Deck 11: Distribution Customer Service and Logistics

Question 1

Most physical distribution decisions involve trade-offs between costs, the customer service level, and sales.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Most physical distribution decisions involve trade-offs between costs, the customer service level, and sales.

Question 2

Better information flows make it easier to coordinate activities, improve efficiency, and add value for the customer.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Better information flows make it easier to coordinate activities, improve efficiency, and add value for the customer.

Question 3

Logistics costs vary little between developed economies like the U.S. and developing economies like Africa.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Developed economies in the United States spend about 9 to 15 percent of GDP on logistics related costs, while in the developing economies of Africa costs are 30 percent or more.

Question 4

Advance information on product availability affects physical distribution (PD) service levels.

Question 5

Logistics focuses on the handling of goods along a channel of distribution but not within individual firms.

Question 6

A firm may spend 50 percent or more of its total marketing dollars on PD activities.

Question 7

The total cost approach involves evaluating each possible PD system and identifying all the transportation costs associated with each alternative.

Question 8

Information technology involves a trade-off because it cannot improve service levels and cut costs at the same time.

Question 9

Higher physical distribution service levels is not a source of differentiation.

Question 10

The physical distribution concept seeks to minimize the cost of distribution for a given customer service level.

Question 11

The physical distribution concept is based on the idea that selecting the lowest cost transporting alternative and the lowest cost storing alternative will result in the lowest total distribution cost.

Question 12

With the PD concept, firms decide what specific service level to provide their customers.

Question 13

The PD concept seeks to maximize the profit for a given customer service level.

Question 14

A marketing manager should never increase the total cost of distribution-even if this would result in a better customer service level for his target market.

Question 15

For many physical goods, firms spend half or more of their total marketing dollars on physical distribution activities.

Question 16

Retailers selling a new product that is in hot demand-like the latest DVD release or a best selling book-would be unlikely to incur higher costs for faster delivery.

Question 17

In countries where physical distribution systems are inefficient, consumers face shortages of the products they need.

Question 18

The physical distribution concept focuses on lower costs and better service to increase customer value.

Question 19

Physical distribution is the part of marketing that is visible to most customers.

Question 20

Whenever Product includes a physical good, Place requires logistics decisions.

Question 21

Every firm should try to use the just-in-time approach to physical distribution.

Question 22

JIT shifts greater responsibility for physical distribution activities forward in the channel.

Question 23

Just-in-time delivery reduces storing and handling costs for business customers.

Question 24

In both a supply chain and a channel of distribution, the primary aim should be to create maximum value for the customer.

Question 25

A "supply chain" is the same thing as a "channel of distribution."

Question 26

Electronic data interchange is important in business markets in the U.S., but it plays little role in international trade.

Question 27

The "total cost approach" to physical distribution focuses exclusively on the total cost of transporting a product.

Question 28

Transport costs represent a significant part of the cost of products that are already valuable relative to their size and weight.

Question 29

The "total cost approach" to physical distribution management involves evaluating all the costs of alternative physical distribution systems, including transporting, storing, and handling costs.

Question 30

A channel of distribution for a product involves more firms than a supply chain for the same product.

Question 31

Transporting costs usually add relatively little to the cost of valuable products.

Question 32

The "supply chain" concept refers to the idea that distribution can usually be reduced if the firm that is the "weakest link" in the channel of distribution is eliminated.

Question 33

A channel of distribution is part of a broader network of relationships called a supply chain.

Question 34

In both supply chains and channels of distribution, the primary aim should be for each firm to keep its own costs as low as possible.

Question 35

A supply chain includes all the activities involved in procuring materials, transforming them into products, and distributing them to customers.

Question 36

Just-in-time delivery systems typically shift more responsibility for PD activities to the customer rather than the supplier.

Question 37

A channel of distribution is part of a supply chain.

Question 38

The challenges of coordinating logistics functions in a supply chain has led to less sharing of information over the Internet and at websites.

Question 39

The term "supply chain" can be misleading because the chain typically involves only two firms: a vendor (selling firm) and a customer (buying firm).

Question 40

Most marketing functions can be shared in a channel, but the storing function is almost always handled by the producer.

Question 41

Storing allows producers and intermediaries to keep stocks at convenient locations, ready to meet customers' needs.

Question 42

For short distances and higher-value products, trucks may charge higher rates, but provide slower service.

Question 43

Transporting choices in developing countries are usually fewer in number, but cost more.

Question 44

Goods that might become separated or damaged during transport can benefit from containerization in shipping.

Question 45

Transport costs per pound for less-than-full carloads are less than for full loads.

Question 46

Airfreight generally increases both transporting cost and the total cost of distribution because it tends to add to inventory costs, spoilage, theft, and damage.

Question 47

Efforts to reduce the environmental effects of transporting usually increase the firm's distribution costs.

Question 48

Low transporting cost is not the only criterion for selecting the best mode of transportation.

Question 49

The best transporting mode is the one that provides the required level of service at the lowest cost.

Question 50

Although ships and barges are slow, they are the lowest cost method of freight transporting, and are useful when speed is not critical.

Question 51

Private warehouses (compared to public warehouses) are most appropriate when a firm has a regular need to store a large quantity of goods.

Question 52

Storing makes goods available where they're needed.

Question 53

Heavy, bulky goods requiring long distance movement are usually carried by railroads.

Question 54

In the U.S., trucks carry more freight over more miles than any other mode of transportation.

Question 55

At least 75 percent of all U.S. freight moves, at least part of the way, by trucks.

Question 56

Loading truck trailers on railcars for shipment closer to the trucks' destination points is called "piggyback service."

Question 57

Bar codes, UPC numbers, and RFID tags make it easy for computers to monitor inventory, order stock, and track shipping costs.

Question 58

Maintaining the right level of inventory is easy now that there are tools to precisely forecast and model demand.

Question 59

In the U.S., there is little competition among transporting firms for shipping business because government regulations control most transporting rates, routes, and schedules.

Question 60

Public warehouses (compared to private warehouses) provide greater economy and flexibility when a firm does not have a regular need to store a large volume of goods, but they provide fewer services than a firm's own warehouse could.

Question 61

When both regrouping and storing are needed, a firm should add a distribution center.

Question 62

About what percentage of the cost of hospital supplies in the U.S. are a result of logistics?

A) 15 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 33 percent
E) 40 percent

Question 63

The physical distribution ________________________ is how rapidly and dependably a firm can deliver merchandise in demand through the appropriate channels.

A) product service level
B) trade-offs service level
C) customer service level
D) standard service level
E) efficiency service level

Question 64

A "distribution center" is a special kind of public warehouse designed specifically for storing perishable products.

Question 65

Which of the following questions is likely to be MOST important to a customer concerning a company's physical distribution practices?

A) How much does the company spend to deliver the product?
B) How dependably does the company deliver the product?
C) How is the product stored before being delivered?
D) What mode of transportation is being used?
E) How is the product moved to its final destination?

Question 66

The physical distribution customer service level concerns

A) the costs to carry a product in inventory.
B) the length of time a product is stored in inventory.
C) the effort put in by channel members to meeting customer needs.
D) the location of distribution centers.
E) how rapidly and dependably a firm can deliver what customers want.

Question 67

Logistics decisions include all of the following except:

A) distribution service level.
B) transporting of goods.
C) handling of goods.
D) prices to charge for delivery.
E) storage of goods.

Question 68

Physical distribution differs from logistics in that

A) logistics deals with storing and physical distribution does not.
B) logistics uses JIT to coordinate activities among firms and physical distribution does not.
C) logistics includes customer service decisions and physical distribution does not.
D) logistics includes transporting goods and physical distribution does not.
E) physical distribution is another common name for logistics.

Question 69

As a percentage of GDP, which of the following most likely characterizes logistic costs incurred in developing economies in Africa?

A) Less than 9 percent
B) 9 to 12 percent
C) Approximately 12 percent
D) Approximately 15 percent
E) 25 to 30 percent

Question 70

The main function of a "distribution center" is to speed the flow of goods and avoid unnecessary storage.

Question 71

Sysco is a good example of a company that uses technology to make its distribution centers more efficient.

Question 72

In which of the following places would logistics costs be most likely to run between 9 and 15 percent of GDP?

A) Uganda
B) Brazil
C) United Kingdom
D) Zimbabwe
E) Argentina

Question 73

About what percentage of GDP do the developing economies in Latin America and Africa spend on logistics-related costs?

A) 10 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 30 percent
D) 40 percent
E) 50 percent

Question 74

Physical distribution decisions may impact

A) location decisions.
B) target market selection.
C) price decisions.
D) channel of distribution decisions.
E) physical distribution decisions may impact all of these.

Question 75

Logistics costs

A) are important to both firms and consumers.
B) don't vary from firm to firm.
C) are very similar across different countries.
D) total less than 10 percent of the cost of groceries.
E) have little impact on a macro marketing system.

Question 76

Logistics, or physical distribution, is the ________________ part of the marketing mix.

A) Possession
B) Placement
C) Production
D) Promotion
E) Product

Question 77

"Logistics" is concerned with:

A) reducing spatial separations between producers and consumers.
B) transporting, storing, and handling of physical goods along channel systems.
C) transporting, storing, and handling of physical goods within individual firms.
D) physical distribution.
E) All of these are included in Logistics.

Question 78

About what percentage of GDP do the developed economies in the U.S. and Europe spend on logistics-related costs?

A) 1-2 percent
B) 5-7 percent
C) 9-15 percent
D) 20-25 percent
E) 30-35 percent

Question 79

Physical distribution customer service level means all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Honda wants enough bumpers to build cars that day.
B) A vacationer wants Avis to have his rental car clean and ready when he arrives at the rental car counter.
C) Sears' shirts are priced at a fair value.
D) McDonald's has enough large cups so that customers can buy the larger size drinks which are on sale.
E) Safeway's loaves of bread are in stock-and not crushed-when customers want them.

Question 80

A distribution center is a special kind of warehouse designed to perform regrouping activities.