CMI (Other exams) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

SMART goal

A goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. A goal without a measure or a deadline is not SMART and cannot be tracked.

Tuckman team stages

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning. A team that takes on a new task or new members can regress to an earlier stage and needs renewed direction.

Belbin team roles

Nine roles grouped as action (Shaper, Implementer, Completer Finisher), people (Coordinator, Teamworker, Resource Investigator) and thought (Plant, Monitor Evaluator, Specialist). Balance across roles supports team performance.

Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes

Competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating. Collaborating suits issues important to both sides; avoiding suits trivial issues or when emotions must cool first.

RACI matrix

A responsibility chart assigning Responsible (does the work), Accountable (one per activity), Consulted and Informed. More than one accountable person per activity creates unclear ownership.

Absence rate formula

Days lost divided by average headcount multiplied by 100 over the same period. It is compared against a baseline or sector norm to judge whether action is needed.

Hierarchy of control

Risk controls ranked from most to least effective: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administrate, then personal protective equipment. PPE is the last resort, not the first choice.

Business case contents

A document stating the problem, options considered, costs, benefits, risks and a recommendation with an approval route. It enables a decision rather than describing an intention.

Budget variance

Actual cost minus budgeted cost. A positive cost variance is overspend; percentage variance is variance divided by budget multiplied by 100.

Stakeholder power-interest grid

Maps stakeholders by power and interest. High power and high interest means manage closely; low power and low interest means monitor with minimum effort.

Five operations objectives

Quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost. They describe operational performance and trade off against each other in process design decisions.

PDCA cycle

Plan, Do, Check, Act. A continuous improvement cycle that requires a measured baseline before a change and a check against that baseline afterwards.

Service level agreement

A contract term defining scope, response and resolution times, exclusions and review frequency. It converts an expectation into a measurable commitment with consequences.

Gibbs reflective cycle

Six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. It turns an experience into documented learning and a specific change in practice.

Validity and reliability

Validity means a method measures what it claims; reliability means repeated measurement gives consistent results. A method can be reliable but still invalid.

Informed consent

Agreement to take part in data collection given freely after being told the purpose, use, risks, anonymity arrangements and the right to withdraw.

Automation bias

Over-reliance on a system's output at the expense of independent judgement. Mitigation is documented challenge points, audit sampling and authority for reviewers to override.

Model drift

Decline in model accuracy as real-world data diverges from training data. Monitoring compares live performance against an agreed threshold that triggers review or retraining.

Human-in-the-loop

A control where a person reviews and can override an AI output before it takes effect. It is required where the output affects rights, safety or access to services.

GHG Protocol scopes

Scope 1 is direct fuel combustion, Scope 2 is purchased energy and Scope 3 is value-chain emissions including suppliers and product use. They are reported separately.

Net zero

Reducing emissions in line with climate science and removing or offsetting only residual emissions. Offsetting is a last step, not a substitute for reduction.

Science-based target

A reduction target aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C or well below 2°C. It requires a baseline year, target year and a stated pathway.

Porter's Five Forces

Supplier power, buyer power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes and competitive rivalry. Together they indicate the attractiveness and profitability of an industry.

Net present value

The sum of future cash flows discounted at the cost of capital, less the initial investment. A positive NPV indicates value creation at the chosen discount rate.

Ansoff matrix

Four growth options ordered by risk: market penetration, product development, market development and diversification. Diversification carries the highest risk because both market and product are new.

Director's duty to promote success

A statutory duty to act in the way most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of members as a whole, having regard to stakeholders and long-term consequences.

Board independence

The extent to which non-executive directors are free from relationships that could affect judgement. It is supported by a majority of independents and separate chair and CEO roles.

Enterprise risk management

Aggregating risk across the whole organisation, with board-set appetite and tolerance limits per risk category, rather than managing risks in isolated silos.

Cost of quality

Prevention, appraisal, internal failure and external failure costs. External failure, such as recalls or lost customers, is usually the most expensive category.

Cash conversion cycle

Days inventory plus days receivable minus days payable. A shorter cycle releases working capital and reduces the funding needed to run operations.

Materiality

Information is material if omitting or misstating it could influence the decisions of users. It guides what is disclosed in reports and accounts.

Circular economy

An approach that designs out waste, keeps materials in use and regenerates natural systems, replacing the linear take-make-dispose model.