Free CIPS L4M3 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 5

According to USLegal Inc, fitness for purpose refers to the standard that must be met by a seller in the course of a business. Generally, when a buyer makes known to a seller the particular purpose for which the goods are bought, there is an implied condition that the goods are reasonably fit for that purpose (customer's requirements, needs, or desires). Specification is the ground for deciding whether goods received are fit for purpose.

We already know that there are two types of specifications: conformance and performance specifications. With conformance specification, the buyer lists out technical requirements to which the goods must conform. Lacking of any requirement may be enough for the goods to be unfit. On the other hand, if performance specification is in use, the goods must be fit for specific outputs that buyer has listed in the specification.

Providing the 'fit for purpose' goods is one of the fundamental obligations of seller in sale contract. Unfulfilling this obligation would lead to legal consequences. If the goods are unfit for purpose, seller may have to:

- replace the non-conforming goods

- pay the damages to the buyer

Express terms are the terms of the agreement which are expressly agreed between the parties. Ideally, they will be written down in a contract between the parties but where the contract is agreed verbally, they will be the terms discussed and agreed between the parties.

Implied terms are terms implied into the contract by the courts. They are not expressly set out in the contract but are taken to be as effective as if they were and as if they had been included from day one of the contract. The express terms and any implied terms together create the legally binding obligations on the parties.

The types of express terms to be found in a contract are many and varied and will depend on the type of contract. Any term written into the contract is an express term and may refer to price, time scales, warranties and indemnities, limitations on liability, conditions precedent and so on.

An implied term is a term which the courts imply into a contract because it has not been expressly included by the parties. This may be because the parties did not consider it, did not think that any problem would arise in relation to it or simply omitted to include it.

The courts are very reluctant to imply terms into contracts and will only do so in the following circumstances:

1. terms implied under statute

2. terms implied under common law

3. terms implied because of custom or usage

4. terms implied due to previous dealings

5. terms implied ‘in fact’ or to reflect the parties’ intentions

When a party takes on a contractual obligation, they are legally required to perform the obligation.

That same contracting party is still entitled to subcontract out the work to another service provider, unless the contract:

- is a contract for personal services, such an employment contract

- contains an express term preventing subcontracting out the work, or an implied term

Subcontracting clauses are written to control whether the contractor is entitled to subcontract, and how purchaser shall control that subcontracting process.

If the deliveries often delay, buyer should use KPI to measure how many missed deliveries there are and the percentage of total missed deliveries on total number of deliveries for period. OTIF (one-time in-full) delivery might help.

Consignment stock availability means that the supplier holds adequate range/number of units of stock to offer a reliable service

Delay damages are the consequences caused by delay of deliveries

Technical support is the acceptable quality of technical information/support provided by supplier for goods supplied.

LO 2, AC 2.2

To solve the question, you must distinguish the following notion:

- Offer: The case of Storer v Manchester City Council [1974] 1 WLR 1403 outlines that an offer is: An expression of willingness to contract on specified terms, with the intention that it is to be binding once accepted

- Acceptance: in order for a contract to be formed, the offer must be accepted. Acceptance represents the meeting of the minds of the parties to the contract – both agree to exchange something for the other (payment, services, goods, etc.).

- Counter offer: is an offer made in response to a prior offer.

- Invitation to treat: An important distinction to make in contract law is that between an offer and an invitation to treat. An invitation to treat is usually an invitation for another party to make an offer. It may also be defined as an indication that a party is open to negotiation.

Here are some key distinctions of offers and invitation to treats.

Offer:

* Certain promise to be bound

* Clear and specified terms

* The conduct or words of the party show certainty

* There is no room for negotiation

Invitation to treat:

* There is room for negotiation

* There is an invitation for offers

* There is a request for information

* Lack of certainty

In the scenario above, initially Michelle just gives an invitation to treat because she is asking whether Hannah is interested to buy her car (request for information from Hannah). Hannah may reject or go into a negotiation with Michelle. Then, Hannah makes an offer by taking the money andshows her intention to be legally bound. At this point, when Hannah's offer is present, Michelle can accept or reject. When she rejects, the contract is not formed. The answer must be "No, because Michelle has rejected Hannah's offer on buying the car".

Advantages of using invitation to tender may be as below:

No Nepotism: Tenders or bids are evaluated on the basis of certain predetermined criteria, such asprice, quality and value for money. In other words, the firm offering the highest quality product or service at the lowest price point would win the contract. As most tender documents are opened and evaluated in a public process, I think that there remains little room for nepotism or favoritism of any kind.

Value for Money: From the perspective of the client, tenders offer the greatest value for the amount of money spent. This is due to the fact that the client can choose from a wide pool of potential suppliers to select the ones that can produce the highest quality product or service at the lowest price point. This allows the company, establishment or organization to save money without having to compromise on quality. Therefore, despite being quite time consuming, tendering is, in my opinion, a profitable long-term process from an organization’s point of view.

Encourages Competition: The process of tendering helps promote a competitive market. This is because a number of potential contractors, firms or suppliers get a chance to bid for every project. And because selection depends on quality and price, every bidder tries to reduce operational inefficiencies and redundancies as much as possible in order to lower expenses and improve quality. This entire process encourages healthy competition in the market and prevents complacency and laziness, which in turn provides a boost to innovation and new ideas.

Easier Entry: The system of tendering makes it easier and simpler for new firms to enter the market or even a particular industry. This is due to the fact that contracts under this system are awarded on the basis of predetermined, objective criteria. As a result, even a firm that is a new entrant to the market, having no connections or contacts in the industry, can win a prestigious and lucrative contract by providing the highest value for the client’s money. This process therefore helps new firms to quickly get a foothold in the market or industry, thus significantly lowering the traditional barriers to entry.

In the contract term, the buyer agrees to pay the contractor the cost of doing project plus a profit. This is an example of cost-plus pricing arrangement.

On the other hand, "Fixed-pricing arrangement" often refers to lump-sum contract or supply/service contract with fixed price. "Incentive pricing arrangement" and "Gain-share/pain-share arrangement" have the same meaning. In this type of arrangement, both supplier and buyer agree on a target (it can be cost, or lead time, or quality, etc). Once the supplier reaches that target, it will be rewarded with a portion of the gain that the buyer gets, and will pay the price if it fails.

Standards are incorporated into specifications by simply cross-refering to the relevant standard by its number and date of publication. It is important to include the date of publication. All standardsare reviewed from time to time and their content changes. The absence of the publication date will lead to disrupts over which version of the standard actually applies to the contract.

Service level agreement often sets out the minimum quality standards of the services provided, remedies if that standards are not met, consequences if the targets are exceeded. Penalty clauses and service credits are remedies that are often used in conjunction with service level agreement to ensure the performance and to compensate the purchaser if targets are not met.

KPIs and the targets for supplier should be SMART:

- Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve?

- Measurable: How will you identify that you have achieved your goal?

- Achievable: Is your goal really attainable?

- Relevant: Is it relevant to you or, in other words, does it align with where you want to be?

- Time-bound (or timely): When will you deliver your goal, and what are the key milestones?

The two KPIs (Delivery in one hour, Return orders in one hour) are not realistic and achievable for international suppliers. Therefore, you should not put such high targets for supplier.