Exam 6: Business Markets and Business Buyer Behavior

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 proposal solicitation stage of the business buying process, the buyer invites qualified suppliers to submit proposals.

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. -Influencers often help define specifications and also provide information for evaluating alternatives.

Demand for outboard motors depends on consumers purchasing fishing boats. This is an example of ________ demand.

SkyWalk Aeronautics Limited received orders for 25 cargo air carriers from Zephyr Cargo Limited through its Web site in 2013. This is an example of ________.

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. -The demand for many business goods tends to change more slowly than the demand for consumer goods.

Which of the following is true about business purchases?

________ refer to members of the buying organization who help define specifications and provide information for evaluating alternatives.

The business marketer normally deals with ________ than the consumer marketer does.

________ refers to a business buying situation in which the buyer purchases a product or service for the first time.

Worthington's Farm is an old poultry farm in Mount Prospect, Illinois. For years, it has used wooden coops to haul its poultry to the market. The owner of the farm needs to buy some replacement coops and is considering buying plastic coops that are slightly more expensive than wooden ones but much easier to clean after use. Consequently, the owner of Worthington's Farm ordered 100 customized coops from its regular supplier. This exemplifies ________.

Gina Parker owns an ad agency in Baton Rouge. She regularly purchases cleaning supplies for her custodial staff, using the same vendor and ordering relatively consistent amounts of the same products on each purchase. This is an example of ________.

By showing buyers a better way to make an object, outside sellers can ________ .

Sigma Inc., a software firm based in California, reordered 50 printers from the designated provider without any modifications. This is an example of ________.

The decision process by which business buyers determine which products and services their organizations need to purchase and then find, evaluate, and choose among alternative suppliers and brands is known as ________.

Business demand that ultimately comes from the demand for consumer goods is known as ________ demand.

Dora has formal authority to select the suppliers and arrange terms of purchase for many of the items her firm uses. Her role in the buying center is that of a(n) ________.

Which of the following is true about business-to-business e-procurement?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that, in order to reduce local pollution, all printing plants have to switch from oil-based inks to water-based inks. This will require entirely new printing presses and the procurement of a completely different printing plate technology. In this instance, the buying center of an organization using printing plants is most likely to face ________.

Members of the buying center at Kid's World, a store for children's clothing, are drawing up a list of desired supplier attributes and their relative importance. Next, they intend to compare several suppliers' proposals to these attributes. In which step of the business buying process is the buying center at Kid's World involved in?

Business buyers are heavily influenced by factors in the current and expected economic environment, such as ________.