Using standards in specification is very convenient. They reduce the time and effort to produce. They tend to be very accurate with correct technical terminologies. They are well recognised and accepted by a wide range of suppliers and buyers. However, since a standard is very specific, complex and lengthy, it requires a lot of time to be drafted and approved. Therefore, standard tends to be static and don't encourage innovation. It may also not accommodate latest technology and trends.
Reference:
LO 3, AC 3.1

The Kano model is useful in gaining a thorough understanding of a customer's needs. You can translate and transform the resulting verbatims using the voice of the customer table that, subse-quently, becomes an excellent input as the whatsin a quality function deployment (QFD) House of Quality.
The model involves two dimensions:
Achievement (the horizontal axis), which goes from the supplier didn't do it at all to the supplier did it very well.
Satisfaction (the vertical axis), which goes from total dissatisfaction with the product or service to total satisfaction with the product or service.
Dr. Noriaki Kano isolated and identified three levels of customer expectations: that is, what it takes to positively impact customer satisfaction. The figure below portrays the three levels of need: expected, normal, and exciting.

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) is a conflict style inventory, which is a tool developed to measure an individual's response to conflict situations.
Genichi Taguchi, a Japanese engineer, proposed several approaches to experimental designs that are sometimes called "Taguchi Methods." These methods utilize two-, three-, and mixed-level fractional factorial designs. Large screening designs seem to be particularly favored by Taguchi adherents.
Six Sigma is a method that provides organizations tools to improve the capability of their business processes. This increase in performance and decrease in process variation helps lead to defect re-duction and improvement in profits, employee morale, and quality of products or services.
Source:
- CIPS study guide page 171-172
- WHAT IS THE KANO MODEL?
LO 3, AC 3.4

A monopoly is a market with a single seller (called the monopolist) but with many buyers. In this market, the bargaining power of supplier is higher than of buyer since the supplier is the only seller.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 88-92
- Bargaining Power of Suppliers - Factors that Give Suppliers Power (corporatefinanceinsti-tute.com)
- Monopoly - Understanding How Monopolies Impact Markets (corporatefinanceinstitute.com) LO 2, AC 2.2

This International Standard (ISO 27001:2013) has been prepared to provide requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system. The adoption of an information security management system is a strategic decision for an organization. The establishment and implementation of an organization's information security management system is influenced by the organization's needs and objectives, security requirements, the organizational processes used and the size and structure of the organization. All of these influencing factors are expected to change over time.
The information security management system preserves the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information by applying a risk management process and gives confidence to interested parties that risks are adequately managed.
It is important that the information security management system is part of and integrated with the organization's processes and overall management structure and that information security is considered in the design of processes, information systems, and controls. It is expected that an information security management system implementation will be scaled in accordance with the needs of the organization.
This International Standard can be used by internal and external parties to assess the organization's ability to meet the organization's own information security requirements.
The order in which requirements are presented in this International Standard does not reflect their importance or imply the order in which they are to be implemented. The list items are enumerated for reference purpose only.
ISO/IEC 27000 describes the overview and the vocabulary of information security management systems, referencing the information security management system family of standards (includ-ing ISO/IEC 27003[2], ISO/IEC 27004[3] and ISO/IEC 27005[4]), with related terms and defini-tions.
Reference:
- ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information technology - Security techniques - Information security management systems - Requirements LO 3, AC 3.1

Closed problem is something happens that should not have happened. To solve this type of prob-lem, procurement professional should find a way to correct the situation or try to adapt to it. On the other hand, open ended problem is a obstacle to your short-term objective. You will need to overcome this obstacle.
Shortage of key medicines is a situation in which procurement must find a substitution or try to save the current stock.
In case of cyber attack, procurement should find a way to recover the IT system as soon as possible.
Otherwise, 'There are not enough data for procurement analytics' is an open-ended problem be-cause it prevents company to conduct procurement analytics (an objective).
'Logistics costs incur a large portion in wholesale prices': In this situation, logistics costs are hur-dles that prevent companies to reach lower wholesale.
'The suppliers don't comply with the company's policy on underage labour': In this situation, pro-curement should seek ways to help supplier comply with the company's labour policy.
LO 1, AC 1.1