Supply Chain Management Technology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which technology uses distributed ledger records to provide immutable traceability of goods across a supply chain?
- Blockchain (Correct answer)
- Cloud ERP
- RFID tagging
- EDI messaging
Correct answer: Blockchain
Blockchain creates tamper-proof, distributed records that all supply chain partners can verify without a central authority.
Question 2: What does the term 'digital twin' mean in a supply chain context?
- A backup server that mirrors production data
- A virtual replica of a physical supply chain asset or process used for simulation (Correct answer)
- A secondary supplier kept on standby
- Duplicate purchase orders sent to two vendors simultaneously
Correct answer: A virtual replica of a physical supply chain asset or process used for simulation
A digital twin is a real-time virtual model of a physical object or process that allows planners to simulate scenarios without disrupting operations.
Question 3: In supply chain analytics, what is the primary purpose of prescriptive analytics?
- Describe what happened in the past
- Predict what is likely to happen in the future
- Recommend specific actions to achieve a desired outcome (Correct answer)
- Visualize data trends on dashboards
Correct answer: Recommend specific actions to achieve a desired outcome
Prescriptive analytics goes beyond prediction by suggesting optimal actions, such as rerouting a shipment to avoid a delay.
Question 4: Which standard protocol is most commonly used for machine-to-machine communication in Industrial IoT supply chain sensors?
- HTTP/1.1
- MQTT (Correct answer)
- FTP
- SOAP
Correct answer: MQTT
MQTT is a lightweight publish-subscribe protocol designed for low-bandwidth, high-latency IoT environments like warehouse sensors.
Question 5: A retailer uses automated demand-sensing software that adjusts replenishment orders daily based on real point-of-sale data. This is an example of which capability?
- Batch order processing
- Short-interval scheduling
- Continuous replenishment planning (Correct answer)
- Safety stock buffering
Correct answer: Continuous replenishment planning
Continuous replenishment planning uses real-time demand signals to trigger restocking, reducing both overstock and stockouts.
Question 6: What is the main function of a Transportation Management System (TMS)?
- Managing warehouse picking operations
- Planning, executing, and optimizing the movement of freight (Correct answer)
- Tracking supplier financial performance
- Automating customs documentation only
Correct answer: Planning, executing, and optimizing the movement of freight
A TMS centralizes freight planning, carrier selection, load building, and shipment tracking to reduce transportation costs.
Question 7: Which AI technique is most commonly used to optimize warehouse slotting — deciding where to store each SKU?
- Natural language processing
- Computer vision inspection
- Reinforcement learning or combinatorial optimization algorithms (Correct answer)
- Sentiment analysis
Correct answer: Reinforcement learning or combinatorial optimization algorithms
Combinatorial optimization and reinforcement learning evaluate millions of slot configurations to minimize travel time for pickers.
Supply Chain Management Technology 2
Which technology uses distributed ledger records to provide immutable traceability of goods across a supply chain?