L4M3 Exam Dumps - Commercial Contracting

One-off contracts are used where a supplier is only needed for a single activity unlikely to be repetitive, and where the need of the buyer is concrete and finite. Among the answers, only construction for power plant is one-off since the work is non-repetitive and the need is clearly defined.

A framework agreement is an agreement between one or more businesses or organisations, "the purpose of which is to establish the terms governing contracts to be awarded during a given period, in particular with regard to price and, where appropriate, the quantity envisaged".

A Commercial Lease Agreement is a contract used when renting business property to or from another individual or company. It gives the tenant (or renter) the right to use the property for business purposes during the term of the lease in exchange for payment to the landlord.

A franchise agreement is a legally binding document that outlines a franchisor's terms and conditions for a franchisee. Every franchise is governed by these terms, which are generally outlined in a written agreement between both parties.

An implied term is a term which the courts imply into a contract because it has not been expressly included by the parties. This may be because the parties did not consider it, did not think that any problem would arise in relation to it or simply omitted to include it.

The courts are very reluctant to imply terms into contracts and will only do so in the following circumstances:

- terms implied under statute

- terms implied under common law

- terms implied because of custom or usage

- terms implied due to previous dealings

- terms implied ‘in fact’ or to reflect the parties’ intentions

Service level agreement often sets out the minimum quality standards of the services provided, remedies if that standards are not met, consequences if the targets are exceeded. Penalty clauses and service credits are remedies that are often used in conjunction with service level agreement to ensure the performance and to compensate the purchaser if targets are not met.

ISO has about 22,000 international standards covering a vast range of aspects of product or service quality. Below are some of the most common ISO standards:

- ISO 9001: Quality management system

- ISO 27001: Information security management

- ISO 5001: Energy management

- ISO 14001: Environmental management

Hire purchase is an arrangement for buying expensive consumer goods, where the buyer makes an initial down payment and pays the balance plus interest in installments. The ownership of the merchandise is not officially transferred to the buyer until all the payments have been made.

Danielle has purchased the car from Aaron, which means its title has been transferred to her. The accident happens before the last instalment is paid. Therefore, the ownership of the car still belongs to Danielle

There are 3 types of KPI measure:

- Binary KPIs

- Quantitative KPIs (or numerical)

- Qualitative KPIs

User satisfaction is subjective, therefore, using qualitative assessment is the best answer.

Hire purchase is an arrangement for buying expensive consumer goods, where the buyer makes an initial down payment and pays the balance plus interest in installments. Ownership is not transferred until the end of the agreement, hire purchase plans offer more protection to the vendor than other sales or leasing methods for unsecured items. That's because the items can be repossessed more easily should the buyer be unable to keep up with the repayments.

The answer is 'When the final instalment is paid'.

This scenario is in fact based on a famous case law: Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company v New Garage & Motor co [1915] AC 79. In this case law, the House of Lords identified the clause as liquidated damages, and therefore enforceable.

However, if this case had happened in 2015 or afterwards, there would be some legal issues:

- The price agreement is prohibited by Competition Act 1998

- If the agreement is allowed by Competition Act, as in the case Cavendish Square Holding BV (Appellant) v Talal El Makdessi (Respondent), the clause can also be identified as a penalty and it is still enforceable.

Many firms have compliance policies for suppliers in place. To ensure that the supplier actually comply with the standards set out, the purchaser can employ the right to audit. The buyer usually obtains the right to examine records of a vendor to determine if a fraud or a violation of company policy has occurred through the following methods:

- Right-to-audit agreement The agreement can be printed on the back of a purchase order, contract, or other procurement form.

- A simple request If the right-to-audit agreement wasn't included on the procurement form, and the buyer suspects irregularities, he may have to beg the vendor to allow an audit to be performed. If the buyer is a major customer of the vendor, the buyer may be able to wield a big enough stick to obtain permission to look at the records.

- Right-to-audit Pitfalls

According to CIPS, there are two main types of specification:

- Conformance specification – is more output driven as it outlines the product details exactly which may include the material, dimensions, tolerances, source, ingredients, packaging, storage of the part or material.

- Performance specification – is more output driven in terms of what the part or material must achieve.

Among the four options, only 2. 'Description of the operating environments' and 3. 'Chemical formulae' are possible components of a conformance specification. Brand names can be a part of a performance specification, according to a document published by CIPS and NIGP.

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Penetration pricing is a marketing strategy used by businesses to attract customers to a new product or service by offering a lower price during its initial offering. The lower price helps a new product or service penetrate the market and attract customers away from competitors.

Price skimming is a product pricing strategy by which a firm charges the highest initial price that customers will pay and then lowers it over time. As the demand of the first customers is satisfied and competition enters the market, the firm lowers the price to attract another, more price-sensitive segment of the population. The skimming strategy gets its name from "skimming" successive layers of cream, or customer segments, as prices are lowered over time.

Incentive contracts allow sharing of the risks between the contractor and the client. The contractor is reimbursed all its justifiable costs in addition to a calculated fee. Target costing is an element of incentive contracts.

Cost-plus pricing is also known as markup pricing. It's a pricing method where a fixed percentage is added on top of the cost to produce

Retention money is the payment for a service or product that is withheld pending the completion of some specified condition. For example, buyer may withhold the amount due until the supplier replace all defective goods.

Pay-less notice is the notice under a contract which states that the invoice will only be partially paid because of some issues such as supplier has to pay the damages.

Remedies for late payment are remedies that supplier may seek when a buyer pay it later than the stated payment terms. Normally, the buyer will be charged an interest rate.

There are 2 major types of specifications:

1. Performance specifications

These are Specifications that define the purpose of the goods or services in terms of how effectively it will perform. Performance is a logical extension of function. Performance specifications define the task or desired result by focusing on what is to be achieved. They do not describe the method of achieving the desired result.

2. Technical (or conformance) specifications

These are Specifications that define the technical and physical characteristics and/or measurements of a product, such as physical aspects (e.g. dimensions, colour, and surface finish), design details, material properties, energy requirements, processes, maintenance requirements and operational requirements. They are used when functional and performance characteristics are insufficient to define the requirement and are often used for engineering and information technology requirements.

The difference between cost and price is profit. According to Michael E. Porter, the profitability of an industry is shaped by five forces:

1. Competition in the industry

2. Potential of new entrants into the industry

3. Power of suppliers

4. Power of customers

5. Threat of substitute products

The QUESTION NO: only mentions external factor, then business strategy is not accepted.

A misrepresentation is a false statement of fact or law which induces the representee to enter a contract. Where a statement made during the course of negotiations is classed as a representation rather than a term an action for misrepresentation may be available where the statement turns out to be untrue.

For a party to claim for misrepresentation, there must be a false statement of fact or law as oppose to opinion or estimate of future events. It does not matter whether the incorrect information is given by words or takes the form of misleading conduct.

Silence will not generally amount to a misrepresentation. However, it can become a misrepresentation in some exceptional circumstances.

In the L4M3 study guide, the author states that "A statement of law is not misrepresentation". This is untrue in both common law and civil law systems. In the UK, false statement of law will now amount to an actionable misrepresentation (see Pankhania v Hackney [2002] EWHC 2441).

Ultra vires is a Latin phrase, meaning "beyond the powers." Describes actions taken by government bodies or corporations that exceed the scope of power given to them by laws or corporate charters. When referring to the acts of government bodies (e.g., legislatures), a constitution is most often the measuring stick of the proper scope of power.

Courts may be called upon to interpret a statute due to disputes over the meaning of a word or phrase contained within a statute. These disputes may arise through a variety of reasons. It has long been held that words are an imperfect means of communication. Omissions may have occurred at the drafting stage, word or phraseology ambiguity, etymological change through time, oversight on specific points, or a failure to adapt legislation to new developments. This may result in the judiciary providing a role in statutory interpretation. Statutory interpretation in its broadest sense is the process of determining the true meaning of a written document. In UK, the Interpretation Act 1978 provides limited scope to assist judges with statutory interpretation in that it only provides standard definitions to common provisions such as a rebuttable presumption that terminology in the masculine gender also include the feminine, and that the singular includes plural.

An order of precedence clause sets out the order in which the contract documents take precedence in the event of an inconsistency.

The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (c 50) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which regulates contracts by restricting the operation and legality of some contract terms. It extends to nearly all forms of contract and one of its most important functions is limiting the applicability of disclaimers of liability. The terms extend to both actual contract terms and notices that are seen to constitute a contractual obligation.

One-off contract is the type of contract that relates to a single purchase. One-off contracts can be used for goods, services or works. One-off contract can be simple (such as buying a small number of office stationeries) or complex (such as a construction project or buying an aircraft).

A one-off contract lasts “until completion of the obligations of the parties”. The performance is unlikely to be improved during contract performance since the duration is relatively shorter than framework agreement or call-off contract.

Ad-hoc purchase is an item bought for a single and non-recurring use or purpose. Ad-hoc purchase is a type of one-off contract.

Generally, under the Sale of Goods Acts (in UK, Singapore, Australia,...) or Commercial Codes (in France, Germany, Vietnam,...), the sale contracts have the following implied terms:

- the seller has the right to sell the goods. This is also a condition of the contract

- the goods are free from undisclosed security interests

- the goods supplied under the contract will be reasonably fit for any purpose which the buyer made known to the seller

- sales of unseen goods will be of merchantable quality, and match their description and conform with a sample.

- Passing of risk

- Passing of possession and title

Liquidated damages are presented in certain legal contracts as an estimate of otherwise intangible or hard-to-define losses to one of the parties. It is a provision that allows for the payment of a specified sum should one of the parties be in breach of contract.

Liquidated damages are meant as a fair representation of losses in situations where actual damages are difficult to ascertain. In general, liquidated damages are meant to be fair, rather than punitive.

Limitations of Liquidated Damages

It is possible that a liquidated damages clause might not be enforced by the courts. This can occur if the monetary amount of liquidated damages cited in the clause is extraordinarily disproportional to the scope of what was affected by the breached contract.

Such limitations prevent a plaintiff from attempting to claim an unsubstantiated exorbitant amount from a defendant. For instance, a plaintiff might not be able to claim liquidated damages that amount to multiples of its gross revenue if the breach only affected a specific portion of its operations. The concept of liquidated damages is framed around compensation related to some harm and injury to the party rather than a fine imposed on the defendant.

The courts typically require that the parties involved make the most reasonable assessment possible for the liquidated damages clause at the time the contract is signed. This can provide a sense of understanding and reassurance of what is at stake if that aspect of the contract is breached. A liquidated damages clause can also give the parties involved a basis to negotiate from for an out-of-court settlement.

Reasons for including social and environmental criteria may include the following:

- Expected Cost Savings and Financial Motives

- Management Support and Commitment

- Employees

- Altruistic Values

- Power Imbalances along the supply chain

- Image and Reputation

- Government Regulations

- Customers

- Competitors

Management, employees, government, customers and competitors are among the stakeholders that make pressures to the organisation on social and environmental criteria.

A framework agreement will set out the following:

- How call offs can be made - whether a mini-competition is required or a direct call off can be made

- How price is calculated

- The specification - this may have various options to cater for different needs

- The duration of the agreement

- Who can access the agreement

- Any limitations

- The main terms to be included in the contract or the form of contract to be used, where this is intended to be a standard form.

In common law (the legal system in which most rules come from case law or precedents, such as UK, US, Australia, etc), the contract is legally binding if it has the following requirements:

- Offer

- Acceptance

- Certainty & Intention to Create Legal Relations

- Consideration & Promissory Estoppel

- Legal capacity

According to these rules, 'Blanket order', 'One-off purchase', and 'Hire purchase agreement' are contractually binding. One of the reason is that they have consideration.

However, there is a type of legal instruments that does not need consideration to be legally binding. They are called 'Deeds'. A deed (anciently "an evidence") is any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions, sealed. It is commonly associated with transferring (conveyancing) title to property. At common law, to be valid and enforceable, a deed must meet several requirements:

- It must state on its face that it is a deed, using wording like "This Deed..." or "executed as a deed".

- It must indicate that the instrument itself conveys some privilege or thing to someone.

- The grantor must have the legal ability to grant the thing or privilege, and the grantee must have the legal capacity to receive it.

- It must be executed by the grantor in presence of the prescribed number of witnesses, known as instrumentary witnesses (this is known as being in solemn form).

- In some jurisdictions, a seal must be affixed to it. Originally, affixing seals made persons parties to the deed and signatures optional, but seals are now outdated in most jurisdictions, so the signatures of the grantor and witnesses are primary.

- It must be delivered to (delivery) and, in some jurisdictions, accepted by the grantee (acceptance).

Implementation is a substantive requirement which covers the following areas:

- Will there be a need to train the staff to use the equipment?

- Are there integration requirements with other systems or processes?

- How will this work?

- What are the timescales?

- Are detailed method statements required?

Consultation requirements regards to explicitness of compliance with any national or local legal requirements

Advantages of using invitation to tender may be as below:

No Nepotism: Tenders or bids are evaluated on the basis of certain predetermined criteria, such as price, quality and value for money. In other words, the firm offering the highest quality product or service at the lowest price point would win the contract. As most tender documents are opened and evaluated in a public process, I think that there remains little room for nepotism or favoritism of any kind.

Value for Money: From the perspective of the client, tenders offer the greatest value for the amount of money spent. This is due to the fact that the client can choose from a wide pool of potential suppliers to select the ones that can produce the highest quality product or service at the lowest price point. This allows the company, establishment or organization to save money without having to compromise on quality. Therefore, despite being quite time consuming, tendering is, in my opinion, a profitable long-term process from an organization’s point of view.

Encourages Competition: The process of tendering helps promote a competitive market. This is because a number of potential contractors, firms or suppliers get a chance to bid for every project. And because selection depends on quality and price, every bidder tries to reduce operational inefficiencies and redundancies as much as possible in order to lower expenses and improve quality. This entire process encourages healthy competition in the market and prevents complacency and laziness, which in turn provides a boost to innovation and new ideas.

Easier Entry: The system of tendering makes it easier and simpler for new firms to enter the market or even a particular industry. This is due to the fact that contracts under this system are awarded on the basis of predetermined, objective criteria. As a result, even a firm that is a new entrant to the market, having no connections or contacts in the industry, can win a prestigious and lucrative contract by providing the highest value for the client’s money. This process therefore helps new firms to quickly get a foothold in the market or industry, thus significantly lowering the traditional barriers to entry.