Free CIPS L6M8 Exam Questions

A piece of computer software runs an analysis about possible disaster scenarios such as a power failure to the manufacturing plant, and tells an organisation how best to react in the situation. What type of analytics does this software provide?

Mohammed has recently been hired as the new CEO of ABC Ltd, a large manufacturing organisation. The organisation has struggled in recent years due to the highly competitive nature of the marketplace and Mohammed has been brought in to radically change the organisation’s approach to procurement and supply chain management.

Traditionally the organisation has dictated its requirements to suppliers with stringent penalty clauses for non-compliance. Mohammed is keen to change this approach and leverage the knowledge of suppliers to ABC’s advantage.

XYZ is the main supplier to ABC Ltd and Mohammed has set up a meeting to discuss the relationship and contract currently in place. He wishes the relationship to be win-win and wishes to share ideas on potential efficiencies that can be gained for both organisations. He will propose a new mechanism for monitoring the performance of the contract based on four key parameters; cost, customer satisfaction, innovation and operational processes.

XYZ provides raw materials such as iron and steel and Mohammed is keen to gain an understanding of the environmental impact of the extraction, transportation and usage of these materials, the findings of which will impact the company’s mission statement, which will be re-written next year.

In terms of other suppliers, where spend is minimal and risk is low, Mohammed plans to introduce Standard Operating Procedures for the procurement of supplies and is looking into various tools which will save the procurement team time and money.

What type of analysis will Mohammed complete following his meeting with XYZ Ltd?

Below are details of five different companies and the data they collect. For each company, select the characteristic of the data collected and the business area it relates to.

Company 1: This company is collecting data which will assist in the designing of products- ensuring functionality at the lowest cost. The issue with the data is its seasonality.

Company 2: This company has a high number of data files. They are dismantling current ways of working to figure out if there is a more effective way to do things.

Company 3: Data collected by company 3 is collected at speed in real time. They are attempting to find any underlying patterns in the data to inform on better decision making.

Company 4: Company 4’s objective is to reduce the risk of exposure of the company to unforeseen events. Data is being collected in many different formats.

Company 5: This data is similar in format and content but is collected from a wide range of sources. The data looks at the costs and implications of raw materials used in production.

Complete the table below by listing the characteristic of the data and the corresponding business area (some options may be used twice); volume (x2), variety, velocity, variability, complexity, concurrent engineering, process design, statistical analysis, life cycle analysis, risk reduction, value engineering.