This question is very, very similar to a real exam question and is a really mean one. The CIPS study guide describes stages of team development as forming, storming, norming and performing. Of those listed in the book only forming is listed above. What the textbook fails to tell you is that some people add on two additional stages to this model which are mourning and adjourning. I strongly recommend doing some further reading on this (it's called the Tuckman Group Development Model) as it comes up a lot in the exam and the study guide doesn't really go into enough detail.

Early supplier involvement highlights supplier strengths and capabilities, enabling collaborative development.
This supports innovation and optimizes the procurement process.

Partnerships require careful planning, including alignment of goals, stakeholder involvement, and clear expectations. Poor planning leads to unmet objectives and lack of value generation, as highlighted by CIPS.

In CIPS L4M6, supply risk is analysed alongside financial risk. Expensive and technically complex items are frequently bespoke or highly specialised, meaning that:
* There are few alternative suppliers
* Switching suppliers is difficult, costly, or impossible
This significantly increases supply risk, not reduces it. While financial risk is high due to value and complexity, supply risk is also high due to dependency and limited market availability.
The incorrect options misunderstand supply risk:
* Single sourcing increases supply risk
* Easy switching is rarely possible for complex supplies
* High-value complex items never carry low combined risk
L4M6 Reference:
* Learning Outcome 2: Understand supply chain risk and resilience
* Topic: Financial risk vs supply risk
* CIPS L4M6 Study Guide - Risk positioning and Kraljic portfolio thinking

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