[Full-Version] 2026 Updated CIPS Study Guide L4M2 Dumps Questions
Newest L4M2 Exam Dumps Achieve Success in Actual L4M2 Exam
CIPS Level 4M2 Defining Business Needs module is designed for procurement and supply professionals who are looking to enhance their skills in identifying and analyzing business needs. This module covers a range of topics, including stakeholder analysis, market analysis, and risk management. By taking this module, learners will be able to develop effective procurement strategies that meet the needs of their organization.
CIPS L4M2 exam is designed to be challenging and comprehensive. It covers a wide range of topics related to business needs analysis, including business strategies, stakeholder analysis, requirements gathering, gap analysis, and solution evaluation. Candidates must demonstrate a thorough understanding of each of these topics and their practical application in real-world business scenarios.
CIPS L4M2 (Defining Business Needs) Exam is an important certification for professionals who want to develop their skills in procurement and supply chain management. L4M2 exam is designed to test the ability of individuals to identify and define business needs, and to develop effective procurement strategies to meet those needs. L4M2 exam covers a range of topics, including the procurement process, stakeholder management, and risk management.
NEW QUESTION # 158
Buyers are more powerful than the supplier when they are purchasing from monopoly market. Is this statement true?
- A. True, suppliers in monopoly market produce homogenous products
- B. False, buyer will lack negotiating power on cost if the supplier has a monopoly in the market
- C. False, the buyer will be unable to track and manage supplier's performance
- D. True, in monopoly market, buyer's switching costs from the incumbent supplier to an-other are relatively low
Answer: B
Explanation:
A monopoly is a market with a single seller (called the monopolist) but with many buyers. In this market, the bargaining power of supplier is higher than of buyer since the supplier is the only seller.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 88-92
- Bargaining Power of Suppliers - Factors that Give Suppliers Power (corporatefinanceinsti-tute.com)
- Monopoly - Understanding How Monopolies Impact Markets (corporatefinanceinstitute.com) LO 2, AC 2.2
NEW QUESTION # 159
Total cost of ownership of a solar panel is $5,000 and it is expected that the panel will make a sav-ing of $1,000 each year. So it would take 5 years for the benefits to repay the investment. Therefore, the firm plans to keep the solar panel for at least 5 years. Is payback period calculation right for making the business decision?
- A. No, because payback period doesn't take into account price fluctuations
- B. No, because payback period can be only used to calculate the depreciation of a fixed asset
- C. Yes, because payback period shows how long the firm recovers the investment
- D. Yes, because it takes everything into account
Answer: C
Explanation:
There are many factors that need to be considered when making a business decision. Costs and benefits are among those factor. To estimate the length of time in which an investment reaches a break-even point, businesses often use the payback period. The payback period refers to the amount of time it takes to recover the cost of an investment.
'Yes, because it takes everything into account': It ignores the time value of money (TVM), unlike other methods of capital budgeting such as net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and discounted cash flow.
'No, because payback period doesn't take into account price fluctuations': Though it doesn't take into account price fluctuation, payback period is still useful in financial and capital budgeting.
'No, because payback period can be only used to calculate the depreciation of a fixed asset': Payback period only calculates the length of time in which the benefits of a charge repay its costs.
LO 1, AC 1.3
NEW QUESTION # 160
Which of the following are prerequisites to run a successful bidding process? Select TWO that apply:
- A. The value of the purchase must be high enough to justify the associated bidding costs of potential suppliers
- B. Only those suppliers who have worked with the buyer in the past are allowed to bid
- C. The requirement can be met without the need for subcontracting
- D. The market contains an adequate number of suitably qualified suppliers
- E. Bids must be submitted within twenty calendar days
Answer: A,D
Explanation:
Detailed Explanation:
* A (Purchase value): A competitive bidding process is only justifiable when the cost of running it is outweighed by its potential value.
* B (Qualified suppliers): Ensuring a sufficient number of capable suppliers promotes competition and delivers better results.Restricting suppliers (C) or rigid timeframes (D) can hinder the process, while subcontracting (E) is not a core consideration in most bids. Reference: CIPS Level 4, Bidding and Tendering.
NEW QUESTION # 161
One of the disadvantages of using standards in specification is that...
- A. Standards tend to be rigid and they often don't encourage innovation
- B. Standards lengthen the time to produce a specification
- C. Standards tend to be inaccurate and ambiguous, causing confusion among suppliers
- D. Standards don't allow the buyers to add health and safety requirements into the specification
Answer: A
Explanation:
Using standards in specification is very convenient. They reduce the time and effort to produce. They tend to be very accurate with correct technical terminologies. They are well recognised and accepted by a wide range of suppliers and buyers. However, since a standard is very specific, complex and lengthy, it requires a lot of time to be drafted and approved. Therefore, standard tends to be static and don't encourage innovation. It may also not accommodate latest technology and trends.
NEW QUESTION # 162
At which stage of product life cycle, price competition between sellers will be the most intense?
- A. Growth stage
- B. Decline stage
- C. Introductory stage
- D. Maturity stage
Answer: B
Explanation:
The term product life cycle refers to the length of time a product is introduced to consumers into the market until it's removed from the shelves. The life cycle of a product is broken into four stages-introduction, growth, maturity, and decline.
Chart, line chart Description automatically generated
Source: https://blueoceanoutsource.co.ke/the-product-life-cycle-concept/ At maturity stage, price competition sets in as more and more supply capacity has been added by new entrants, then the competition will be the most intense.
NEW QUESTION # 163
Lucy, a junior procurement analyst, has been asked to assess the competitive forces in the garden furniture market. XYZ Ltd is the largest producer of garden furniture in the country. It produces 70% of all the garden furniture manufactured, while the second largest manufacturer produces less than 5% of the garden furniture for the country. Which power does XYZ Ltd possess?
- A. Supplier bargaining power
- B. Substitute power
- C. Buyer bargaining power
- D. Purchasing power
Answer: A
NEW QUESTION # 164
A food manufacturer wants to predict the pricing point for a new and innovative health drink. Which method of market research would be beneficial to receive the most accurate information?
- A. Focus groups
- B. Internet searches
- C. Consumer data
- D. Sales trends
Answer: C
Explanation:
Detailed Explanation:Consumer data provides specific, measurable insights into purchasing behavior, preferences, and willingness to pay. This is the most accurate method for setting a pricing strategy, as it uses real-world data rather than subjective opinions or generic trends. Reference: CIPS Level 4, Market Research Techniques.
NEW QUESTION # 165
Department for Transport (DfT) needs to buy new locomotives to expand the capacity of trains fleet. In 2009, they were criticized for beginning the procurement "without any clear idea of how many trains would be needed, which routes they would run on and what form of power would be required". What should procurement manager of DfT do first to manage risk in making the specification?
- A. Implement mitigating actions
- B. Identify the possible risks
- C. Assess the potential risks
- D. Monitor the potential risks
Answer: B
Explanation:
There are 4 steps to risk managing process:
Step 1: Identify hazards
Step 2: Assess the risk
Once a risk has been identified, a risk assessment should be conducted.
You should carry out a risk assessment for any manual tasks identified as being hazardous, unless the risk is well known and you know how to control it. A risk assessment can help you determine, which postures, movements and forces of the task pose a risk, where during the task they pose a risk, why they are occurring and what needs to be fixed.
Step 3: Control the risk
The ways of controlling risks are ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest, which is known as the hierarchy of control. You must always aim to eliminate the hazard, which is the most effective control.
Step 4: Review risk control
Control measures that have been implemented must be reviewed, and, if necessary, revised to make sure they work as planned and to maintain a work environment that is without risks to health and safety.
Source: WorkCover Queensland
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.3
NEW QUESTION # 166
Simon has received a requisition for a product identical to one already purchased, but this time the product requires specific customer-branded packaging. What type of purchase is this?
- A. Modified re-buy
- B. Unmodified re-buy
- C. New buy
- D. Straight re-buy
Answer: A
Explanation:
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (from CIPS L4M2: Specification and Buying Situations) CIPS identifies three main buying types:
* Straight re-buy - same product, same conditions.
* Modified re-buy - some aspects changed (e.g. packaging, quantity, or delivery).
* New buy - first-time purchase.
Since the product is the same but the packaging is changed, it fits modified re-buy.
Relevant CIPS L4M2 Sections:
* Buying situations and procurement complexity
* Modified re-buy examples
NEW QUESTION # 167
Royal Navy is preparing a through-life contract. They put to the contract a term on rectification of operational defects and planning and delivery of Fleet Time Support Periods. Which part of through-life requirement does this term belong to?
- A. In-service support
- B. Customer support
- C. Manufacture
- D. Installation
Answer: A
Explanation:
There are 6 main components of the through-life requirements of an asset: Design, Manufacture, Installation, In-service support, Decommission and disposal and Customer support.
Rectification of operational defects and planning and delivery of Fleet Time Support Periods are maintenance activities which belong to in-service support. You may have chosen Customer support. However, in through- life asset management context, customer support does not include maintenance services. Instead, it is the services that go along the stages of asset life. It may include consulting, communication and information exchange.
Diagram, table Description automatically generated
Source: Andrew Graves
Reference: CIPS page 130-131
LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 168
When procuring a machinery, at which stage buyer must check whether it is working to the stand-ards set out in the design specification?
- A. Maintenance and repair activities
- B. Customer support
- C. Manufacture
- D. Installation
Answer: D
Explanation:
Through-life Management involves the life-cycle management of the products, services and activities required to deliver a fully integrated capability to the customer, while reducing the cost of ownership for the customer.
Diagram, table Description automatically generated
Source: Andrew Graves
The installation stage occurs in In-Service Operations. At this stage, the machinery is shipped and installed on the buyer's premises and check to ensure that it is working to the standards set out in the design specification.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 130
LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 169
The main benefit of using standards in a specification is ...
- A. it will ensure the latest technology standards are kept up to date
- B. that standards allow the supplier to give the buyer a bespoke product
- C. that standards provide a clear guide with no ambiguity or uncertainty
- D. that British standards are aligned with all other international standards
Answer: C
NEW QUESTION # 170
Which of the following is a risk to buying organization when using conformance specification?
- A. Buyer is responsible for product failure
- B. Buyer cannot control the inputs
- C. Time to produce specification is shortened
- D. Buyer may face liquidity risks
Answer: A
Explanation:
When using conformance specification, the buying organisation is responsible for the performance of the purchase. If the product fails due to poorly designed specification, the buyer is wholly responsible for it. It cannot blame the supplier for the failure because they still provided 'fit for purpose' product.
'Time to produce specification is shortened': Conformance specification requires details on dimen-sion, materials, design, etc. With such requirements, time to produce a complete conformance specification is often longer than producing performance specification.
'Buyer cannot control the inputs': Conformance specification is a list of inputs from buyer, so buyer has control over the inputs that will make the product. It also means that buyer is responsible for any product failure.
'Buyer may face liquidity risks': Liquidity means that how quick a business turns its assets into cash. This is a financial term, it does not link directly with specification failure.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 118-119
LO 3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 171
A procurement organisation is keen to encourage innovation available within the supply market in the execution of an upcoming significant contract opportunity. A team member suggests that the specification should define the performance indicators so that supplier's solution can be checked against them. Which of the following will enable the organisation to achieve this goal?
- A. Applying a precise performance framework
- B. Establishing transparent selection criteria
- C. Using an output focused specification
- D. Using an outcome focused specification
Answer: C
Explanation:
The buying organisation is keen to encourage innovation so they should use the outcome or output based specification. In an outcome-based specification, umbrella statements like 'good quality', 'ambient temperature', 'convenient way' are often used. This may confuse the suppliers, and it's hard to check the solution that supplier offers. On the other hand, ouput-based specifications often include measurable requirements. For example, a specification for air conditioning system states that the system should maintain the room temperature at 19-24 degrees Celsius. Therefore, output specification is more appropriate in this case.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 119-124
LO 3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 172
A charity is reviewing their spend and budget after an operation in flooded areas. They realise that the operators save money against the budgeting plan. This saving is known as...?
- A. Positive budget
- B. Negative variance
- C. Positive variance
- D. Negative budget
Answer: B
Explanation:
The difference between the actual spend and budgeted spend is known as variance. The formula for variance is:
Variance = Actual spend - Budgeted spend
Variances can be adverse/unfavourable or favourable ie they can be positive or negative.
Be very careful with these terms. A positive or a negative variance may be favourable or it may be adverse/ unfavourable.
Adverse variances
Adverse variances are those variances that are unfavourable to the firm. Examples would be sales below plan; costs above budget, cash receipts lower than expected, and overtime payment more than forecast.
Favourable variances
Favourable variances are those variances that are beneficial to the business. Examples would be sales ahead of plan, costs below budget, and wages below forecast.
Positive variance
A positive variance occurs where 'actual' exceeds 'planned' or 'budgeted' value. Examples might be actual sales are ahead of the budget.
Negative variance
A negative variance occurs where 'actual' is less than 'planned' or 'budgeted' value. Examples would be when the raw materials cost less than expected, sales were less than predicted, and labour costs were below the budgeted figure.
When the operators create saving, it means that the Actual spend is less than Budgeted spend. Therefore the variance is negative.
NEW QUESTION # 173
Which of the following are main focuses of ISO 27001:2013 standard?
1. Confidentiality
2. Logistics
3. Process
4. Life cycle
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 3 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 2 and 3 only
Answer: A
Explanation:
This International Standard (ISO 27001:2013) has been prepared to provide requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system. The adoption of an information security management system is a strategic decision for an organization. The establishment and implementation of an organization's information security management system is influenced by the organization's needs and objectives, security requirements, the organizational processes used and the size and structure of the organization. All of these influencing factors are expected to change over time.
The information security management system preserves the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information by applying a risk management process and gives confidence to interested parties that risks are adequately managed.
It is important that the information security management system is part of and integrated with the organization's processes and overall management structure and that information security is considered in the design of processes, information systems, and controls. It is expected that an information security management system implementation will be scaled in accordance with the needs of the organization.
This International Standard can be used by internal and external parties to assess the organization's ability to meet the organization's own information security requirements.
The order in which requirements are presented in this International Standard does not reflect their importance or imply the order in which they are to be implemented. The list items are enumerated for reference purpose only.
ISO/IEC 27000 describes the overview and the vocabulary of information security management systems, referencing the information security management system family of standards (includ-ing ISO/IEC 27003[2], ISO/IEC 27004[3] and ISO/IEC 27005[4]), with related terms and defini-tions.
Reference:
- ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information technology - Security techniques - Information security management systems - Requirements LO 3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 174
Ymira is asked to develop the specification for water purifier which will be used at the company headquarter.
She believes that the specification can be drafted based on the information available on the Internet, such as blog posts, comparison websites, how-to websites, life hacks, etc. Which of the following traits will make the information more useful?
- A. Objectivity
- B. Written by inexperienced author
- C. Subjectivity
- D. Promotional information
- E. Trustworthy sources
Answer: A,E
Explanation:
Internet is a great source of information, however, information from the Internet needs to be tested for accuracy and reliability. To check the information from the Internet, a buyer can use the criteria with acronym SAMOA:
Source (of the information)
Audience (intended as the recipient of the information)
Methodology (used to collect and analyse the data)
Objectivity (of the information - there should be no bias)
Accuracy
Reference: CIPS study guide page 125-126
LO 3, AC 3.1
NEW QUESTION # 175
Which of the following are typical benefits of through-life asset management to buying organisa-tion? Select the TWO that apply.
- A. Lower total cost of ownership
- B. Shorter specifications
- C. Better capability of supplier over time
- D. Lower risks as there are many suppliers accountable for costs and service over the life of the asset
- E. Greater supplier's bargaining power
Answer: A,C
Explanation:
According to Andrew Graves, "Through-life Management involves the life-cycle management of the products, services and activities required to deliver a fully integrated capability to the customer, while reducing the cost of ownership for the customer." Benefits of through-life asset management can be:
- Lower total life-cycle costs
- Better match between the asset and end-user's needs
- Better supplier capabilities over time because it gains experience of buying organisation's needs.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 131
LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 176
At which stage of through-life contract management, procurement team needs to identify sources of risk and the ways to mitigate them?
- A. Tendering stage
- B. Specification stage
- C. Supplier relationship stage
- D. Contracting stage
Answer: C
Explanation:
Risk management has become incredibly complex, especially for capital purchase which requires through-life contract. Any source of risks should be identified and closely managed from the specification stage.
There should be sufficient information in the specification to minimise risks later in the through-life contract. Here is something to consider:
- Make sure the parties to the contract are clearly identified. This is particularly important if a prime contractor is being used. Allow them to subcontract elements of the specification.
- Clearly identify any testing and quality assurance procedures and who will perform them.
- Document every important aspect of the specification including a project plan
- Include a reasonable limitation of liability clause in the contract and reference it in the specifica-tion
- Identify any guarantees that are needed
- Be clear on what insurance will and will not cover
- Make sure there is clear audit trail of any changes to the specification together with approvals LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 177
British Steel needs to source a set of instruments that will improve quality of steel. Without these instruments British Steel will loss control of the temperature. The bucket may freeze up, or if it is too hot it leaks out of the casting process, damaging the machine. There is limited supply on the market and quality varies greatly. Which of the following will be the most appropriate managing approach to procure these items?
- A. Seek continuity of supply
- B. Bundle these instruments into larger contract
- C. Form partnership with supplier
- D. Leverage market competition to drive down cost
Answer: C
Explanation:
The instrument plays a crucial role in steel manufacturing because it presents in the majority of products, in which case lacking this instrument would have significant impact on the organisation's output (production lines stop or damaging other machine). Otherwise, the risk of supply is high because there is limitation in supply. Therefore, it is considered as a strategic item in term of Kraljic's portfolio matrix. Procurement manager should form partnership with suppliers to maximise the value.
The following graph illustrates Kraljic's portfolio matrix:
Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.1
NEW QUESTION # 178
A procurement manager is requested to source a major component. She needs information on sup-pliers' direct and indirect cost, fixed and variable costs to prepare for negotiations. Therefore, she collects 17 annual reports from potential suppliers who are competing in the same industry. In order to estimate an approximate value of fixed and variable costs in that industry, which of the following technique should be adopted by the procurement manager?
- A. Line of best fit
- B. Total cost of ownership
- C. Open-book costing
- D. Variance calculation
Answer: A
Explanation:
Public annual reports can be a source of information that helps the procurement professional to analyse an industry's cost and revenue using the line of best fit. Line of best fit is one of the most important outputs of regression analysis. Regression refers to a quantitative measure of the relationship between one or more independent variables and a resulting dependent variable. Regression is of use to professionals in a wide range of fields from science and public service to financial analysis.
In this case, by collecting and analysing 17 annual reports, the procurement manager can find the line of best fit which goes approximately through the middle of the data points with an equal num-ber of data points above and below it.
The slope of the line of best fit is the approximate variable costs the industry. The easiest way to calculate it is to take a point at the right-hand end of the line of best fit and note its cost and output levels. Divide the cost by the output and this gives and approximate figure for the cost per unit of output or variable cost. This gives an approximate value for the industry fixed and variable costs.
NEW QUESTION # 179
At which stage of through-life contract management, procurement team needs to identify sources of risk and the ways to mitigate them?
- A. Tendering stage
- B. Specification stage
- C. Supplier relationship stage
- D. Contracting stage
Answer: C
Explanation:
Risk management has become incredibly complex, especially for capital purchase which requires through-life contract. Any source of risks should be identified and closely managed from the specification stage.
There should be sufficient information in the specification to minimise risks later in the through-life contract.
Here is something to consider:
- Make sure the parties to the contract are clearly identified. This is particularly important if a prime contractor is being used. Allow them to subcontract elements of the specification.
- Clearly identify any testing and quality assurance procedures and who will perform them.
- Document every important aspect of the specification including a project plan
- Include a reasonable limitation of liability clause in the contract and reference it in the specifica-tion
- Identify any guarantees that are needed
- Be clear on what insurance will and will not cover
- Make sure there is clear audit trail of any changes to the specification together with approvals LO 3, AC 3.2
NEW QUESTION # 180
Which of the following problems may be identified as open-ended problems? Select TWO that apply:
- A. The suppliers don't comply with the company's policy on underage labour.
- B. A cyber attack takes down whole company's IT system
- C. Shortage of key medicines in healthcare industry
- D. Logistics costs incur a large portion in wholesale prices
- E. Engine failures cause flight cancellations.
Answer: A,D
Explanation:
Open-ended problem is something stopping the achievement of an objective or blocking progress. To solve this type of problems, procurement professional should find a way to unblock the block-age. In the above question, high logistics cost is an obstacle to cost cutting objective while suppli-er's incompliance prevents the company to achieve its sustainable objective.
NEW QUESTION # 181
Which of the following is an assumption of Kano model?
- A. All customer requirements are basic requirements
- B. Different types of customer requirements have different impact on customer satisfaction
- C. The relationship between product functionality and customer satisfaction is always linear
- D. All types of customer requirements have the same impact on customer satisfaction
Answer: B
Explanation:
Kano model of excitement and basic quality (Kano et al, 1984; Berger et al, 1993; Matzler et al, 1996) brings a different perspective for the analysis of improvement opportunities in products and services because it takes in consideration the asymmetrical and non-linear relationship between performance and satisfaction. The Kano model classifies customers requirements in three categories (figure 3):
a) Basic Requirements. The basic requirements fulfill the basic functions of a product. If they are not present or their performance is insufficient, customers will be extremely dissatisfied. On the other hand, if they are present or have sufficient performance, they don't bring satisfaction. Customers see them as prerequisites. For instance, for luxury automobiles, "air bags" are considered basic. A customer won't feel satisfied if the automobile has "air bag", however he/she will not buy it if "air bag" is not present.
b) Performance Requirements. As for these requirements, satisfaction is proportional to the performance level
- the higher the performance, the higher the customer's satisfaction will be and vice-versa. Gas consumption in automobiles is an example of these requirements. Usually customers explicitly demand performance requirements.
c) Excitement Requirements. These requirements are key to customer satisfaction. If they are pre-sent or have sufficient performance, they will bring superior satisfaction. On the other hand, if they are not present or their performance is insufficient, customers will not get dissatisfied. For instance, a surprise gift at the end of a dinner in a restaurant will certainly bring satisfaction, but it will not cause dissatisfaction if not offered. These requirements are not demanded nor expected by customers.
Two other types of requirements may be identified in the Kano model: neutral and reverse ones. Neutral requirements do not bring either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Reverse requirements bring more satisfaction if absent than if present.
Diagram Description automatically generated
Reference:
- Integrating Kano model and QFD for Designing New Products
- CIPS study guide page 171-172
NEW QUESTION # 182
......
Updated CIPS L4M2 Dumps – Check Free L4M2 Exam Dumps: https://www.freecram.com/CIPS-certification/L4M2-exam-dumps.html
Valid L4M2 exam with CIPS Real Exam Questions: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1P1UZfVld-eAnHsDTTFs8FY5RXPIujTCw