Pass the APICS CPIM CPIM-8.0 Questions and answers with CertsForce

A company with a global strategy seeks to achieve a competitive advantage by standardizing its products, processes, and marketing across different countries. It leverages economies of scale and scope, as well as global brand recognition, to gain market share and profitability. It does not adapt to local preferences or conditions, but rather imposes a uniform approach to all markets. References: EXAM CONTENT MANUAL PREVIEW, page 6, section 1.1.2. Strategic Supply Chain Management: The Five Core Disciplines for Top Performance, Second Edition, page 19, section 1.2.

A supplier certification program is a formal process of evaluating and approving potential suppliers based on certain criteria, such as quality, delivery, cost, and service. The purpose of a supplier certification program is to ensure that the suppliers meet the standards and expectations of the company and to reduce the risks and costs associated with poor supplier performance. A supplier certification program should start with the suppliers of “A” classified items, which are the most critical and valuable items for the company. These items have the highest impact on the company’s profitability and customer satisfaction, and therefore require the highest level of supplier reliability and quality. By certifying the suppliers of “A” classified items, the company can improve its supply chain performance and reduce its dependence on inspection and corrective actions. This aligns with CPIM’s focus on plan and manage supply and plan and manage distribution. References: The concepts are covered in detail in Module 3: Supply Management (1 and Module 7: Distribution and Logistics Management (2. You can also find more information about supplier certification programs from these sources: 3, 4, and 5.

The correct answer is C. Increasing cost of sales .

ROI measures return relative to the investment required to generate that return. The study material gives the ROI logic as: “Average Return on investment = annual net income * 100/ Initial cash investment.”

If cost of sales increases , annual net income decreases, assuming selling price and sales volume do not increase enough to offset the cost increase. Lower net income reduces ROI. Increasing prices and increasing sales volume generally improve revenue and profit, while reducing inventory levels usually reduces investment tied up in assets, which can improve ROI.

Therefore, the best answer is C , because increasing cost of sales reduces profitability and therefore decreases return on investment.

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The master scheduler has the authority to change the product mix in the master scheduling process. The product mix is the combination and proportion of different products or product families that the company offers to its customers. The master scheduler can adjust the product mix based on the customer demand, the production capacity, the inventory levels, and the strategic objectives of the company. The master scheduler can also use the product mix to balance the demand and supply, to optimize the resource utilization, and to maximize the profitability. The other options are not correct, as they are items that the master scheduler does not have the authority to change in the master scheduling process, but rather inputs or constraints that the master scheduler has to follow or consider:

Aggregate volume is the total quantity of products or product families that the company plans to produce and deliver in a given period. Aggregate volume is determined by the sales and operations planning (S & OP) process, which involves the senior management and the functional managers of the company. The master scheduler has to align the master production schedule (MPS) with the aggregate volume, and cannot change it without the approval of the S & OP team.

Engineering change effectivity date is the date when a change in the design or specification of a product or a component becomes effective. Engineering change effectivity date is determined by the engineering department, which is responsible for the product development and innovation. The master scheduler has to incorporate the engineering change effectivity date into the MPS, and cannot change it without the approval of the engineering department.

Customer order quantities are the amounts of products or product families that the customers order from the company. Customer order quantities are determined by the market demand and the customer preferences. The master scheduler has to satisfy the customer order quantities as much as possible, and cannot change them without the approval of the customers or the sales and marketing department. References:

[CPIM Part 2 - Section A - Topic 1 - Sales and Operations Planning]

Master Production Schedule (MPS)

Product Mix

Aggregate Planning

Engineering Change Management

Customer Order Management

The correct answer is B. Work center .

A manufacturing routing defines the path an item follows through production. It identifies the operations to be performed and where they are performed. Therefore, a work center is a required routing data element. Queue time may be used in scheduling or lead-time calculations, order quantity is not a routing element, and efficiency factor is a work-center/capacity parameter rather than the required routing identifier.

Exact extract: “The time material spends waiting to be processed at a work centre or resource; in effect the difference between when the operation should start and when it actually starts. Queue time may only be calculated during the scheduling process or averaged using historical data.”

The practice material also confirms that routing is tied to operations and work centers: “Existing queue time can be eliminated if a job’s priority is high enough to bypass all other jobs waiting at the work center.”

Therefore, the required routing data element among the options is work center .

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