L4M6 Exam Dumps - Supplier Relationships

Explanation

The correct answer is ‘No- good levels of communication can exist in other types of relationships’. The study guide makes a point that not all good buyer: supplier relationships are partnerships. In fact 70% on supplier relationships will not be partnerships (according to Lambert who is quoted on p.131)

Explanation

Request for Information and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire can be used for short-listing suppliers. Request for Quotation is used when the only variable is price and you would like suppliers to submit a price for you. Invitation to Tender would be the next stage after RFI / PPQ- this is sent out to those suppliers who have passed selection, and details the second stage of the competition. See p.75 for more details.

Improving supplier commitment and loyalty is a core theme of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) within L4M6. CIPS emphasises that long-term, collaborative relationships encourage suppliers to invest time, resources, and innovation into the buyer relationship.

Providing guaranteed order levels reduces supplier uncertainty and risk, improving trust and encouraging commitment. This aligns with the concept of mutual dependency and relationship stability, which strengthens supplier loyalty.

The other options are incorrect because:

A stand-off approach discourages collaboration

Over-promising future work damages trust if unmet

Excessive penalties create adversarial relationships

L4M6 Reference:

Learning Outcome 3: Understand approaches to managing supplier relationships

Topic: Supplier commitment, trust, and collaboration

CIPS L4M6 Study Guide – Relationship spectrum and SRM principles

Explanation

You would expect a supplier to submit full pricing information, risk assessments and method statements. However, depending on what you’re procuring, you might not need to see risk assessments or method statements. Liquidity and Gearing may be looked at during the Pre-Qualification stage, but wouldn’t form part of a RFP. See p.76

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.

CIPS defines value for money (VFM) as achieving the optimal balance between cost, quality, and sustainability over the whole life of the requirement.

Public sector procurement is governed by principles of:

Transparency

Fairness

Accountability

Best use of public funds

VFM does not mean lowest price; it means best outcome for the organisation and taxpayers, which includes quality, risk, and whole-life cost.

L4M6 Reference:

Learning Outcome 1: Understand objectives of procurement and supply

Topic: Public sector procurement objectives

CIPS L4M6 Study Guide – Value for money and public accountability

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

Explanation

The four categories are; Minimal effort, manage closely, keep informed, keep satisfied. You can see the Matrix on p.81. An easy way to remember this is there are 2 Ms and 2 Keeps. And these sit on opposite sides of the matrix.