True or false: A higher target service level generally calls for more safety stock, which can reduce stockout risk while increasing holding cost.
6 Data-Driven Supply Chain Decisions Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 6 Data-Driven Supply Chain Decisions, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
When defining an operational performance metric, which set of details is essential for consistent calculation?
- A
The metric's data owner and review frequency only
- B
The denominator, event dates, and treatment of partial shipments or cancellations
- C
The forecast method used, regardless of the metric
- D
The desired result, without defining how the measure is calculated
Mean absolute error (MAE) is the between actual and forecast demand.
A store expects to sell 20 units per day. Replenishment takes 5 days, and the chosen safety-stock allowance is 30 units. Using the reorder point rule, expected demand during lead time+safety stock, what is the reorder point? Enter the value in units.
True or false: A demand forecast is a commitment that actual demand will match the forecast.
- A
True
- B
False
A product's demand changes substantially during promotions and with the weather. Which forecasting approach is most justified by these conditions?
- A
Use a causal method whenever demand is uncertain, even if no relevant drivers are identified
- B
Choose a method based only on its performance on the data used to fit it
- C
Consider a causal method when price, promotions, or weather materially affect demand
- D
Avoid comparing methods with out-of-sample data
A team is preparing data for a replenishment model. Select all practices that support a reliable decision base.
- A
Align product, location, calendar, unit-of-measure, and lead-time definitions
- B
Separate customer demand from shipments when possible
- C
Treat every unusual one-time order as a normal recurring pattern
- D
Flag events such as product launches and closures
Inventory position is on-hand stock plus confirmed inbound orders .
In a supply chain optimization model, which item is an example of a feasibility constraint rather than a cost component of the objective?
- A
Supplier capacity
- B
Purchasing cost
- C
Holding cost
- D
Shortage cost
A planner is defining the cost objective for a basic supply chain optimization model. Select all cost categories that may be included in the objective.
- A
Purchasing cost
- B
Ordering cost
- C
Holding cost
- D
Transportation cost
- E
Supplier capacity
- F
Shortage cost
- G
Warehouse capacity
What responsiveness metric measures the time from order receipt to fulfillment? Enter the metric name.
True or false: Filling trucks more completely can lower freight cost per unit yet delay deliveries, so it should not automatically be treated as a reduction in total supply-chain cost.
- A
True
- B
False
A company wants to introduce a new inventory policy while limiting implementation risk. Which first step best matches a bounded pilot?
- A
Apply the new policy across all products and regions without documenting current results
- B
Test the policy in one product family or region and compare results with a documented baseline
- C
Implement the model without assigning owners for data, parameters, or approvals
- D
Expand the policy before checking its effects on service and cost
A high-demand scenario predicts shortages at one warehouse. Describe two possible responses and compare the trade-offs each could create. Consider service, cost, inventory, response time, or disruption exposure.
A planner notices that shipments fell during a period when products were frequently out of stock. Which data-handling choice best avoids mistaking constrained shipments for lower underlying demand?
- A
Treat shipments as the exact measure of customer demand because they record what was delivered.
- B
Separate customer demand from shipments when possible, since shipments may be constrained by stockouts, allocation, or promotions.
- C
Exclude all shipment records from planning, even when no constraints affected them.
- D
Use shipment records only for multi-year network design.
A company is aligning its forecast, inventory policy, and performance review. Which design choice best supports a consistent decision process?
- A
Use the most detailed data available for each step, even if product and location definitions differ.
- B
Use one level of detail for forecasting and a different level for inventory policy so each can be optimized independently.
- C
Use the same product and location granularity for the forecast, inventory policy, and performance review whenever practical.
- D
Choose the level of detail based only on the number of suppliers.
A planning team wants to test whether its proposed supply plan remains sensible under uncertainty. Which scenario set is the most suitable starting point?
- A
Compare a base case, high-demand case, low-demand case, and a disruption case.
- B
Compare only the base case and the most likely forecast, to avoid unnecessary complexity.
- C
Compare high-demand and low-demand cases but exclude disruptions because they are not forecasts.
- D
Use the base case for inventory decisions and reserve all other cases for network design.
What is the acronym for the measure defined as the average absolute difference between actual and forecast demand?
A product's demand appears to change substantially with promotions and weather. Which forecasting approach is most consistent with the planning guidance?
- A
Use a causal method whenever a forecast is needed, regardless of whether external drivers affect demand.
- B
Consider causal methods when drivers such as price, promotions, or weather materially affect demand.
- C
Use causal methods only after inventory has been optimized.
- D
Avoid causal methods because they cannot be compared with simple baselines.
A store expects demand of 20 units per day, has a 5-day replenishment lead time, and uses 30 units of safety stock. Using reorder point = expected demand during lead time + safety stock, what is the reorder point? Calculate it as 20×5+30.