There are many factors that need to be considered when making a business decision. Costs and benefits are among those factor. To estimate the length of time in which an investment reaches a break-even point, businesses often use the payback period. The payback period refers to the amount of time it takes to recover the cost of an investment.
'Yes, because it takes everything into account': It ignores the time value of money (TVM), unlike other methods of capital budgeting such as net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and discounted cash flow.
'No, because payback period doesn't take into account price fluctuations': Though it doesn't take into account price fluctuation, payback period is still useful in financial and capital budgeting.
'No, because payback period can be only used to calculate the depreciation of a fixed asset': Payback period only calculates the length of time in which the benefits of a charge repay its costs.
LO 1, AC 1.3

As you can see from the scenario, the procurement manager is suggesting to use cost plus pricing arrangement.
A cost-plus contract is an agreement to reimburse a company for expenses incurred plus a specific amount of profit, usually stated as a percentage of the contract's full price. These type of contracts are primarily used in construction where the buyer assumes some of the risk but also provides a degree of flexibility to the contractor.
Cost-plus contracts can be separated into four categories. They each allow for the reimbursement of costs as well as an additional amount for profit:
1. Cost-plus award fee contracts allow the contractor to be awarded a fee usually for good per-formance.
2. Cost-plus fixed-fee contracts cover both direct and indirect costs, in addition to a fixed fee.
3. Cost-plus incentive fee contracts happen when the contractor is given a fee if his or her perfor-mance meets or exceeds expectations.
4. Cost-plus percent-of-cost contracts allow the amount of reimbursement to rise if the contrac-tor's costs rise.
In the scenario, the procurement manager suggests a pricing structure that covers supplier's costs and adds 10% markup. This is cost-plus fixed-percentage.
Reference:
- Cost-Plus Contract Definition (investopedia.com)
- CIPS study guide page 30-36
LO 1, AC 1.2

Primary activities consist of inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales & marketing, service.
Second activities consist of firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development and procurement The following graph illustrate the value chain (Source: Smartsheet)

Picking and delivery components is inbound logistics.
Maintenance is an example of operations activity.
Sourcing transportation services is an activity of procurement
Assembly design is an activity in research and development (Technology) Recruiting is an activity of human resource management Reference:
LO 2, AC 2.1

To improve production process and reduce supply risk, Datong should collaborate with suppliers early in procurement cycle. Collaborating with suppliers in this way is often referred as Early Supplier Involvement (ESI)
'Request for quotation from potential suppliers': Quotations should only be requested if the buyer know exactly what they need. In this scenario, Datong is not yet sure about the specifications of product's components, request for quotation is not a good idea.
'Mapping out business plan': A business plan, as defined by Entrepreneur, is a "written document describing the nature of the business, the sales and marketing strategy, and the financial back-ground, and containing a projected profit and loss statement." A business plan is not appropriate with improving production process and reducing supply risk.
'Budget controlling': Budget controlling largely concerns with dealing with budget variances. Tighter budget alone cannot lead to improved processes and fewer risks.
LO 3, AC 3.1

There are 6 main components of the through-life requirements of an asset: Design, Manufacture, Installation, In-service support, Decommission and disposal and Customer support.
Rectification of operational defects and planning and delivery of Fleet Time Support Periods are maintenance activities which belong to in-service support. You may have chosen Customer support. However, in through-life asset management context, customer support does not include maintenance services. Instead, it is the services that go along the stages of asset life. It may include consulting, communication and information exchange.

Source: Andrew Graves
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.2