CIPS Updated L4M7 Exam Questions and Answers by klay

Explanation

Calculating Inventory Turnover (Stock Turn)

As with a typical turnover ratio, inventory turnover details how much inventory is sold over a period. To calculate the inventory turnover ratio, cost of goods (COGS) is divided by the average inventory for the same period.1

Cost of Goods Sold ÷ Average Inventory or Sales ÷ Inventory

In this exercise, the stock turn equal to sales divided by inventory, or 1,000,000:250,000 = 4.

Explanation

Direct and indirect costs of holding inventory include the following:

1. Acquisition costs

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

a. 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.

b. 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.

3. Costs of stockouts

Explanation

Dependent demand is the requirement for stock item which is directly related to and therefore de-pendent upon the rate of production (examples are: raw materials, components, energy).

Independent demand is the requirement for stock item which is not directly related to, and is therefore independent of rate of production.

'Number of independent demand items may be derived from the forecast': Although independent demand is called thus, it can still be influenced by economic factors external to the demand-supply model such as general consumer sentiment and consumers' available disposal income. However, businesses that need to predict the number of products with independent demand needed to sate their customers have it easier than businesses that must calculate the demand for products with dependent demand because there are fewer factors to consider.

'Dependent demand items are not directly correlated with production rate': As mentioned above, dependent demand items are directly correlated with production rate.

'All indirect supplies are independent demand items': Though most indirect supplier are inde-pendent demand, some are determined by the production rate, i.e. energy consumption of a major machinery.

'Car engine is an example of independent demand items in a car assembly plant': Car engine is a component in car which is the finished good of a car assembly plant, it is a dependent demand item.

LO 2, AC 2.1

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