An Outcome Based Specification (OBS) focuses on the desired outcome of a service in business terms, rather than a detailed technical specification of how the service is to be provided; this allows providers scope to propose innovative solutions that might not have occurred to the procurement team. Outcome should be distinguished from output, which is the measurable results of a set of inputs. The example of difference between outcome and output is written at the bottom of page 123 in the study guide.
Outcomes should be the starting point in making new specification. However, using outcome-based specification has some setbacks:
- First, it is not easy to measure the outcomes. Usually, outcome of a project is a statement like 'increase customer satisfaction', 'maintain ambient temperature' or 'provide a convenient way to do something'. They are not easy to measure as output.
- Second, sometimes the desired outcomes require time to be materialised
- Third, outcomes can be ambiguous
Reference:
LO3, AC 3.1

In this question, you should understand the concept of cash flow and formula of cash flow. Cash flow calculates the physical money moving in and out a company's bank balance. The cash flow from sale activity is:
cash flow from sale = account receivable at beginning of the year + revenue - account receivable at the end of the year = $450,000 + $5,000,000 - $525,000 = $4,925,000
75% of direct costs was bought by credit, therefore, the company spent 25% on direct cost: -$2,500,000*25
/100 = -$625,000
25% of indirect costs was bought on credit. Cash flow out on indirect costs is: -$3,000,000*75/100 =
-$2,250,000
Company spent $1,500,000 on new assets funded by a loan of $1,000,000. Cash flow out from this activity is
-$500,000
Company received $150,000 from selling old assets
Dividends have not been paid for another 2 months, thus, they are not accounted as cash flow out.
The bank balance at the end of the year is: $175,000 + $4,925,000 - $625,000 - $2,250,000 - $500,000 +
$150,000 = $1,875,000
LO 1, AC 1.4

The buying organisation is keen to encourage innovation so they should use the outcome or output based specification. In an outcome-based specification, umbrella statements like 'good quality', 'ambient temperature', 'convenient way' are often used. This may confuse the suppliers, and it's hard to check the solution that supplier offers. On the other hand, ouput-based specifications often include measurable requirements. For example, a specification for air conditioning system states that the system should maintain the room temperature at 19-24 degrees Celsius. Therefore, output specification is more appropriate in this case.

This question mentions about specification in construction. In this sector, specifications are written documents that describe the materials and workmanship required for a development. They do not include cost, quantity or drawn information and need to be read alongside other contract documentation such as quantities, schedules and drawings.
Specifications vary considerably depending on the stage to which the design has been developed, ranging from performance (open) specifications that require further development by a contractor or supplier, to prescriptive (closed) specifications for which the design is already complete when the project is tendered.
Prescriptive specifications typically contain detailed descriptions of the following components:
- General requirements relating to regulations and standards.
- The type of products and materials required.
- The execution and installation methods required.
Prescriptive specifications give the client much more certainty about the end product when making investment decisions (such as when they appoint the contractor), and place a greater burden on the designer to ensure proper installation rather than the contractor.

In marketing, a customer value proposition (CVP) consists of the sum total of benefits which a vendor promises a customer will receive in return for the customer's associated payment (or other value-transfer).
Value analysis is concerned with existing products. It involves a current product being analysed and evaluated by a team, to reduce costs, improve product function or both. Value Analysis exercises use a plan which step-by-step, methodically evaluates the product in a range of areas. These include costs, function, alternative components and design aspects such as ease of manufacture and assembly.
Value engineering is concerned with new products. It is applied during product development. The focus is on reducing costs, improving function or both, by way of teamwork-based product evalua-tion and analysis. This takes place before any capital is invested in tooling, plant or equipment.
In this scenario, the company's objective is cost reduction, then value analysis or value engineering is more likely to be applied. The products are existing, so value analysis is the best option.
LO 3, AC 3.4