A supply manager for TUV, Inc. receives a call from an internal stakeholder complaining that for the past several months, one of TUV's longtime suppliers has been late with shipments, disrupting production. The Internal stakeholder has left several messages with the supplier, which have all gone unanswered. The supply manager listens to the stakeholder's concerns and states that these recent occurrences are atypical for this supplier. The supply manager offers to set up a call with the internal stakeholder and the supplier to discuss the situation and determine how the parties can move forward. Which of the following BEST describes the supply manager's role in this situation?

A director of supply management is tasked with determining where savings can be found in indirect cost categories. If needed, the company will consider hiring additional staff to negotiate and administer contracts. Which of the following is the FIRST step the supply manager should take? 

An organization is preparing its budget for the next fiscal year. Management challenges the procurement teamto reduce MRO purchasing costs. The procurement team has reduced the janitorial services budget by 2.5%, but corporate management wants a 5% reduction. Which of the following is the BEST approach for the team to take in order to meet management's expectation?

A service provider has experienced diminished value and stagnant results within an important category. Which of the following is the BEST course of action the firm can take to improve the category strategy?

A procurement specialist reviews a report from a financial agency about a potential supplier. The report reveals that the supplier had a lien against some of its assets a few years ago, that the supplier has had several delayed payments over the last few months, and that the supplier's debt-to-equity ratio equals 2.0. Which of the following is the BEST course of action for the procurement specialist to take?