building better relationships with primary stakeholders such as employees, customers, suppliers and communities could lead to increased shareholder wealth by developing a competitive advantage’. The other three options wouldn’t give you a competitive advantage; increasing prices would do the opposite, engaging in market research won’t give you a competitive advantage unless you do something with that research such as implement a change to your business, and completing formal tenders for everything would be a waste of time and resources- there’s no need to tender for low value, low risk items. See p.80

Competitive dialogue is the most appropriate method for complex, high-value procurements where requirements cannot be fully defined at the outset. This process allows dialogue with shortlisted bidders to refine specifications and negotiate solutions before awarding. CIPS states that this procedure is particularly suited for projects requiring flexibility, multiple negotiation phases, and innovative input from suppliers.

Partnership sourcing is suitable for products that contribute to the buying organization's unique selling point (USP) and for critical products on which key customers depend. This approach ensures strategic alignment and mutual benefits for both parties, focusing on collaboration rather than cost alone.

Explanation

Carter's 10 Cs are a way to qualify (aka shortlist) a supplier. See p.11 for more details on this and p.10 for the stages of the relationship cycle.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Arestricted marketis characterized by:

High entry barriers: Significant capital investment, stringent regulatory requirements, or specialized knowledge needed to enter the market.

Limited profitability: Existing suppliers may operate on thin margins, deterring new entrants.

These factors result in a market with few competent and capable suppliers, limiting competition and options for buyers.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Effective contract termination involves addressing any breaches through agreed-upon remedies and compensation. This ensures that both parties are treated fairly and that any disputes are resolved in accordance with the contract terms.

Partnerships emphasize collaboration, shared risks, and mutual benefits. Unlike adversarial or transactional relationships, they focus on long-term goals and joint value creation.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Traditional contracting agreements are typically characterized by:

Short-Term Focus:These agreements often prioritize immediate needs over long-term collaboration.

Transactional Nature:Emphasis is on price and terms rather than building strategic partnerships.

Partnerships are built on trust and transparency, with shared benefits such as cost reductions and improved processes. Adversarial relationships, in contrast, focus on price and contractual obligations.

Explanation

The correct answer is 'arms length'. This is a tactical purchase (as it is low value) and keeping the supplier at arms-length means that Red Manufacturing could possibly exploit them to reduce their prices (think back to the Kraljic matrix and where Blue Business would likely fall). A Partnership or Single- Source relationship requires investment into the relationship, and as the products are low value and Red Manufacturing have a lot of other suppliers, they should not be investing time in developing that relationship with Blue Business. An adversarial relationship wouldn't be advantageous as it may lower the performance of the supplier. See the relationship spectrum on p.5 - this is a hot topic for the exam

Across-organisational teambrings together specialists from various departments—such as R&D, marketing, finance, and production—to collaborate on complex projects. This team structure enables diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and efficient decision-making, which are crucial when developing and launching new products. The CIPS L4M6 guide emphasizes the importance of integrated teamwork in achieving strategic outcomes in procurement and supply chain projects.

Explanation

Stationary is a routine item; it is ordered often (as Barry uses different suppliers), it is a low category spend, and low risk to the business' operations (a late delivery of pens isn't going to stop the company making its biscuits). There are lots of questions on Kraljic in the exam - do revise this topic and ensure you understand each of the four quadrants of the matrix (see p.20)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Partnerships between buyers and suppliers are often driven by:

High Spend:Significant expenditure justifies the investment in developing a closer relationship to achieve cost savings and efficiencies.

Critical Products:Items that are essential to the buyer's operations necessitate a reliable and collaborative supplier relationship.

Technical Complexity:Complex products benefit from joint development efforts, shared expertise, and coordinated problem-solving.

Conversely, commodities and markets with many suppliers typically lend themselves to transactional relationships rather than partnerships.

Contracts are normally terminated when their obligations have been fulfilled. Termination due to one late delivery or management changes would be unreasonable unless specified in the contract. Trading with other parties is common unless exclusivity clauses exist.

High expenditure levels and the complexity of requirements justify partnership sourcing, as it allows for collaborative problem-solving, innovation, and cost-efficiency. CIPS emphasizes that partnerships are ideal when requirements are complex and require expertise from the supplier.

Explanation

This is a bottleneck supplier- refer to the Kraljic matrix on p.20; these types of supplier hold a monopoly in the marketplace and provide low-value items. There are lots of questions on Kraljic in the exam - do revise this topic and ensure you understand each of the four quadrants of the matrix

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

During the onboarding stage:

Pre-qualifying and Assessing Capability:Ensures the supplier can meet the organization's requirements.

Building Trusting Relationships:Establishing open communication and trust sets the foundation for a successful partnership.

Keeping information confidential (Option 1) and focusing solely on the buyer's goals (Option 3) can hinder collaboration.

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘no-the contract is not of significant value’. CIPS state that competitive tenders should only be used when ‘the item or service is of significant value’ p.73. Debbie could continue using the same supplier, but she should organise a contract extension or a new contract if she does.

Explanation

The correct answer is both the supplier and the buyer- joint decision making is a key aspect of partnership relationships. A project steering committee decides on priorities, suggests improvements, conducts audits etc. See p.152

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘Intellectual Property Rights’. Grey Stone will need to share its idea for the vaccine with the pharmaceutical company and this is risky if there is no trust between the parties. See p.134 for more information on Risks of Partnerships.

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘run a restricted competition – send out a PQQ’. This QUESTION NO: tests both your understanding of when to run open and restricted competitions (which is explained on p.75) and your understanding of tender documents. Mandy should run a restricted competition- there are a lot of options in the marketplace and this will allow her to pre-qualify those who best suit her requirements. Running an open competition when there are lots of suppliers would be too time-consuming- you need a way of making a short-list. When you run a restricted competition, the first stage is sending out a PQQ- pre-qualification questionnaire; this document is sent to suppliers asking for necessary information to support their qualification as an approved supplier.

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘Strong levels of trust and honest communication’. The questions on Partnership in the exam tend to be quite straightforward, but if you’re struggling with this see p. 148 for further details of behaviour in Partnerships.

Effective partnership governance requires balanced representation from both buyer and supplier. If the supplier has fewer members than the buyer, decision-making power becomes unequal, potentially undermining collaboration.

Explanation

The correct answers are; no tender process, early supplier involvement and no defined end-period. A partnership wouldn’t automatically mean lower costs, and in a partnership the KPIs are usually a joint performance measurement rather than set to the supplier. For more information on the difference between partnerships and contractual relationships see p.124-5

Explanation

In an adversarial relationship "the outcome of the deal… is more important than maintaining the relationship over a long-term period" p.7. They can be characterised by poor communication and can be used for one-off purchases but be careful for words in answers such as 'only' and 'always', as these can be misleading; adversarial relationships aren't always for one-off purchases, and communication isn't always poor. The other answer is incorrect (price is more important) because it doesn't describe the relationship, which is what the question asked.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Developing a new blood collection system is a complex task that requires specialized knowledge and expertise. A partnership allows the supplier to collaborate closely with a clinical expert, combining their respective strengths to innovate effectively. This collaborative approach is essential for technically complicated supplies where joint development efforts can lead to better outcomes.

Explanation

Adversarial and Arm's Length relationships have low levels of trust. Single Source, Partnership and Outsourcing require high level of trust. See p.5 for the Supplier Relationship Spectrum

Explanation

As the component is vital to their business, ABC should seek a collaborative relationship with the supplier. There are three types of collaborative relationship (co-destiny, partnership and strategic alliance). Of these only strategic-alliance is given as an option. Remember - strategic purchase = collaborative relationship with supplier. There are many questions on the Relationship Spectrum on the exam. See p.5 for more details

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘Yes- partnership sourcing can improve performance which will ultimately satisfy the end customer’. The important thing to note in this QUESTION NO: is the word ‘monopolistic’. This means that there are no alternative suppliers- so the ‘no’ options are wrong- there are no alternative suppliers and no opportunity to outsource. The other answer is incorrect as sales figures isn’t Andrew’s concern – it’s the complaints and quality of the product. Improving performance to satisfy end customers is therefore his main driver for considering a Partnership. See p. 127 for more information on Drivers of Partnership Sourcing. This comes up a lot in the exam

Explanation

The correct answer is Measurable, achievable and relevant. This is from SMART KPIs on p. 151. Smart stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. In the exam they come up in different orders so be careful.

In the Norming stage of Tuckman’s model of team development, teams begin to resolve their differences, appreciate each other's strengths, and respect authority. Agreement on design and role assignment indicates the team has moved past conflict (Storming) and is now functioning collaboratively, although not yet fully productive (Performing).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Obtaining multiple quotations for contracts over a certain value ensures that the organization assesses various options, promoting competition and transparency. This practice helps in achieving value for money by comparing different suppliers' offerings.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

The buying organisation's decision to terminate the partnership with supplier FGH is influenced by:

Changes in the composition of the supply market: The entry of new suppliers into the market provides the buying organisation with more options, reducing dependency on FGH and enabling the pursuit of better partnerships.

Poor communication by the supplier: FGH's lack of proactive communication regarding delivery delays has led to frustration, indicating a breakdown in the partnership's effectiveness.

These factors align with the principles of supplier relationship management, where effective communication and adaptability to market changes are crucial.

Effective communication is essential in partnerships to ensure alignment on objectives, progress updates, and issue resolution. Regular communication builds trust and fosters collaboration, leading to successful outcomes.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

In the Kraljic Matrix, products are categorized based on supply risk and profit impact:

Leverage items:These have a high profit impact but low supply risk. They are often high-expenditure items available from multiple suppliers, allowing the buyer to leverage purchasing power to negotiate better terms.

Given the product has high expenditure and is available from many suppliers, it fits into the 'Leverage' category.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Joint venturesandstrategic alliancesare common forms of partnerships between companies:

Joint Venture:A business arrangement where two or more parties agree to pool their resources for a specific task, creating a new entity.

Strategic Alliance:An agreement between companies to pursue objectives while remaining independent organizations.

"Sole trader," "limited company," and "public limited company" refer to business structures, not partnership arrangements.

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘They are hard to measure’ p.103

Defining standards ensures clear expectations and provides a foundation for accountability and alignment, which are critical for the success of any partnership.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Partnership arrangements often lead to price stability, as both parties work collaboratively to manage costs and avoid market volatility. Additionally, such relationships can result in cost savings through joint process improvements, shared investments, and economies of scale. While managing a partnership does incur relationship management costs, these are typically offset by the benefits gained. Supplier complacency is a potential risk but not an inherent advantage of partnerships.

Explanation

Supplier development is time-consuming and resource-intensive so should only be done with strategic suppliers. P.14

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Effective conflict resolution involves:

Individual Meetings:Understanding the root cause of the conflict by discussing with each individual separately to determine if issues are personal or work-related.

Joint Meetings with Mutual Targets:Bringing the individuals together to set mutual goals can foster collaboration and reduce friction.

Avoiding the issue (Option D) or moving a team member (Option C) are not proactive solutions and may not address the underlying problem.

Explanation

It can be difficult for buyers in the private sector to build relationships with suppliers because of rules that state competitive tenders must be undertaken every few years (within the EU this is usually every 4). This means that both parties aren’t as invested in developing the relationship as it’s possible the contact will end shortly. Competitive tendering is a requirement in the public sector to ensure value for money for taxpayers. See p.79 for further details. There are no rules stating Public Sector organisations can’t have good relationships with suppliers, and in fact most will have good relationships with their current suppliers- the issue is that neither party can get too invested in the relationship as everyone knows it may end shortly. There are rules, however, against entering into Partnership relationships (which is discussed in chapter 3).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

The described relationship includes:

Joint Product Development:Collaborative involvement in strategic projects indicates a deep partnership.

Integrated Systems:JIT delivery systems require synchronized operations, reflecting significant integration.

These elements are hallmarks of a significant integration partnership.

Routine suppliers typically supply low-value, low-risk items. Maintaining partnerships in such cases is inefficient since alternative suppliers are readily available. Adopting a transactional or adversarial relationship would be more appropriate.