Primary activities consist of inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales & marketing, service.
Second activities consist of firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development and procurement Graphical user interface, diagram Description automatically generated

Support activities (also known as secondary activities) include Firm infrastructure, Human resource management, Technology development and Procurement. Developing digital SRM technology to manage suppliers better is Technology development.
LO 1, AC 1.2

The difference between the standard cost of direct materials specified for production and the actual cost of direct materials used in production is known as Direct Material Cost Variance. Material Cost Variance gives an idea of how much more or less cost has been incurred when compared with the standard cost. Thus, Variance Analysis is an important tool to keep a tab on the deviations from the standard set by a company.
Material Cost Variance can be due to less purchase price being paid than the standard or because of change in the quantity of material used. Thus, Material Cost Variance is made up of two components namely; Material Price Variance and Material Usage Variance.
Among the 4 options:
- 'The buyer updates purchase-to-pay system to track payment and delivery': The use of e-procurement system can increase the productivity and create labour cost variance, not material cost variance.
- 'An unprocessed goods received note is missing': If a goods received note is missing, the buyer won't pay for that batch, which create quantity variance.
- 'The employees must work overtime to catch up with the customers' orders': Overtime salary can cause labour variance, not material cost variance.
- 'The purchase is made in emergency': Normally, the price in emergency situation is higher than usual. This can cause price variance.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 57-59
- Material Variance | Cost, Price, Usage Variance Formula, Example - eFM (efinancemanage-ment.com) LO 1, AC 1.4

A business case is developed during the early stages of a project and outlines the why, what, how, and who necessary to decide if it is worthwhile continuing a project. One of the first things you need to know when starting a new project are the benefits of the proposed business change and how to communicate those benefits to the business.
Preparing the business case involves an assessment of:
- Business problem or opportunity
- Benefits
- Risk
- Costs including investment appraisal
- Technical solutions
- Timescale
- Impact on operations
- Organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes
These project issues are an important part of the business case. They express the problems with the current situation and demonstrate the benefits of the new business vision. Making business case with multiple options and choices also prompts the procurement and senior management to consider alternatives. As a result, the organisation may opt out the best option.
The business case brings together the benefits, disadvantages, costs, and risks of the current situa-tion and future vision so that executive management can decide if the project should go ahead.
Reference:
- CIPS study guide page 19-21
- How to Write a Business Case - Template & Examples | Adobe Workfront
LO 1, AC 1.1