PD3
Centres of Learning in:
 England
 Scotland
 Wales
EXAM QUESTIONS
PD3 – Strategic Supply Chain Management
ABA Procurement
51 Ivy Road
Norwich, NR5 8BF
Tel: +44 1603 251754
[email protected]
www.aba-procurement.com
1
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
CIPS Exam Sample Questions – Learning Objective 1
Exam
Question 1
Q1:
IKEA, as part of its strategic supply chain strategy in the 1990s, relocated
November some of its manufacturing activities to low-wage countries. Discuss the
2013
possible benefits and problems of this strategy for IKEA (25)
Revision Notes
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Q1: May
2014
Discuss how Apples strategic supply chain management creates sources of
competitive advantage for the company. (25)
Revision Notes
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Q1:
Analyse, using examples from the case study, how Tesco uses its supply
November chain expertise to achieve competitive advantage over its market rivals (25)
2014
Revision Notes
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Q1: May
2015
Analyse the STEEPLE factors which might impact the proppant supply chains
(25)
Revision Notes
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Q1:
Analyse FIVE major risks that the Caterpillar supply chain may encounter. For
November each risk outline a strategy that Caterpillar could use to mitigate its impact.
2015
(25)
Revision Notes
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Q1: May
2016
Evaluate the contribution of supply chain management in creating sources of
competitive advantage for Whirlpool in the FOUR areas of cost reduction,
improved quality, time to market, and product and service differentiation.
(25)
2
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
Revision Notes
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Q1:
Analyse how Boeing’s strategic supply chain management creates
competitive advantage for the organisation. Use appropriate theory
November
and examples from the case study to support your answer.
2016
(25)
Revision Notes
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CIPS Exam Sample Questions – Learning Objective 2
Exam
Question 2
Q2:
Evaluate the extent to which the supply chain management strategy adopted
November by IKEA in the case study may be considered to be lean and/or agile (25)
2013
Revision Notes
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Q2: May
2014
A) Explain, using a range of recognised approaches, the ways in which
Apple Inc might segment its customers and also its suppliers (16)
B) Discuss how Apple Inc. Might use the outcomes of a segmentation
exercise in the design of its strategic supply chain. (9)
Revision Notes
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Q2:
November
2014
A) Discuss why and how Tesco uses segmentation to analyse its range of
customers (7)
B) Evaluate the different approaches that Tesco could adopt to meet the
needs of THREE specific customer segments. (18)
Revision Notes
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Q2: May
2015
Assess FIVE challenges for transportation and physical logistics management
in the proppant supply chains. (25)
Revision Notes
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3
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
Q2:
Analyse the factors that might impact on the configuration of Caterpillar’s
November supply chain network, including its inbound logistics and distribution
2015
channels. (25)
Revision Notes
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Q2: May
2016
(a) Discuss the factors that would influence the design of Whirlpool’s
distribution systems. (15)
(b) Having considered the factors in part (a), summarise the approach
adopted by Whirlpool to address each of the following areas of
its distribution system:
(i) Channel design
(ii) Physical network and transport arrangements. (10)
Revision Notes
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Q2:
Analyse FIVE factors that have influenced the design and operation of
November Boeing’s upstream (supply side) logistics systems. (25 marks)
2016
Revision Notes
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CIPS Exam Sample Questions – Learning Objective 3
Exam
Question 3
Q3:
November
2013
A) Categorise, using a recognised model, the internal and external
stakeholders of IKEAS supply chain identified within the case. (9)
B) Explain how IKEA might communicate effectively a strategic supply
chain change to each category of stakeholders (16)
Revision Notes
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Q3: May
2014
Discuss, using examples from the case study, the main drivers for
collaborative relationships that have been created between Apple Inc. And
its suppliers (25)
Revision Notes
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4
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
Q3:
Tesco monitors four main areas of supply chain performance: operations,
November people, finance and customer segments.
2014
Propose and justify TWO objective measures of performance that could be
applied by Tesco to each of these FOUR areas to assess the performance and
optimise the effectiveness of the overall supply chain. (25)
Revision Notes
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Q3: May
2015
Explain a range of methods which might be used to measure performance in
the proppant supply chains in order to improve their efficiency and
effectiveness.
Use examples from the case study to support your answer (25)
Revision Notes
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Q3:
November
2015
A) Apply the concept of ‘supply chain evolution’ to Caterpillar, using
appropriate theory and examples from the case study. (15)
B) Explain how Caterpillar uses technology and data integration to
achieve effective supply chain management. (10)
Revision Notes
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Q3: May
2016
Identify FIVE performance measures or metrics that Whirlpool could use to
assess its supply chain performance and explain how these could be applied
to improve Whirlpool’s performance. (25 marks)
Revision Notes
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Q3:
Discuss, using examples from the case study, the extent to which
November collaborative relationships with suppliers are used by Boeing. (25)
2016
Revision Notes
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CIPS Exam Sample Questions – Learning Objective 4
Exam
Question 4
5
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
Q4:
Explain, using examples, hoe IKEA could assess the performance of its supply
November chain (25)
2013
Revision Notes
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Q4: May
2014
Apples founder and CEO stated that ‘Those jobs aren’t coming back’ in
February 2011 to President Obama. However, in December 2012, Apple
reversed course saying it planned to assemble a line of Mac computers back
in USA. They had joined companies who were ‘re-shoring some of their
manufacturing capability’.
Discuss the factors that Apple might have considered when developing a
strategic supply chain plan ‘res-shoring’ manufacturing capacity from low
cost countries back to the USA. (25)
Revision Notes
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Q4:
Explain, using examples from the case study, how each of the STEEPLE
November factors could be used by Tesco to analyse its supply chain risks. (25)
2014
Revision Notes
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Q4: May
2015
Evaluate the contribution that effective supply chain management may make
achieving competitive advantage in the production of natural gas from shale.
Revision Notes
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Q4: May
2014
A) Outline FOUR component parts of an e-sourcing system that Frank
might introduce into Magna Racing (8)
B) Explain THREE benefits that Magna Racings procurement function
might gain from introducing e-sourcing systems (12)
Revision Notes
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6
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
Q4:
November
2015
A) Summarise a range of factors that are likely to have a positive impact
on the demand for Caterpillar’s main product ranges. (7)
B) Outline the following concepts, highlighting for each concept THREE
examples from the Caterpillar case study:
i) A lean supply chain
ii) An agile supply chain. (18)
Revision Notes
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Q4: May
2016
In the case study, Reuben Slone suggested that ‘supply chain initiatives
typically run out of steam before they get to their end point’.
Explain how Whirlpool could ensure that the changes in its approach
to distribution are sustained and how Whirlpool could overcome any
potential resistance to change from stakeholders. (25)
Revision Notes
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Q4:
Analyse the STEEPLE factors which have an impact on the Boeing supply
November chain. (25 marks)
2016
Revision Notes
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7
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
8
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com
9
Corresponding case studies available in the resources section at aba-procurement.com