Deck 18: Supply Chain Information Systems and Electronic Sourcing

Question 1

Users must be able to extract from databases the information they need to make better supply chain decisions.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The goal of DRP systems is to integrate all business function planning and processing, and to avoid data interruption to make better business decisions and run the business more effectively and efficiently.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Historically, companies adopted a unified approach to system usage, such that each function could communicate with each other in the company.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Because MRP and DRP systems are primarily external, an additional electronic linkage to suppliers and customers is not needed.

Question 5

When companies map what they believe a process looks like, they discover that the actual process is quite different from what they thought it would look like.

Question 6

When it comes time to create an information system around business processes, few companies discover that they must also reengineer or change their business processes before they can build an information system around them.

Question 7

EDI requires investment in general purpose hardware that could be used for a variety of purposes.

Question 8

Facing increased cost pressure, organizations rely more on people to replace systems.

Question 9

A data warehouse, in theory, is organized around informational subjects rather than specific business processes.

Question 10

Today, software solutions are aimed at collaboration among supply chain partners through point of sale systems, RFID, and other information-sharing systems.

Question 11

In ERP, visibility of specific transactions taking place in each business process is accessible to everyone in the organization.

Question 12

EDI is considered a highly interactive communications medium.

Question 13

Data held in data warehouses are time-dependent, historical data; they may also be aggregated.

Question 14

SRM and CRM applications are directly focused on planning and managing the firm's internal linkages.

Question 15

On the buying side, organizations are becoming much more focused and sophisticated in making decisions involving investments in e-SCM systems.

Question 16

Currently, vendors specializing in CRM and SRM systems tend to provide lower levels of functionality in their chosen areas than do ERP vendors.

Question 17

Increasing the level of integration between logistics and other SCM applications presents firms with both technical and organizational hurdles.

Question 18

Increased redundancy of information between files allows different systems to cross-reference and efficiently use the data contained in all files.

Question 19

In ERP, all processes use unique databases, and information is captured multiple times.

Question 20

In pre-ERP environments, every functional area had its own set of software applications, often running on completely different systems.

Question 21

At the most basic level, information flows record and retrieve critical data, then execute and control physical and monetary flows, and are referred to as _____.

A) Internet-based information technology
B) EDI
C) strategic decision making
D) DSSs
E) transaction processing

Question 22

A _____ system is often used to search for patterns or relationships in the data.

A) routine decision making
B) strategic decision making
C) transaction processing
D) decision support
E) None of the above.

Question 23

In a regular reverse auction, prices are anonymous, and the identity of the competitors is provided to all sellers.

Question 24

A reverse auction is a software tool that extends the tradition bid process to permit suppliers to configure their bids in any number of alternatives ways.

Question 25

Price should be a very important element of the reverse auction process but not the only one.

Question 26

SMAC is the new enterprise IT model delivering an organization that is more connective, collaborative, real-time, and productive.

Question 27

Sell-side e-sourcing systems are controlled by buyers and are tied into the buyers' intranets and extra-nets.

Question 28

A set of SRM sourcing modules acts as an interactive system designed to support purchasing managers in making effective decisions concerning supplier selection, contract management, contract compliance, and so on.

Question 29

Contract management and compliance provides oversight of the front end of the sourcing process.

Question 30

In a _____ system, decisions are automated, with exceptions dealt with manually.

A) transaction processing
B) routine decision making
C) strategic decision making
D) decision support
E) None of the above.

Question 31

A public cloud is a proprietary network or a data center that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people.

Question 32

Real-time updating refers to the process of downloading all data buckets into the main system on a regularly scheduled basis.

Question 33

The most important benefit of a visibility system is not that the system is able to correct a supply chain problem, but that it allows people to become aware of problems earlier and thus take corrective actions more quickly that they would otherwise.

Question 34

B2B marketers are using Facebook and other social networking providers such as LinkedIn to facilitate the sales process.

Question 35

Making information visible does not require a degree of collaboration between the parties.

Question 36

The goal of spend analysis is to determine what goods and services are purchased, what suppliers they are purchased from, and where the demand for the items originates in the organization.

Question 37

Web-based EDI is a much less expensive system than traditional EDI and presents fewer standards issues.

Question 38

The dangers of poor execution of supply chain processes include increased lead and cycle times, higher costs, and less-informed decision making.

Question 39

Participants in blog sites are free to post their reactions, and individuals can respond to other participants' responses.

Question 40

In essence, blog posting encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that is in real time and over the Internet.

Question 41

Which of the following is not one of the primary drivers of new e-SCM systems?​

A) Lean supply.
B) Globalization and communication.
C) Internal and external strategic integration.
D) New business processes.
E) Replacement of legacy systems.

Question 42

All of the following are examples of the primary business processes around which an ERP system is designed except _____.

A) selling a product or service
B) making a product
C) buying a product
D) determining where to locate warehouse facilities
E) costing, paying the bills, and collecting

Question 43

_____ is the determination of the dollar amount and volume of expenditures that an organization makes to provide its products and services and support its operations.

A) TCO
B) Kanban
C) Price forecasting
D) Spend analysis
E) Market analysis

Question 44

_____ systems attempt to allocate fixed logistics capacity in the best possible way, given business requirements.

A) MRP
B) Network design
C) SRM
D) Transportation and warehouse planning
E) Execution

Question 45

A _____ contains the products or services of one or more suppliers.

A) sell-side system
B) buy-side system
C) deliver-side system
D) third-party marketplace
E) 3PL

Question 46

A _____ is controlled by buyers and is tied into their intranets and extra-nets.

A) vertical portal
B) horizontal portal
C) third-party marketplace
D) sell-side system
E) buy-side system

Question 47

A/An _____ is an integrated collection of computer files capable of storing operational data essential for managing a department.

A) EDI system
B) e-catalog
C) database
D) e-sourcing system
E) None of the above.

Question 48

A _____ is an independent firm that neither buys nor sells goods but seeks to facilitate the electronic purchasing process through value enhancement.

A) strategic alliance
B) partnership
C) third-party marketplace
D) horizontal portal
E) None of the above.

Question 49

In a/an _____, sellers are only told their relative rank and thus are not aware of their competitors' prices.

A) vertical portal
B) progressive reverse auction
C) regular reverse auction
D) rank reverse auction
E) None of the above.

Question 50

Which of the following is not one of the spending reduction strategies used following a spend analysis?

A) Consolidation of unrelated purchases.
B) Consolidation of similar purchases.
C) Reduction in the number of suppliers.
D) Reduction of maverick spend.
E) Increased use of more efficient contracting methods.

Question 51

_____ is a communications standard that supports inter-organizational electronic exchange of common business documents and information.

A) MRP
B) DRP
C) SMAC
D) RFID
E) EDI

Question 52

A/An _____ is generally thought of as a decision support tool for collecting information from multiple sources and making that information available to end users in a consolidated, consistent manner.

A) database
B) data warehouse
C) EDI system
D) e-catalog
E) reverse auction

Question 53

In a/an _____, prices are completely visible and revealed to all sellers; only the identity of the competitors remains anonymous to the sellers.

A) regular reverse auction
B) rank reverse auction
C) e-catalog
D) third-party marketplace
E) horizontal portal

Question 54

Which if the following is one of the basic components of an EDI system?​

A) A standard form.
B) A translation capability.
C) A mail service.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 55

A/An _____ records the part numbers or stock keeping units that all firms rely on to identify the thousands of unique purchased entities within a system.

A) open-order and past-due file
B) bill of materials file
C) engineering requirements file
D) part file
E) forecasted demand file

Question 56

A/An _____ system provides the means for tracking organizational resources, including people, processes, and technology.

A) MRP
B) ERP
C) EDI
D) legacy
E) decision support

Question 57

_____ systems kick off and control the movement of materials among supply chain partners.

A) Network design
B) EDI
C) MRP
D) Execution
E) Transaction processing

Question 58

A/An _____ is typically organized around specific e-sourcing suite modules that interact with different elements of the purchasing database, elements of the ERP system, and integration of data obtained through external EDI or web-based communications with suppliers or customers.

A) EDI system
B) SRM system
C) third-party marketplace
D) sell-side system
E) buy-side system

Question 59

_____ applications address such long-term, strategic questions as "Where should we locate warehouses?", and "How large should our transportation fleet be?," often making use of simulation and optimization modeling.

A) Execution
B) Network design
C) MRP
D) JIT
E) None of the above.

Question 60

A _____ is a request to submit a proposal based on a set of specifications provided by a buyer.

A) kanban
B) reverse auction
C) PO
D) bill of materials
E) RFQ

Question 61

A _____ sells services to anyone on the Internet.

A) semi-private cloud
B) private cloud
C) public cloud
D) blog
E) SMAC

Question 62

_____ within the supply chain is the process of sharing critical data required to manage the flow of products, services, and information in real time between suppliers and customers.

A) Information visibility
B) Tweeting
C) EDI
D) SRM
E) CRM

Question 63

_____ refers to the process of downloading all data buckets into the main system on a regularly scheduled basis.

A) DRP
B) Batch updating
C) DSS
D) Real-time updating
E) None of the above.

Question 64

A _____ is a proprietary network or a data center that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people.

A) social network
B) public cloud
C) microblog
D) mobile cloud
E) private cloud

Question 65

Which of the following is not one of the benefits of a supplier performance module in an e-sourcing suite?

A) Providing input into supplier selection considering total costs, not just price.
B) Isolating supplier process inefficiencies.
C) Improving total cycle times.
D) Providing suppliers with reliable feedback on their historical performance.
E) Updating a supplier's physical address and contact information.

Question 66

_____ is the new enterprise IT model delivering an organization that is more connective, collaborative, real-time, and productive.

A) RFID
B) SMAC
C) EDI
D) E-sourcing
E) None of the above.

Question 67

[A] _____ is a process in which all data files that include a specific address are automatically updated within the system.

A) Batch updating
B) MRP
C) Real-time updating
D) Data bucket
E) EDI system

Question 68

_____ is Internet-based, and users share software and other information that is provided to computers and mobile devices on demand.

A) ERP
B) EDI
C) Cloud computing
D) A value-added network
E) None of the above.

Question 69

According to Gartner, _____ is high volume, high velocity, and/or high variety information assets that require new forms of processing to enable enhanced decision making, insight discovery, and process optimization.

A) DMAIC
B) SMAC
C) RFID
D) big data
E) cloud computing