CPIM Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CPIM facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which planning approach supports the S&OP process by aggregating product families rather than individual SKUs? → Production Planning (aggregate planning)
2. In lean thinking, a 'value-added' activity is defined as one that: → Transforms the product in a way the customer is willing to pay for
3. Which planning approach rebuilds the entire MRP plan from scratch each time it is run? → Regenerative MRP
4. What is a key component of an effective procurement process? → Structured supplier evaluation and contract negotiation
5. Which metric is commonly used to measure operations execution performance? → Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
6. What does 'cash-to-cash cycle time' measure in supply chain performance? → Time from paying for materials to receiving payment from customers
7. Which lean concept involves leveling production volume and mix over a planning period to reduce variability? → Heijunka
8. Why is supplier relationship management important? → It helps improve collaboration and performance
9. What is 'total cost of ownership' (TCO) in CPIM supplier evaluation? → All costs associated with acquiring, using, and disposing of a product over its lifetime
10. Which of the following is considered a 'demand shaping' activity? → Offering a pre-season discount on a new line of winter coats.
11. What is Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) used for? → Validating that the MPS is feasible before detailed scheduling
12. What does 'OEE' (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) measure in a lean environment? → The combined effect of availability, performance, and quality on equipment productivity
13. A company has a planned load of 480 standard hours and a demonstrated capacity of 400 hours per week. What is the load percentage? → 120%
14. What does MAPE stand for in forecasting? → Mean Absolute Percentage Error
15. What is 'queue time' as used in capacity and scheduling planning? → Time a job spends waiting before it is processed at a work center
16. What is strategic sourcing? → Creating long-term partnerships with suppliers
17. What is the concept of 'takt time' in lean manufacturing? → The average time available per unit to match production rate to customer demand
18. When implementing lean in a supply chain context, which of the following best supports supplier JIT delivery? → Developing close supplier partnerships with frequent, smaller deliveries
19. A firm is implementing a postponement strategy for final product assembly. What is the primary strategic advantage they are trying to achieve? → To maximize the benefits of both lean (efficiency) and agile (responsiveness) strategies.
20. When a work center is consistently overloaded in CRP, which of the following is NOT a valid resolution strategy? → Increasing safety stock levels for finished goods
21. What is the primary input to the Material Requirements Planning (MRP) process? → The Master Production Schedule (MPS)
22. Which CPIM concept measures the actual output of a process compared to the planned or theoretical output? → Efficiency
23. In MRP, what type of demand is derived from the production plan for parent items? → Dependent demand
24. What is lead time in procurement? → Time between placing and receiving the order
25. In a lean pull system, production is triggered by: → Actual downstream consumption or customer demand signals
26. A 'poka-yoke' device is designed to: → Physically prevent defects or make defects immediately obvious
27. The demand plan presented in the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process should ideally be: → An unconstrained consensus forecast reflecting true market demand.
28. What is 'available-to-promise' (ATP) in a master planning context? → The uncommitted portion of planned production that can be promised to new customer orders
29. What is 'move time' in the context of manufacturing lead time components? → The time required to physically transport a job from one work center to the next
30. The lean concept of 'jidoka' (autonomation) refers to: → The ability of machines and workers to detect abnormalities and stop production