Free CIPS L4M7 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 4

Explanation

Holding costs (carrying costs) are the costs associated with the storage and handling of physical stock. There are two different types of holding costs:

- Costs related to the value of the goods: financial costs (i.e. the interest on the working capital tied up in inventory, which may be the bank borrowing rate or the company's target for return on capital); cost of insurance; losses due to product deterioration; losses due to obsolescence and redundancy of inventory; losses due to theft, accidental damage etc.

- Costs related to the physical characteristics of the inventory include the following: storage space; power, heat and lighting of the store; movement equipment; labour costs; administration costs.

Explanation

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the integrated management of main business processes, often in real time and mediated by software and technology. ERP provides an integrated and con-tinuously updated view of core business processes using common databases maintained by a data-base management system. ERP systems track business resources—cash, raw materials, production capacity—and the status of business commitments: orders, purchase orders, and payroll. The applications that make up the system share data across various departments (manufacturing, purchasing, sales, accounting, etc.) that provide the data. ERP facilitates information flow between all business functions and manages connections to outside stakeholders.

Manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) is defined as a method for the effective planning of all resources of a manufacturing company. Ideally, it addresses operational planning in units, financial planning, and has a simulation capability to answer "what-if" questions and extension of closed-loop MRP. This is not exclusively a software function, but the management of people skills, requiring a dedication to database accuracy, and sufficient computer resources. It is a total company management concept for using human and company resources more productively.

A master production schedule (MPS) is a plan for individual commodities to be produced in each time period such as production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. This plan quantifies significant processes, parts, and other resources in order to optimize production, to identify bottlenecks, and to anticipate needs and completed goods. Since a MPS drives much factory activity, its accuracy and viability dramatically affect profitability.

Procure-to-pay (P2P) is a term used in the software industry to designate a specific subdivision of the procurement process. The procure-to-pay systems enable the integration of the purchasing department with the accounts payable (AP) department. Some of the largest players of the software industry agree on a common definition of procure-to-pay, linking the procurement process and financial department.

LO 2, AC 2.3

When selecting a warehouse location, it’s essential to consider:

Cost: The expense of the location directly impacts the budget.

Access to transport networks: Proximity to transportation infrastructure facilitates efficient shipping and receiving.

These factors align with whole-life asset management principles by ensuring cost-effective and accessible storage solutions, contributing to reduced transportation costs and improved logistics.

Explanation

In the scenario, the buying organisation (investment bank) must conduct various types of testing before the deployment of the software system. These tests can be functional testing, factory ac-ceptance testing and/or user acceptance testing. The costs for all these types of testing are classified as acquisition costs with regards of total cost of ownership.

Explanation

Materials that will not easily deteriorate, are generally stored in open or fairly covered areas (stockyard). The materials are usually in bulk, like steel plates or coils casting, timber coal, steel barrels, cable drums, piping, lampposts, lorries, etc.

Stockyards are open or semi-covered areas that are used for the following:

- Bulk loose or packaged materials

- Bulky or oversized items that may be difficult to move inside

- Materials that may require specialised handling, loading or unloading

Below image shows the example of a stockyard that stores loose coal and its handling system.

LO 1, AC 1.1

Explanation

Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software manages material requirements for manufacturing processes.

LO 2, AC 2.3

Multi-story warehouses provide:

Flexible storage options for various inventory types, based on volume, weight, and movement frequency.

Cost savings on land: As vertical space is utilized, less land is needed for the same storage volume, potentially reducing property expenses.

Whole-life asset management considers these factors to maximize storage efficiency while managing real estate costs.