【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[听力原文] 23-30
(I: Interviewer , C: Craig)
I: We keep hearing all about the globalisation of markets and supply chains and so on, but why has global sourcing suddenly become so widespread?
C: Well, I think there are several factors, really. I mean, as companies expand internationally, their outlook becomes increasingly global. What's more, hyper-competitive domestic markets have driven companies to look further afield in their search for competitive advantage. Although I think the process has really been accelerated by rapid advances in IT and telecoms. That's been the real catalyst for change.
I: And what's the great attraction? Why are companies so keen to source abroad?
C. It depends on the circumstances of the company in question. It could be anything from better access to overseas markets, lower taxes, lower labour costs, quicker delivery or a combination of any of these.
I: But it would be fair to say the financial benefits are the main incentive, wouldn't it?
C: In most cases it probably would, yes. Without them, I suppose few companies would be that interested. But there are risks involved as well, you know.
I: And what are those risks?
C: Well, the most common mistake companies make is they only see the savings and don't bother to think about the effect on other key criteria like quality and delivery. A clothing company that only buy from Asian suppliers at low cost, for instance, will find that as labour rates increase over time, it'll have to island-hop to find new low cost sites. And this, of course, introduces uncertainty about quality, and that's critical for a clothing company. There are other possible risks as well.
I: Such as?
C: Well, such as negative publicity as a result of poor working conditions in the supplier's country and, of course, there's always currency exchange risk.
I: So how do you go about weighing up all these factors and choosing a supplier?
C: It's crucial that companies know precisely what they're after from a supplier and that they fully understand their key selection criteria. They need to be careful to define them and make sure they're measurable and then rank them. It's dangerous selecting a particular supplier just because they happen to deliver outstanding performance in one objective such as cost or flexibility.
I: So, having selected a prospective partner, what then?
C: Well, then you have to negotiate how closely the two parties need to work together. If it's going to be a long-term relationship, you need to discuss how much sharing of information and resources will be necessary to extract maximum value from the collaboration. The prospective partners need to sit down and decide on the best form for the relationship to take.
I: And what's the most common form of this relationship?
C: Well, once again it depends on individual circumstances. The relationship can be anything, I suppose, from complete ownership through strategic alliances to buying the market.
I: Buying the market? What's that?
C: That's when companies just publish their specifications and ask prequalified vendors to bid for the contract. General Electric is currently doing $1 bn of business this way over the Internet. It's a short-term deal with almost no interaction with the supplier and the length of the bidding process is cut by half. But most importantly for companies like GE, order processing is $ 5 an order as opposed to $ 50 when it's done on paper.
I: You mentioned strategic alliances. When do they make sense?
C: Well, for an aircraft manufacturer like Boeing, for example, an alliance with its engine manufacturers is logical because of the complex interaction between the body of the aircraft and its engines. And this complexity means everything has to be developed together. The arrangement also has the added bonus of reducing the financial risk of long-term development programmes.
I: And how about actually owning the supplier, then? When is that preferable?
C: Well, companies take over suppliers when they're vulnerable to fluctuations in the availability of key supplies. Take Du Pont, for example, the chemicals giant. Since oil is a primary ingredient of many of its products, Du Pont is very much affected by the availability, and therefore cost, of oil. Du Pont reduced these uncertainties by purchasing Conoco, its main oil supplier.
I: Thus keeping its costs down.
C: Possibly. Owning the supplier definitely increases financial control of the supply chain. But when you take the cost of acquisition into account, there are no short-term savings.
I: So, all in all, does global sourcing make sense?
C: Well, there are lots of very powerful benefits but managers have to consider all the main operational factors very carefully first.

[关键信息] hyper-competitive domestic markets have driven companies to look further afield in their search for competitive advantage．全球性的寻求原料生产地的竞争越来越激烈，这是由诸多因素组成的，但是Craig认为国内市场的激烈竞争是主因。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[关键信息] It could be anything from better access to overseas markets, lower taxes, lower labour costs, quicker delivery or a combination of any of these.可见全球性寻求原料吸引人的原因主要在于可以赢得海外市场。故A正确。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[关键信息] the most common mistake companies make is they only see the savings and don't bother to think about the effect on other key criteria like quality and delivery.由此可知，公司常犯的错误就是只看到降低成本，而不去仔细想质量和运输等关键问题。其中质量问题关系到公司的形象。当然成本也是一个很关键的因素。故B是正确的。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[关键信息] They need to be careful to define them and make sure they're measurable and then rank them. It's dangerous selecting a particular supplier just because they happen to deliver outstanding performance in one objective such as cost or flexibility，当然，在选择一个供应商的时候，要考虑到诸多关键因素，仅仅因为对方在成本和灵活性等方面的突出表现就做出决定是不明智的，而其他诸如质量、运输等问题必须考虑到。故C是正确答案。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[关键信息] lf it's going to be a long-term relationship, you need to discuss how much sharing of information and resources will be necessary．首先要协商好双方的合作程度。如果是长期合作的话，就应该考虑信息和资源的分享问题。因此，在选择好合作伙伴后的第一件事就是决定合作的期限。故B是正确答案。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[关键信息] But most importantly for companies like GE, order processing is $5 an order as opposed to $50 when it's done on paper．通过招标购买有很多优点，如几乎与供应商不接触、整个招标过程大大缩减，但是最大的优点就是可以大幅度地节约成本(如GE通用电气节约九成的成本)。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[关键信息] And this complexity means everything has to be developed together．建立战略联盟有几个前提：一是合作期长，二是减少双方的财务风险，第三个，也是最重要的一个，是任何工作都是由双方共同完成的。只有理会这一点，建立战略联盟才有意义。故A是正确答案。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[关键信息] companies take over suppliers when they're vulnerable to fluctuations in the availability of key supplies．这里Craig用杜邦公司作为例子，它的业务受原料供应和成本的影响非常大，那么通过购买Conoco，杜邦公司就避免了供应的诸多不确定因索。但是成本会下降吗?Craig的回答是possibly。因此，成本不是最重要的因素。像杜邦公司那样严重依赖海外市场的公司才需要购买供应。