4月GMAT阅读机经：供应商管理

　　一、本月原始

　　说和供应商的bargaining cost，还说建立一个partnership专门负责inderict purchase和GWD那篇类似。就是中间举了一个19C50s左右美国company的例子

　　大概就是说19C50s左右美国company好多为了提高效率采取了这种partnership，但是因为一些缺点，就是你文章里说的那些，所以成本反而提高了。之后说又采取其他的方法，train专门的员工什么的，但是cost也很高。所以没有特别有效的方法。我记得好像是这么说的。

　　二、GWD篇—已证实非原文，但可作参考

　　In corporate purchasing, competitive scrutiny is typically limited to suppliers of items that are directly related to end products. With “indirect” purchases (such as computers, advertising, and legal services), which are not directly related to production, corporations often favor “supplier partnerships” (arrangements in which the purchaser forgoes the right to pursue alternative suppliers), which can inappropriately shelter suppliers from rigorous competitive scrutiny that might afford the purchaser economic leverage. There are two independent variables—availability of alternatives and ease of changing suppliers—that companies should use to evaluate the feasibility of subjecting suppliers of indirect purchases to competitive scrutiny. This can create four possible situations.

　　In Type 1 situations, there are many alternatives and change is relatively easy. Open pursuit of alternatives—by frequent competitive bidding, if possible—will likely yield the best results. In Type 2 situations, where there are many alternatives but change is difficult—as for providers of employee health-care benefits—it is important to continuously test the market and use the results to secure concessions from existing suppliers. Alternatives provide a credible threat to suppliers, even if the ability to switch is constrained. In Type 3 situations, there are few alternatives, but the ability to switch without difficulty creates a threat that companies can use to negotiate concessions from existing suppliers. In Type 4 situations, where there are few alternatives and change is difficult, partnerships may be unavoidable.

　　GWD1-Q35:

　　Which of the following best describes the relation of the second paragraph to the first?

　　A. The second paragraph offers proof of an assertion made in the first paragraph.

　　B. The second paragraph provides an explanation for the occurrence of a situation described in the first paragraph.

　　C. The second paragraph discusses the application of a strategy proposed in the first paragraph.

　　D. The second paragraph examines the scope of a problem presented in the first paragraph.

　　E. The second paragraph discusses the contradictions inherent in a relationship described in the first paragraph.

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　　GWD1-Q36:

　　Which of the following can be inferred about supplier partnerships, as they are described in the passage?

　　A. They cannot be sustained unless the goods or services provided are available from a large number of suppliers.

　　B. They can result in purchasers paying more for goods and services than they would in a competitive-bidding situation.

　　C. They typically are instituted at the urging of the supplier rather than the purchaser.

　　D. They are not feasible when the goods or services provided are directly related to the purchasers’ end products.

　　E. They are least appropriate when the purchasers’ ability to change suppliers is limited.

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　　GWD1-Q37:

　　According to the passage, which of the following factors distinguishes an indirect purchase from other purchases?

　　A. The ability of the purchasing company to subject potential suppliers of the purchased item to competitive scrutiny

　　B. The number of suppliers of the purchased item available to the purchasing company

　　C. The methods of negotiation that are available to the purchasing company

　　D. The relationship of the purchased item to the purchasing company’s end product

　　E. The degree of importance of the purchased item in the purchasing company’s business operations