Dependent demand is the requirement for stock item which is directly related to and therefore de-pendent upon the rate of production (examples are: raw materials, components, energy) Independent demand is the requirement for stock item which is not directly related to, and is therefore independent of rate of production. Although independent demand is called thus, it can still be influenced by economic factors external to the demand-supply model such as general consumer sentiment and consumers' available disposal income. However, businesses that need to predict the number of products with independent demand needed to sate their customers have it easier than businesses that must calculate the demand for products with dependent demand because there are fewer factors to consider.
In this scenario, the new drug is finished good which is dependent on the demand of the market, and the firm needs to forecast before initiating the production process. The item is independent from rate of production, therefore, it must be independent demand item.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 95-98
LO 2, AC 2.1

Radio frequency identification (RFID) are items which use radio technology to identify itself and its location subject to having appropriate hardware and software.
RFID tags are made of three different components: an RFID chip, which is an integrated circuit (IC), an antenna, and a substrate.
A RFID Reader is a device that uses radio-frequency waves to wirelessly transfer data between itself and a RFID tag/label in order to identify, categorize and track assets. When combined with the right RFID software, a RFID reader can identify objects quicker, more accurately, at a reduced overall cost, and at various points of the object's lifecycle.
Passive RFID systems use tags with no internal power source and instead are powered by the electromagnetic energy transmitted from an RFID reader. Passive RFID tags are used for applica-tions such as access control, file tracking, race timing, supply chain management, smart labels, and more.
Active RFID systems have three essential parts - a reader or interrogator, antenna, and a tag. Ac-tive RFID tags possess their own power source - an internal battery that enables them to have ex-tremely long read ranges as well as large memory banks.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 49-50
LO 1, AC 1.2

Holding extra stocks will always improve customer service levels, or at least reduce the risk of them falling.
This implies that if an organisation aims at higher service levels, they should have larger safety stock.
However, increasing safety stock is not the only solution to improve service level. The widespread adoption of just-in-time (JIT) techniques particularly in the automotive industry has greatly reduced costs with increased service levels as well as the additional benefit of increased problem visibility.
The correct answer should be 'A safety stock is not always required to achieve a required service level'.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 104-105
LO 2, AC 2.2

JIT, often referred to as the Toyota production system (TPS), originated in Toyota's manufacturing plants in Japan in the early 1970s. It was first introduced by the organisation's owner, Taiichi Ohno. The prime goal of JIT is the achievement of zero inventories.
The just-in-time objectives of eliminating waste can be summarised in the 'five zeros: zero defects, zero set-up times, zero inventories, zero handling and zero lead times.
Reference: CIPS study guide page 122-127
LO 2, AC 2.3