Free Practice Questions for the CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply L4M8 Exam (2026 Updated)

Commissioning is bringing something new into working condition, e.g start running a gas plant after building it. Commissioning is one of the eight elements that form the cycle of whole life asset management. The commissioning of an asset has the following associated costs, installation, training insurance, testing, operational efficiencies/performance and quality.

If a supplier is accredited or is a member of an association that promotes good ethical conduct, a statement to this effect is likely to be featured on its company documentation. This could be in a form of letters after the organization name or the authorized use of logo.

Accreditation information should be verified by procurement professionals either asking organiza-tion for certification to prove membership or accreditation or checking on a professional register.

Below are associated bodies that form some industries.

1. ISO 14001 – for quality management

2. CIPS – for procurement and Supply

3. Red Tractor – NGO Registered in the UK, promoting human right

4. Amnesty International – human right

5. Carbon Trust – For Carbon neutral status.

•

Refer to the question column for response

Assets are things that an organization owns regarded as having value and available to meet debt and generate revenue. The following are list of assets owned by Fullpower project, a shoe manufacturing firm;

1) Machinery,

2) a factory,

3) an innovative software,

4) skills of its personnel,

5) land,

6) Distribution network.

7) Its long time relationship with experienced suppliers of raw materials and Distributors of finished shoes.

A cross-function Team is the involvement of all departments that are in an organization to contribute knowledge, skills and innovation towards adding value to achieving the organization’s strategic goal. Example, procurement, maintenance, marketing, finance, human resources working together in procurement activity to come up with the best strategy or selecting the supplier that best suit the organization.

When working in a cross-functional team, members of the organization give support by believing in the end goal, assist during difficult time, help troubleshoot any issue, providing the required resources and sharing information

A purchase requisition should contain the following information

1) Date of the requisition

2) Description of what is required

3) Supplier if known

4) The quantity

5) when the need is required

6) why the need is required

7) who identified the need

8) who approved the need

9) if it’s a re-buy

When a fixed asset reaches the end of its life, it requires decommissioning before reconditioning or disposal.

Decommissioning is to observe all the safety measures and technical procedures and stop active machinery or an asset from operation (example gas plan, generator, transformer etc.

Decommissioning process include the following aspect

1) Preparation: Plan the process

2) Dismantle: Take the asset apart and remove hazardous waste

3) Processing: make safe any hazardous waste

4) Disposal: Ensure paper work is received to confirm removal and disposal

Data can be primary or secondary

Primary data are derived from original work or research through experience. Primary data can be gathered from the following sources; 1) Interview (2) survey (3) meetings (4) case studies.

Secondary data is derived from a previous source, i.e. somebody else has gathered the data. Secondary data can be gained from; (1) Books (2) Websites, Trade magazines, etc

Organizations which display good behavior create a positive social impact. The community in which they are based and to which they supply will benefit from the following.

1. High employment

2. Fair wages

3. low pollution

4. sustainable resources

5. Engagement and movement with local organization

The social impact of an organization is formed by various behaviors. If an organization; behavior is poor this will create social impact which is likely to be reflected in the business performance. Organizations which display poor behavior face outcomes such as the following.

1. Reduce brand loyalty

2. Difficulty in recruiting

3. Negative media coverage

4. Reduced sales/profit

5. reputation damage

Influencing is the capacity to be able to change behavior or opinions, either consciously or subconsciously.

As outlined by Yukl and falbets work from 1990 influencing can relate to corruption within pro-curement in these six ways.

1)A party can be assertive (forceful, directive, using deadlines),

2) Ingratiating i.e. using charm and flattery.

3) Exchange-Trading favors,

4) Upward appeal (requesting input for senior management not only that influencing can come as

5) Coalition; team members uniting for support.

5) Rational persuasion, i.e. bringing in logic and facts for clarification.

Whole life asset management is the process of evaluating the total price and all associated costs of a product to make an informed decision as to which option will provide the organization with the best value for money option: To achieve this the organization works at the following eight elements.

1. Identify need/objectives/risk: The first stage of the whole life asset management is the same as the first stage in the CIPS procurement and supply cycle: identify the need prior to any asset being procured; the need could be competition in the marketplace, raised/reduced demands or financial concern. Once this need has been identified, the objectives of the new assets need to be set, and this may include being more energy efficient, reducing cost or saving money.

Risk also needs to be explored. When investing in a new asset there are factors to be considered that may or may not be advantageous to the investment. These include; downtime, lost sale/revenue or associated cost.

2. Procurement: Procurement professional would have to source and arrange supply of the asset.

3. Construction: ones the supply has being arranged, then the designing and the manufacturing of the asset begins.

4. Commissioning

5. Deterioration/maintenance

6. Condition performance monitoring

7. Decommissioning

8. Renewal/replacement

•

Refer to the question column for response

When evaluating offers, it is important to remember that the best price may not be the lowest. To ascertain that; the total cost of Acquisition TCA (the cost a buyer bears for placing orders and re-ceiving a product from a supplier) should be uncovered and compare against offers received. Things to consider that might make up the total cost of acquisition are;

1) logistics and handling costs

2) Cost of requisition

3) Rework

4) stock cost

5) Delay

6) Inspection

7) customer services

8) consumables

9) Training & support

A new buy is the purchase of goods and services by an organization or an individual for its first time. For example a transport organization for the very first time contracting the purchase of a Lorry out to an external supplier. In situations like this, it is advisable to start the procurement cycle from the very first stage. Which is understanding the need and developing high level specification.

Modified re-buy is the purchase of goods or services that an organization has bought before there was a need but with changes to the specification or supplier or quantity or quality. In carrying out modified re-buy, procurement professional should start from the very first stage of the procurement cycle to justify the added need and follow through. Not in all cases that buyer would have to start from understanding the need. In a situation where the changes required is a change of supplier, the organization will start from its preferred suppliers list and contract the next ranking supplier as the case may be.

In the decision to not run out of supplies, organizations can anticipate a peak were by it products will be in a high demand or a period of scarcity of raw materials and may want to increase the in-ventory. However, if this forecast is not accurate, it may lead the organization to holding excess inventory. This can expose the organization to some negative factors.

Acquisition Cost: The organization will incur an acquisition cost for the excess inventory which is inclusive of the cost of placing the order and the cost of purchasing the goods.

Holding Cost: The organization will spend more money holding the stock, trying to keep it in good condition by providing the required light, temperature, skilled handlers and so on.

Working Capital not adding value: This will off shoot the holding cost. Also valuable working capital in excess stock which in the time not adding value, can affect the liquidity of the business. This is also an opportunity cost and increase solvency.

Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) policies state how organizations aim to contribute towards the community and how an organization portrays itself towards social impacts.

It would be rare to find a supplier who does not emit any form of pollution. However, part of ethical and responsible sourcing is to make effort to reduce impact of population on the planets. Pollution can be factory emission, Noise, smell, Transportation De-velopment, waste disposal. Transportation is a major cause of pollution. The carbon dioxide emitted from vehicles contributes greatly to air contamination. Yet it is better to use sea freight rather than air because it has a smaller impact on the environment.

When a fixed asset reaches the end of its life, it requires decommissioning before reconditioning or disposal.

Decommissioning is to observe all the safety measures and technical procedures and stop active machinery or an asset from operation (example gas plan, generator, transformer etc.

Decommissioning process include the following aspect

1) Preparation: Plan the process

2) Dismantle: Take the asset apart and remove hazardous waste

3) Processing: make safe any hazardous waste

4) Disposal: Ensure paper work is received to confirm removal and disposal

•

Refer to the question column for response

Disposal of an asset is the final stage in the decommissioning process of a fixed asset.

When a fixed asset reaches the end of its useful or cost effective life time within an organization, the decision is made as to whether it should be removed from the premises or disposed off.

If the asset is truly at the end of its life, no longer fit for purpose, not cost effective to repair and is not able to be exchanged, then disposal is the only option; there are two options for disposal;

1) Take the asset to land fill site

2) Taking the asset to a recycling plant.

•

Refer to the question column for response

A code of ethics is a set of morals and principle set out by an organization to state what it deems to be acceptable conduct and behavior

An ethical code of practice is a continually changing and developing document with society changing and different suppliers coming to market, the document has to remain current

Suppliers should continually monitor their codes of ethics to ensure that;

1. They are looking after the interest of the supply chain

2. That potential customers can be reassured that they are conforming to the required regulation, e.g. ISO 14001.

Ethical code of conduct should be constantly monitored and updated in accordance with the changes organization faces. This include 1) Define (2) prevent (3) detect (4) reprove (5) evaluate.

•

Refer to the question column for response

Continuous improvement relates to removing waste from the supply chain and improving processes to increase efficiency within whole life asset management in a full power project (a flour producing firm) can benefit from continuous improvement in the following ways;

1) Reduce cost of spears by recondition parts, instead of disposing them out rightly.

2) Can reduce down time by conducting routine maintenance after hours.

3) Can reducing accident by up skilling operators on safety

4) Can reduce waste oil by following owner’s manual instead of relying on experience.

5) Create efficiencies by operating a 24/7 shift pattern.

2(a) Outline the financial data that can be used in the process of supplier selection. (10 marks)

When selecting a supplier, the buyer should assess financial data to judge whether the supplier is financially stable and capable of delivering the contract.

One key source is the balance sheet , which shows the supplier’s assets, liabilities and overall financial position at a point in time. This helps the buyer assess net worth, debt levels and short-term financial strength.

Second , the income statement or profit and loss account shows revenue, costs and profit over a period. This helps the buyer understand whether the supplier is profitable and commercially sustainable.

Third , the cash flow statement is important because it shows whether the supplier is generating enough cash to fund operations and meet obligations. A profitable business can still fail if it has weak cash flow.

Fourth , buyers can use the annual report , including directors’ comments and risk disclosures, to understand broader business performance and future outlook.

Fifth , buyers often calculate financial ratios such as:

liquidity ratios like the current ratio and quick ratio

profitability ratios such as net profit margin

gearing ratios to assess dependence on borrowing.

Finally , the buyer may review financial trends over time and use independent credit reports or external financial checks from trusted sources.

Overall, these data sources help the buyer decide whether the supplier is financially strong enough to perform the contract.

2(b) Explain THREE potential concerns for a buying organisation of selecting a supplier that has a current ratio of 0.67:1. (15 marks)

A current ratio of 0.67:1 means the supplier has only £0.67 of current assets for every £1 of current liabilities . This suggests weak short-term liquidity and creates several concerns for the buyer.

1. Difficulty meeting short-term obligations

The first concern is that the supplier may struggle to pay short-term debts such as wages, bills, subcontractors or software costs. If liabilities are higher than current assets, the supplier may face cash pressure. For the buyer, this raises concerns about whether the supplier can operate reliably throughout the contract.

2. Risk of poor performance or service disruption

A weak current ratio may mean the supplier has limited working capital to support day-to-day operations. In an IT services contract, this could affect staffing, maintenance, upgrades or continuity of service. For a local government department, any disruption could be serious because public services may depend on the supplier’s performance.

3. Greater financial fragility

The third concern is that the supplier may rely too heavily on overdrafts, loans or faster customer payments to survive. This makes the supplier more financially vulnerable. If costs rise or cash inflows slow down, the supplier may experience serious financial difficulty or even fail during the contract.

In conclusion, a current ratio of 0.67:1 is a warning sign because it suggests weak liquidity. It does not automatically mean the supplier should be rejected, but the buying organisation should carry out further financial checks before awarding the contract.

Organizational culture is made up of behaviors, traits, values and beliefs and these differ signifi-cantly across the globe. Gestures that may be positive in one country can be highly offensive in another. This culture could mean; for example, individualistic/collectivistic, masculine/feminine, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, Time perspective, indulgence/restraint.

When negotiating and forming contracts within the extended supply chain, it is important that the culture of the suppliers is understood to be compatible with the buying organization or else their might be loss of reputation, time, money material and equipment.

Also, being not aware of what is an acceptable ethically behavior in global sourcing can cost a buying organization. In some countries, bribery and kickbacks are a standard part of doing business. If procurement professional is not aware of the fact that some countries methods of doing business involves or expect kickbacks, for example, this could be costly to the organization and cancel out any savings that had originally been seen.

Cost of poor quality and rework: if the product or service quality is poor the organization may not satisfy it customers and this can lead to a loss of reputation in the market. For example, a residential building construction company contracting a supplier that supply would require home owners to reinstall a new door within three months. The organization would spend more funds in carrying out rework.

More administrative cost in contract management: an organization will have to manage it sup-pliers and the contracts to ensure they are delivering what they were contracted to do. A poor con-tract management is a waste in the process of delivery that can lead to loss of money. Also, to cor-rect this would cost the organizations administrative cost.

Bribery is the act of giving someone something of value to persuade them to do something that benefits you. Ethical and responsible sourcing requires conducting due diligence on bribery before going into contractual relationship because failure to this might lead to loss in reputation.

In other for an organization to defend itself against a case of suspected bribery, the United Kingdom bribery Act introduced in 2010 suggests that organizations should have adequate procedures’ in place.

The following are six procedures an organization should have in place to be able to defend itself against bribery

1) Proportionate procedure

2) Top level commitment

3) risk assessment

4) due diligence

5) communication

6) monitoring and reviewing

•

Refer to the question column for response

2(a) Describe a supplier evaluation approach that HFS could use to select a bidder using the table provided, including a proposal for an appropriate weighting method for scoring the bidders. (10 marks)

HFS should use a weighted scoring supplier evaluation approach . This method is suitable because there are several award criteria, not just price, and HFS has already experienced poor cleaning quality under the previous contract. Therefore, HFS should assess both cost and quality-related factors before selecting the successful bidder.

A sensible approach would be:

Step 1: Set evaluation criteria

Using the tender table, HFS can evaluate bidders against:

bid price

ISO 9000 certification

Investors in People (IIP) certification

labour standards criterion linked to ILO requirements

ISO 14000 certification.

ISO says the ISO 9000 family supports quality management and consistent delivery, while ISO 14001 is the recognised framework for environmental management. Investors in People is an externally recognised accreditation for people management.

Step 2: Apply weightings

Because HFS was not satisfied with the quality of the previous cleaning service, quality and service assurance should carry more weight than price alone. A suitable weighting could be:

Price = 40%

ISO 9000 = 25%

IIP = 15%

ILO criterion = 10%

ISO 14000 = 10%

This totals 100%. The reason for this weighting is that price is important, but service quality should be prioritised for a five-year contract. ISO 9001 is especially relevant because it is the best-known quality management standard and is intended to support consistent products and services. ISO 14001 is also relevant because it gives assurance on environmental management.

Step 3: Score the bidders

For price , HFS could award the full 40 marks to the lowest bid and score the others proportionately using the formula:

Lowest bid ÷ bidder’s price × price weighting

Using €120,000 as the lowest bid:

A = 120,000 / 120,000 × 40 = 40.00

B = 120,000 / 135,000 × 40 = 35.56

C = 120,000 / 132,000 × 40 = 36.36

D = 120,000 / 142,000 × 40 = 33.80

For the certification criteria, a simple method would be:

Yes = full marks

No = zero

So the total weighted scores would be:

A = 40 + 0 + 15 + 0 + 0 = 55.00

B = 35.56 + 0 + 15 + 10 + 0 = 60.56

C = 36.36 + 25 + 15 + 10 + 10 = 96.36

D = 33.80 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 33.80

Overall, this weighted evaluation method is appropriate because it gives HFS a transparent and objective way to compare bids while reflecting the importance of service quality, people management and environmental standards, not just lowest price.

2(b) Recommend and justify which ONE of the bidders should be awarded the contract and why each of the three other bids should be rejected. (15 marks)

Based on the weighted scoring analysis, CleenKwik (C) should be awarded the contract.

Recommended bidder: CleenKwik (C)

CleenKwik should be selected because it offers the best overall value rather than just the lowest price. Its bid of €132,000 is only slightly above the lowest bid, but it is the only bidder with all four listed accreditations or compliance indicators in the table: ISO 9000, IIP, ILO criterion and ISO 14000 . This is important because HFS has already had poor service quality from the previous contractor, so quality assurance should be a major factor in the decision. ISO 9001 is specifically designed to support consistent service quality, while ISO 14001 supports structured environmental management. Investors in People also gives assurance on workforce management, which is relevant in a labour-intensive cleaning contract.

CleenKwik therefore represents the strongest balance between price, quality, staff management and environmental responsibility . For a five-year service contract, that makes it the most suitable choice.

Why Associated Cleaning (A) should be rejected

Associated Cleaning has the lowest price at €120,000 , but it only has IIP certification and lacks the other three criteria. This means it gives weaker assurance on quality systems, labour standards and environmental management. Since HFS’s main problem in the last contract was poor cleaning quality, selecting the cheapest bidder without strong quality evidence would be risky. Therefore, A should be rejected because the low price does not compensate for the lack of broader service assurance.

Why Bright’N’Clean (B) should be rejected

Bright’N’Clean is a stronger bid than A because it has IIP and the ILO-related criterion , but it still lacks ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 . This is significant because ISO 9001 is the strongest direct indicator in the table for quality management, and HFS is specifically trying to avoid another poor-quality contract. B is also more expensive than both A and C. Therefore, B should be rejected because it offers less assurance than C while not being the cheapest option.

Why Doubleshine (D) should be rejected

Doubleshine should be rejected because it is the highest-priced bid at €142,000 and has none of the listed certifications or indicators. This means HFS would be paying the highest price for the weakest quality and compliance evidence. There is no justification for awarding the contract to D when it scores lowest on overall value.

Conclusion

In conclusion, CleenKwik (C) should be awarded the contract because it achieves the highest weighted score and provides the strongest evidence of quality, people management, labour-related assurance and environmental management. The other three bids should be rejected because they either provide insufficient quality assurance, poorer overall value, or both. This recommendation is justified because HFS needs to improve service quality, not simply reduce cost.

A contract is written or verbal agreement, made between two or more parties that are legally en-forceable. For a contract to be legally binding it must include intention of parties entering into the contracts. All parties must have the capacity to contract or be contracted. They must be of a sound mind, there should be a promise (offer) for performance from the other party and an exchange (consideration) of one thing for another within an agreement for contract to be binding, there must be an acceptance of the offeror’s offer by the offeree.

There are many reasons contract can legally be terminated, including non-performance by one or both parties, a significant change in the requirement.

There are several reasons contract can legally be terminated, including non-performance by one or both parties; breach of material, failure to meet service level agreement, ethical breaches, a significant change in the requirement of either party caused by ethical change in the market, change in Demand, obsolescence, contract completion. The procurement professionals should get an exit strategy that should encourage a stress free disengagement should incase there are no profitable reason to continue with the contract.

•

Refer to the question column for response

Information gathered in relation to social impact for an organization is both qualitative and quantitative.

Fullpower consult is a project/procurement training company that has gotten a measure of its social impact.

The qualitative measure of the organization is its stakeholders perception. Stakeholders knows that fullpower will do all it can to always give the best value for money.

Fullpower has the policies to give 10% of its profit share back to the community, by sponsoring free trainings for both professionals and vocational.

Addition

Qualitative and quantitative measures of social impact

Qualitative

Stakeholder perception

Reputation

Good Ethical practice

Benefit to the economy

Quantitative

20% Reduction in emission

Amount of funding donated

Amount of train courses delivered

Percentage of Resources Replaced

•

Refer to the question column for response

Organizational culture is made up of behaviors, traits, values and beliefs and these differ signifi-cantly across the globe. Gestures that may be positive in one country can be highly offensive in another. This culture could mean; for example, individualistic/collectivistic, masculine/feminine, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, Time perspective, indulgence/restraint.

When negotiating and forming contracts within the extended supply chain, it is important that the culture of the suppliers is understood to be compatible with the buying organization or else their might be loss of reputation, time, money material and equipment.

Also, being not aware of what is an acceptable ethically behavior in global sourcing can cost a buying organization. In some countries, bribery and kickbacks are a standard part of doing business. If procurement professional is not aware of the fact that some countries methods of doing business involves or expect kickbacks, for example, this could be costly to the organization and cancel out any savings that had originally been seen.

Cost of poor quality and rework: if the product or service quality is poor the organization may not satisfy it customers and this can lead to a loss of reputation in the market. For example, a residential building construction company contracting a supplier that supply would require home owners to reinstall a new door within three months. The organization would spend more funds in carrying out rework.

More administrative cost in contract management: an organization will have to manage it sup-pliers and the contracts to ensure they are delivering what they were contracted to do. A poor con-tract management is a waste in the process of delivery that can lead to loss of money. Also, to cor-rect this would cost the organizations administrative cost.

•

Refer to the question column for response

Bribery is the act of giving someone something of value to persuade them to do something that benefits you. Ethical and responsible sourcing requires conducting due diligence on bribery before going into contractual relationship because failure to this might lead to loss in reputation.

In other for an organization to defend itself against a case of suspected bribery, the United Kingdom bribery Act introduced in 2010 suggests that organizations should have adequate procedures’ in place.

The following are six procedures an organization should have in place to be able to defend itself against bribery

1) Proportionate procedure

2) Top level commitment

3) risk assessment

4) due diligence

5) communication

6) monitoring and reviewing

The purpose of the tendering process is to invite potential suppliers to bid to supply a product or service to the buying organization. Then buying organization select suitable suppliers, award con-tract and manage. The process is selected mostly when the need is a large or complex project or the law mandates it or it is in the company’s policies to do so. The stages of the tendering process includes;

Stage 1: decide which style of tender to use. There are four types of tendering used within pro-curement and this include; 1) open 2) Restricted 3) Negotiated 4) Competitive Dialogue

Stage 2: Prepare invitation to tender (ITT): this stage is to prepare the document that will be made available to potential supplier. It should contain everything potential bidders will need to know to fully understand the need and to prepare and send a suitable RESPONSE it may likely in-clude; open letter, company details, overview of a project, evaluation criteria, submission date and so on.

Stage 3: send ITT: With fairness, transparency and equality, buyer will provide the documents to all potential suppliers at the same time and also provide exactly the same information/documents to all suppliers. If after receiving the ITT and some suppliers seek clarifications on anything in the documentation, buyers must give same response to identical questions to keep the process transparent and fair. Also, the response to each query to all bidders in the process.

Failure to this may result in bidders who feel disadvantaged or discriminated in any form to submit a legal challenge. Supplier submitting a Legal challenge may cause delay in the process and eventually increase administrative cost for the buyer.

Stage 4: Buying organization receives responses to the Invitation to tender from suppliers (bids). Suppliers must adhere to the bid submission dead line included in the invitation to tender document. Any bid that arrives after the deadline must be left out of the process, or else this may result to other suppliers legally challenging the process.

Stage 5: Evaluate bid. The buying organization can now evaluate the bids based on the criteria in the ITT document. It is always thorough that cross-functional team evaluates the bids to guarantee complete fairness and ensure that the chosen bid is fit for purpose. In evaluating the bids, the cross-functional team will consider the bids in the following areas; supplier organization, ethics, price, sustainability, quality, payment, disposal, service level, location, warranty and risk.

Stage 6: Award contract and give feedback hence the buying organization wards the contract to the winning supplier. This can take place by a formal communication like a letter or an e-mail.

Stage 7: Contract management. Contracts must be evaluated against the criteria in the invitation to tender.

The reasons why these stages must be followed includes;

1. Knowing the right TYPE of tender to use, reduces administration cost, for example, deciding to do restricted tendering to reduce the interest that are going to be sent in have already cut down on administrative cost.

2. The supplier can know what exactly the buyer’s intentions are by developing description and the required specification.

3. To ensure that objectives of resorting to use the tendering style and the tendering process is achieved

4. To ensure that the organization generates added value by going through the stages.

5. To ensure that there are none unethical issues like fraud, bribes etc are not part of the system.

6. To ensure that the tendering process becomes transparent to all suppliers. These stages must be followed for transparency and fairness. Just like in stage 3: buyer send out the ITT to potential suppliers at the same time and providing them same information. Failure to this and bidders who feel disadvantaged or discriminated in any form may submit a legal challenge. Supplier submitting a Legal challenge may cause delay in the process and eventually increase administrative cost for the buyer.

•

Refer to the question column for response

Responsible and ethical sourcing promotes working with suppliers who want to have a positive effect on the environment or at least minimize the damage they cause. Suppliers can make effort to reduce their impact on the planet through reducing the pollution, taking steps to recycle or reuse products can improve on supplier’s impact on the environment, also supplier can consider sustainability as another environmental factor. Suppliers with strong values on ethics will have a programme to return anything taken from nature in the form of replanting or replacing.

Conflict or dispute is the final area a procurement professional considers when creating terms for a contract with a supplier. If conflict or dispute arises, there must be a process put in place in the contract to try to resolve it and these includes;

a) Negotiation, b) mediation, c) arbitration and d) litigation.

Negotiation is usually carried out between senior people within organization that are in conflict, if they cannot reach an agreement through negotiation, mediation is the next stage, mediation is when a third party tries to help find a resolution among the parties in dispute. If mediation fails arbitration can start, arbitration involve independent professionals (arbitrators) working with all the party to try to reach an agreement. Parties do not have a formal or legal obligation to follow the arbitrator’s recommendation. Arbitration is expensive. If arbitration fails to resolve the conflict, the final stage is litigation, litigation takes time and money, and most people avoid it. It is a legal process where a court decides on the outcome of the dispute. The judge’s ruling is final.

Make or buy decision are about whether a products or services should be made within the organization or bought-in from an external supplier.

For a procurement professional to establish which method (make or buy) offers the best value, the item in question must be thought through if it is core to the organization and which option will add more value to the organization, as regards achieving its strategic goals. If it is core the procurement professional decide to make it and if it is not core the product or services can be bought in.

•

Refer to the question column for response

A weighted score card is a tool with a systematic and a fair process for selecting supplier, based on predetermined criteria. This tool can help make the decision by presenting a fair display of how all suppliers did in the process. The values of these weights are based on their importance. The supplier with the highest score card is considered the most suitable to be awarded the contract.

In the table above, cost is considered more than all other criteria. Contract length is the lowest which is weighted 2

Base on the weighted score card as presented above, company B scored 78 while company A and company C scored 65 and 63 respectively.

Company A, having scored the highest (78) should be awarded the contract.

•

Refer to the question column for response

Condition performance monitoring is a surveillance system that is designed to get the maximum production uptime and availability out of an asset. And this can be achieved by timely monitoring and measuring of temperature, vibration, output, speed, noise, emissions and quality. With this, decision has to be made as to what, if any, action needs to be taken. The five approaches to condition performance monitoring are as follows:

1. Do nothing: Use like a commodity. This will bring worries later.

2. Reactive: Fix it when it breaks. This will run to failure.

3. Preventive: Scheduled maintenance.

4. Predictive: Fix it before it breaks. Predict faults.

5. Proactive: Continuous improvement defect elimination.

The most cost-effective approach is ‘Proactive’, because is the only approach that has continuous improvement in the process, people and policies to minimize downtime. Being proactive takes defect out of the system and continuously harness opportunity that will optimize the system

Retention of title (ROT) states when ownership transfers from supplier to buyer.

The retention of title terms also referred to as the Romalpa clause, which is related to a legal case from 1976 between Aluminum industries Vaassen BV and Romalpa Aluminum LTD

Benchmarking is the process of comparing a function, process or performance with another which is best-in-class. Benchmarking is either internal or external. External benchmarking has three types; 1) Competition benchmarking, 2) Functional 3) Generic

Company Toyota with the Porsche a competition in the same industry and by suggesting that drives will find the cars performances comparable with that of Porsche Cayman sports car, suggest think it is an external competitive benchmark.

When an organization want to purchase an asset, it considers the depreciation and deterioration in the whole life of the asset and how it will be manage.

Depreciation is the reduction in value of a tangible and a fixed asset over time. The purpose of calculating the depreciation of the asset is to give the organization a fair and current view of what the asset is worth at a particular time. Depreciation is a way of converting the cost of an asset into an expense over a period of time. Depreciation is a permanent feature listed against an asset throughout its life time and it based on wear and tear, reduction in performance and reduction in value.

Deterioration is the process of something becoming lower in quality or performance. The longer the asset can last without deteriorating the better value the asset represents.

A code of ethics is a set of morals and principle set out by an organization to state what it deems to be acceptable conduct and behavior

An ethical code of practice is a continually changing and developing document with society changing and different suppliers coming to market, the document has to remain current

Suppliers should continually monitor their codes of ethics to ensure that;

1. They are looking after the interest of the supply chain

2. That potential customers can be reassured that they are conforming to the required regulation, e.g. ISO 14001.

Ethical code of conduct should be constantly monitored and updated in accordance with the changes organization faces. This include 1) Define (2) prevent (3) detect (4) reprove (5) evaluate.

Condition performance monitoring is a surveillance system that is designed to get the maximum production uptime and availability out of an asset. And this can be achieved by timely monitoring and measuring of temperature, vibration, output, speed, noise, emissions and quality. With this, decision has to be made as to what, if any, action needs to be taken. The five approaches to condition performance monitoring are as follows:

1. Do nothing: Use like a commodity. This will bring worries later.

2. Reactive: Fix it when it breaks. This will run to failure.

3. Preventive: Scheduled maintenance.

4. Predictive: Fix it before it breaks. Predict faults.

5. Proactive: Continuous improvement defect elimination.

The most cost-effective approach is ‘Proactive’, because is the only approach that has continuous improvement in the process, people and policies to minimize downtime. Being proactive takes defect out f the system and continuously harness opportunity that will optimize the system

•

Refer to the question column for response

RESPONSE

A purchase requisition should contain the following information

1) Date of the requisition

2) Description of what is required

3) Supplier if known

4) The quantity

5) when the need is required

6) why the need is required

7) who identified the need

8) who approved the need

9) if it’s a re-buy

An offer is created when one party communicates to another or to multiple parties that they wish to enter into a legal binding agreement in accordance with the terms stated, for example; a company in promotion advertising for buyers to buy one and get one free, an offer is a buying organization communicating to a supplier to supply X number of goods and be paid x amount upon delivery at company premises, an offer is when a football club proposes to pay X amount to a player if agrees to play for them for a month. An offer can be legally banded if accepted, whereas invitation to treat does not. An invitation to treat is just an invitation from one party to another to begin negotiations with the intention of creating an offer. If an offer is made without stating terms, this becomes an invitation to treat, for example, an invitation to treat is when a pharmacy displays a drug in its shelf. An invitation to treat can be linked to a request a buyer send to suppliers asking them for specific information.

By using STEEPLE and SWOT analysis, the organization can reach out to the following strategic decision in how it will engage with its external environment, and utilize it strength to cover up for its weakness and achieve its strategic goals;

1) STEEPLE can aid an organization to come up with informed decision by understanding when is the right time to procure goods or services?

2) STEEPLE and SWOT analysis can uncover the quantity that could be most economical to ac-quire at the point in time.

3) When an organization want to decide on the currency that could be most favorable for the buy, it will analyze the countries involved and the strength of their currency and make its decisions on which currency that the supplier should be paid that will not make the organization to lose unnecessary money to exchange.

4) Should the product or services be made or bought?

5) Should the product or services be resourced?

6) Should the product or services be placed?

•

Refer to the question column

Working cross-functionally is the involvement of all departments involved in an organization to contribute knowledge, skills and innovation towards adding value of achieving the organization’s strategic goal. All functions may include; procurement, maintenance, marketing, finance, human resources working together in procurement activity to come up with the best strategy or selecting the supplier that best suit the organization.

When working cross functionally, members of the organization gives support by believing in the end goal, assist during difficult time, help troubleshoot any issue, providing the required resources and sharing information.

Carter’s 10cs is a detailed mechanism that procurement professional uses to evaluate potential supplier. What the procurement professional should consider in supplier are the following 10 things.

1) Competency 2) capacity 3) Cost 4) Cash 5) Clean 6) Consistency 7) Control 8) Culture 9) Com-mitment 10) Communication.

Quality is fitness for purpose. It is important that quality is investigated by procurement professionals before forming relationship with potential supplies.

If quality is not investigated before selecting supplier the organization might stand the risk of facing the following disadvantages;

Reputational Damages

Cost of Rework

Cost of Downtime

Cost of Material

Cost of being stocked with the wrong supplier

Cost of being stocked in a project that may not come to an end at the forecasted time.

How buyer can choose a supplier with a good quality culture is first by defining the quality of the product or services to be carried out .Having knowledge of the product or service quality, supplies can rightly select and evaluated supplier with total quality management (TQM) in their system, ISO 9001 accreditation. TQM includes everyone in the organization with knowledge on the required quality; there would be little or no rejection/reworks. Thus is an added value to the organization.

4. Examine FIVE methods OrganiBake could use to monitor suppliers’ performance against Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. (25 marks)

OrganiBake currently relies on a basic supplier self-assessment questionnaire, but this is no longer enough as the business grows and faces greater ESG risks. To protect its brand reputation and manage risks such as water use, pesticide runoff and unfair labour practices, OrganiBake needs stronger and more proactive supplier monitoring methods. CIPS defines supplier performance management as assessing supplier activities against agreed KPIs and managing supplier performance, while ISO 20400 provides guidance on integrating sustainability into procurement. ( cips.org )

1. Supplier audits and site visits

One effective method is to carry out regular supplier audits and on-site inspections . These can be announced or unannounced and allow OrganiBake to check whether suppliers are actually following ESG requirements in practice, rather than simply claiming compliance on paper. For grain suppliers, audits could review water management, chemical handling and environmental controls. For packaging suppliers, audits could examine working conditions, pay practices, health and safety, and management controls. This method is stronger than a questionnaire because it provides direct evidence and helps verify whether policies are being implemented properly. OECD due diligence guidance highlights supplier assessments and monitoring mechanisms as part of responsible supply chain management. ( OECD )

2. ESG KPIs and supplier scorecards

A second method is to introduce measurable ESG key performance indicators (KPIs) and use supplier scorecards. OrganiBake could track indicators such as water consumption, pesticide incidents, waste levels, carbon emissions, employee turnover, accident rates, wage compliance, audit closure rates and ethics breaches. These KPIs should be reported regularly and reviewed in supplier performance meetings. This gives OrganiBake a structured way to compare suppliers, identify weak performance early and measure improvement over time. It is particularly useful because the business is scaling up and needs transparent, consistent communication with suppliers. CIPS recognises supplier performance monitoring against agreed KPIs, and ISO 20400 supports the use of criteria and performance measures in sustainable procurement. ( cips.org )

3. Contractual ESG requirements with regular reporting

A third method is to include clear ESG clauses in contracts and require periodic evidence-based reporting from suppliers. For example, OrganiBake could require suppliers to comply with a supplier code of conduct, labour standards, anti-corruption expectations, environmental controls and corrective action obligations. Suppliers could then be required to submit supporting data, certificates, payroll evidence, water-use records or environmental reports at agreed intervals. This strengthens monitoring because ESG performance becomes a contractual obligation rather than a voluntary statement. It also gives OrganiBake leverage if a supplier fails to meet expected standards. OECD guidance emphasises corrective action plans and due diligence measures, while practice examples under the UN Global Compact show ESG requirements being embedded into sourcing and reporting processes. ( OECD )

4. Third-party verification and external assurance

A fourth method is to use independent third-party verification . This could involve external auditors, certification bodies or recognised ESG rating platforms to assess supplier performance more objectively. This is valuable because self-reported information can sometimes be incomplete or biased. Independent review can improve credibility, especially where OrganiBake faces scrutiny from environmental groups and reputational risk from consumers. External assurance is particularly useful for high-risk areas such as environmental claims, labour standards and governance controls. Examples reported through the UN Global Compact show selected sustainability KPIs being externally assured, demonstrating how third-party validation can strengthen confidence in reported ESG performance. ( cop.unglobalcompact.org )

5. Grievance mechanisms, stakeholder feedback and ongoing risk monitoring

A fifth method is to establish grievance channels and continuous risk monitoring . This means OrganiBake should not depend only on supplier-submitted data; it should also collect information from workers, local communities, NGOs, industry alerts and media screening. For example, if there are allegations of low wages or pesticide runoff, the company should have a process for receiving complaints, investigating them and requiring corrective action. This method is useful because some ESG problems, especially labour abuse or environmental harm, may not be visible in formal reports. OECD due diligence materials identify grievance mechanisms, stakeholder engagement and early-warning systems as important elements of supply chain monitoring and evaluation. ( OECD )

Conclusion

In conclusion, OrganiBake should move beyond basic self-assessment questionnaires and adopt a broader ESG monitoring system. The five main methods are supplier audits and site visits, ESG KPIs and scorecards, contractual ESG reporting requirements, third-party verification, and grievance plus ongoing risk monitoring . Together, these methods would give OrganiBake more reliable information, help manage reputational and supply chain risks, and support the company’s commitment to ethical and sustainable growth. ( cips.org )

Disposal of an asset is the final stage in the decommissioning process of a fixed asset.

When a fixed asset reaches the end of its useful or cost effective life time within an organization, the decision is made as to whether it should be removed from the premises or disposed off.

If the asset is truly at the end of its life, no longer fit for purpose, not cost effective to repair and is not able to be exchanged, then disposal is the only option; there are two options for disposal;

1) Take the asset to land fill site

2) Taking the asset to a recycling plant.

3.3 Analyse FIVE whole-life costs that SigmaCo should consider when sourcing globally. (25 marks)

Whole-life costing means looking at the total cost of an item over its full life , rather than only the initial purchase price. CIPS defines total cost of ownership as an estimate of the end-to-end cost of providing a service or manufacturing a product, including purchase price, acquisition cost, usage cost and end-of-life cost . This is important for SigmaCo because global suppliers may offer lower unit prices, but the total cost may be much higher once all other costs are included.

1. Acquisition and logistics costs

The first whole-life cost SigmaCo should consider is the cost of getting the materials and equipment from overseas suppliers to its factory. This includes freight, shipping, insurance, port handling, customs clearance, import duties and inland transport. These costs can be significant in global sourcing and may reduce or even remove the apparent savings from lower supplier prices. In analysis, a cheap overseas unit price may not represent better value if transport and import costs are high or volatile. Since direct materials account for 65% of SigmaCo’s overall spend, these additional landed costs are very important. Whole-life costing specifically includes acquisition costs, not just the purchase price.

2. Inventory and lead-time costs

A second cost is the effect of longer international lead times on inventory. If SigmaCo sources globally, it may need to hold more safety stock to protect production against shipping delays, customs problems or supply disruption. This creates costs such as warehousing, stock handling, insurance, working capital tied up in inventory and possible obsolescence. This is especially relevant in a price-sensitive toy market, where demand patterns may change quickly. Therefore, global sourcing may lower the price per unit but increase the total cost of holding stock. Whole-life cost analysis should capture these ongoing usage-related costs.

3. Quality failure and non-conformance costs

The third cost is the potential cost of poor quality. SigmaCo’s brand is built partly on quality, so if globally sourced materials or equipment fail to meet specification, the business could face inspection costs, rework, scrap, production downtime, customer complaints or product returns. This is an important whole-life cost because a lower-priced supplier may create higher downstream costs if quality standards are inconsistent. In analysis, SigmaCo should not compare suppliers only on purchase price, but also on the total cost of defects and the impact on brand reputation. CIPS notes that total cost of ownership includes non-value-adding processes such as scrap and rework.

4. Supplier management, compliance and risk costs

A fourth whole-life cost is the cost of managing overseas suppliers. Global sourcing often requires more supplier evaluation, relationship management, audits, communication, travel, contract administration and risk monitoring. There may also be compliance costs linked to product safety, ethical sourcing, trade rules or due diligence requirements, depending on the source country and material. These costs are often hidden, but they are real and can be substantial when moving from local to international supply markets. In analysis, global sourcing may therefore increase procurement overhead and risk-management costs even when prices appear attractive. CIPS and wider public procurement guidance both stress that whole-life cost should include implementation and delivery risks, not simply the quoted price.

5. End-of-life and disposal costs

The fifth whole-life cost is the cost associated with the end of the item’s life. For direct materials, this may include waste, disposal, recycling or handling of unusable stock. For equipment, it may include decommissioning, replacement, disposal, recycling and environmental compliance costs. These costs matter because equipment bought cheaply from overseas could be more expensive to maintain, replace or dispose of later. CIPS states that end-of-life cost is one of the core categories of total cost of ownership, and procurement guidance also says buyers should consider removal and disposal when evaluating bids.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SigmaCo should not base its decision only on the lower unit prices offered by global suppliers. It should analyse at least five major whole-life costs: acquisition and logistics costs, inventory and lead-time costs, quality failure costs, supplier management and risk costs, and end-of-life costs . By doing this, SigmaCo will be able to judge whether global sourcing genuinely reduces total cost while still protecting quality and brand value.

Factors that contribute towards value for clothe gum in a fashion firm;

1) How much money does the gum cost?

2) How much is the benefits of using the clothe gum?

3) Does customers prefer clothe gum at the bottom of their garment?

4) Is the clothe gum difficult to use?

5) Does the clothe gum beautifies the fabric when placed properly?

6) Does it give a better finishing?

7) Is it ethical to use?

8) Is it from a sustainable source?

9) is it environmental friendly?

10) Does using clothe gum suggest innovation in fashion?

With the ever developing use of technology, organizations are often under pressure to keep up with numerous technological advances. Jobs could be created in line with technology. Advances in technology can also results in lack of requirement for human impact and as such, jobs could be lost. Though it can help save time and retain bulk files in no space.

After all the due diligence is carried out, before awarding contract to the best supplier, sometimes procurement professionals find themselves in some problem solving situation; this might have been emanated from supplier facing a financial challenge or problems from external environment. Responding to this might require an amendment or an addendum, depending on the case in hand.

An amendment is for a physical change in the existing contract for example; if a contract contains a negotiated and agreed fixed price for the period of the contract but unexpected market forces such as an economic down turn or force majeure occur, the supplier may have to request an amendment order to continue to make a profit.

An addendum is when an additional document is added to the existing contract for example, If a contract have a schedule of rates and the market forces prices up, an addendum can be added to an existing contract with a revised schedule. Once accepted, the addendum becomes part of the con-tract. Addendum are physically used when the forecasted cost of a project rises and approval is needed to increase the contract spend.

The abuse of power within the supply chain can be linked to corruption. If individuals with seniority favor one supplier over another, they can exercise their power to award the contract to whoever they wish. According to CIPS code of conduct, this is not acceptable.

According to French and Raven, there are five types of power (Legitimate power, Reward, Expert, Referent and Coercive), and these powers can most likely be used in corruption.