Explanation
The correct answer is 1 - the 3rd party can provide broader experience and expertise. They can advise on best practice and will know how to advise Robot Ltd as they will have experience across a wide range of companies. This is explained on p.91 of the study guide

Explanation
2 'increase security of supply risks as there is less buffer stock held on site' is the correct answer. With Lean manufacturing there is little or no buffer stock held. This means that if a supplier doesn't deliver on time, the whole manufacturing process will have to come to a stop until new supplies arrive. A risk of Lean Manufacturing is that you become too reliant on suppliers, and if there is a scarcity of resources or an issue with the supply chain, you are more exposed. See p.26-27 for more information on Security of Supply Risks.

Explanation
1 and 5 are correct- it is the most common type of distribution and it looks like a bell curve when it's drawn as a graph. There's one on p.127 to look at. The other three statements are incorrect- it's a bell shape rather than a curve, it requires a large number of data points and most of the data points correlate around the middle.

Explanation
Table Description automatically generated

Explanation
Table Description automatically generated

A forward contract would fix the exchange rate at a certain level, allowing for cost certainty. This mitigates the risk of the currency getting any weaker.