Exam 6: Business Markets and Business Buyer Behavior

Ross Stuart is a purchasing manager in a Texas-based manufacturing company. He sources most of the raw materials needed by his company from Kramer Corp. However, Ross is unhappy with Kramer's prices. Additionally, he thinks that the quality of the raw materials supplied by Kramer is substandard. Which of the following stages in the business buying process is Ross' company currently in?

________ refers to the stage of the business buying process in which the buying organization decides on and specifies the best technical product characteristics for a needed item.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following question(s). Alpha Stampings Inc. produces 14 metal stampings for the automotive industry. Due to industry design changes and consumer demands, for the next financial year, six of those stampings will require a slight change: two will have an extra hole punched through the side, two will require an extra plating process, and two will require an additional weld operation. In the meantime, purchasing agent Richard Koehl has been asked to reduce the number of Alpha's steel suppliers in an effort to cut costs. After obtaining updated price quotations and steel samples from his current suppliers, Richard faced a dilemma. Until now, he had selected his suppliers based on quality and price, but the major consideration had been the type of steel required and the specialized production processes of his respective suppliers. Not all of Alpha's suppliers could produce the exact grades of steel needed; some suppliers were better at producing certain types of steel than others. Richard contacted several employees at Alpha who had worked with the various types of steel in the past. The quality control manager and line inspector, for example, could help to determine which suppliers had the capabilities of producing specific types of steel. The production control manager could provide input regarding which types of steel worked best in which presses. The warehouse foreman gave inputs regarding how long various types of steel could be held in inventory before rust spots began to form on their surfaces. Each person contributed the necessary information to help Richard in making his decision. -In this scenario, which of the following had the greatest influence on the business buying behavior at Alpha Stampings?

In routine buying situations, which of the following members of the buying center has formal or informal power to select or approve the final suppliers?

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following question(s). Alpha Stampings Inc. produces 14 metal stampings for the automotive industry. Due to industry design changes and consumer demands, for the next financial year, six of those stampings will require a slight change: two will have an extra hole punched through the side, two will require an extra plating process, and two will require an additional weld operation. In the meantime, purchasing agent Richard Koehl has been asked to reduce the number of Alpha's steel suppliers in an effort to cut costs. After obtaining updated price quotations and steel samples from his current suppliers, Richard faced a dilemma. Until now, he had selected his suppliers based on quality and price, but the major consideration had been the type of steel required and the specialized production processes of his respective suppliers. Not all of Alpha's suppliers could produce the exact grades of steel needed; some suppliers were better at producing certain types of steel than others. Richard contacted several employees at Alpha who had worked with the various types of steel in the past. The quality control manager and line inspector, for example, could help to determine which suppliers had the capabilities of producing specific types of steel. The production control manager could provide input regarding which types of steel worked best in which presses. The warehouse foreman gave inputs regarding how long various types of steel could be held in inventory before rust spots began to form on their surfaces. Each person contributed the necessary information to help Richard in making his decision. -Derived demand refers to the business demand that ultimately comes from the demand for consumer goods.

Sage Hospitals, a nonprofit organization, provides healthcare to the people in the Midwest. Management at Sage is involved in the ________ market.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following question(s). Alpha Stampings Inc. produces 14 metal stampings for the automotive industry. Due to industry design changes and consumer demands, for the next financial year, six of those stampings will require a slight change: two will have an extra hole punched through the side, two will require an extra plating process, and two will require an additional weld operation. In the meantime, purchasing agent Richard Koehl has been asked to reduce the number of Alpha's steel suppliers in an effort to cut costs. After obtaining updated price quotations and steel samples from his current suppliers, Richard faced a dilemma. Until now, he had selected his suppliers based on quality and price, but the major consideration had been the type of steel required and the specialized production processes of his respective suppliers. Not all of Alpha's suppliers could produce the exact grades of steel needed; some suppliers were better at producing certain types of steel than others. Richard contacted several employees at Alpha who had worked with the various types of steel in the past. The quality control manager and line inspector, for example, could help to determine which suppliers had the capabilities of producing specific types of steel. The production control manager could provide input regarding which types of steel worked best in which presses. The warehouse foreman gave inputs regarding how long various types of steel could be held in inventory before rust spots began to form on their surfaces. Each person contributed the necessary information to help Richard in making his decision. -In the supplier selection stage, the buyer reviews supplier performance.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following question(s). Alpha Stampings Inc. produces 14 metal stampings for the automotive industry. Due to industry design changes and consumer demands, for the next financial year, six of those stampings will require a slight change: two will have an extra hole punched through the side, two will require an extra plating process, and two will require an additional weld operation. In the meantime, purchasing agent Richard Koehl has been asked to reduce the number of Alpha's steel suppliers in an effort to cut costs. After obtaining updated price quotations and steel samples from his current suppliers, Richard faced a dilemma. Until now, he had selected his suppliers based on quality and price, but the major consideration had been the type of steel required and the specialized production processes of his respective suppliers. Not all of Alpha's suppliers could produce the exact grades of steel needed; some suppliers were better at producing certain types of steel than others. Richard contacted several employees at Alpha who had worked with the various types of steel in the past. The quality control manager and line inspector, for example, could help to determine which suppliers had the capabilities of producing specific types of steel. The production control manager could provide input regarding which types of steel worked best in which presses. The warehouse foreman gave inputs regarding how long various types of steel could be held in inventory before rust spots began to form on their surfaces. Each person contributed the necessary information to help Richard in making his decision. -In the general needs description of the buying process, the buyer describes the characteristics and quantity of the needed item.

Briefly describe the eight steps in the business buying process.

Describe the major types of buying situations.

Which of the following is an environmental factor that influences business buyers?

Sail Metalworks Inc. is currently looking for the best vendors of metal sheets. In other words, Sail Metalworks is ________.

What functions do buyers serve in a buying center?

Which of the following is LEAST likely a characteristic of business-to-business e-procurement?

Sheffield Cargo serves both consumer and business markets, but most of its revenue comes from its business customers. Of late, the business customers of Sheffield Cargo have demanded a change in the packaging of heavy cargo along with a more sophisticated and user-friendly extranet framework. Sheffield Cargo is under pressure to offer better products and services or risk losing a huge portion of its customers. This is an example of ________.

Why is it difficult to assess interpersonal factors that influence the business buying process?

Ralph works for a manufacturing company in Ohio. Recently, he called in a department manager to assist in the purchase of some heavy machinery. After consulting the department manager, Ralph is considering a change in product specifications and characteristics and expects suppliers to meet his requirements. Which of the following is evident here?

Solutions selling ________.

After searching extensively for vendors, Shalina D'Souza, the owner of a manufacturing firm, selected Texcom Technologies Inc. as her firm's primary supplier of bearings and shafts of a specific dimension. Shalina is currently preparing an order form that specifies the number of shafts needed and the expected time of delivery. In other words, she is preparing the ________.

How does the buying process typically begin?