Critical Reasoning

Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Vernon, Inc., a small manufacturing company that has in recent years experienced a decline in its profits, plans to boost its profits by outsourcing those parts of its business that independent suppliers can provide at lower cost than Vernon can itself.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Vernon's plan will achieve its goal?

(A) Among the parts of its business that Vernon does not plan to outsource are some that require standards of accuracy too high for most independent suppliers to provide at lower cost than Vernon can.
(B) Vernon itself acts as an independent supplier of specialized hardware items to certain manufacturers that formerly made those items themselves.
(C) Relatively few manufacturers that start as independent suppliers have been able to expand their business and become direct competitors of the companies they once supplied.
(D) Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
(E) Attending to certain tasks that Vernon performs relatively inefficiently has taken up much of the time and effort of top managers whose time would have been better spent attending to Vernon's core business.


OA:E

[spoiler]What's wrong with D. I think both D and E support the argument. Please explain the reasoning.

Thanks.[/spoiler]

czarczar wrote:Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Vernon, Inc., a small manufacturing company that has in recent years experienced a decline in its profits, plans to boost its profits by outsourcing those parts of its business that independent suppliers can provide at lower cost than Vernon can itself.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Vernon's plan will achieve its goal?

(A) Among the parts of its business that Vernon does not plan to outsource are some that require standards of accuracy too high for most independent suppliers to provide at lower cost than Vernon can.
(B) Vernon itself acts as an independent supplier of specialized hardware items to certain manufacturers that formerly made those items themselves.
(C) Relatively few manufacturers that start as independent suppliers have been able to expand their business and become direct competitors of the companies they once supplied.
(D) Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
(E) Attending to certain tasks that Vernon performs relatively inefficiently has taken up much of the time and effort of top managers whose time would have been better spent attending to Vernon's core business.


OA:E

[spoiler]What's wrong with D. I think both D and E support the argument. Please explain the reasoning.

Thanks.[/spoiler]

E-->we know that Vernon is inefficient producing those parts so, managers lose time and effort. But If managers spend their time and effort for core business it will be better for the company.This answer explains as to why Those parts of business may have been inefficient.

D-->Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
>> This is a strategy, adding nothing to our conclusion.

Ozlemg wrote:

czarczar wrote:Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Vernon, Inc., a small manufacturing company that has in recent years experienced a decline in its profits, plans to boost its profits by outsourcing those parts of its business that independent suppliers can provide at lower cost than Vernon can itself.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Vernon's plan will achieve its goal?

(A) Among the parts of its business that Vernon does not plan to outsource are some that require standards of accuracy too high for most independent suppliers to provide at lower cost than Vernon can.
(B) Vernon itself acts as an independent supplier of specialized hardware items to certain manufacturers that formerly made those items themselves.
(C) Relatively few manufacturers that start as independent suppliers have been able to expand their business and become direct competitors of the companies they once supplied.
(D) Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
(E) Attending to certain tasks that Vernon performs relatively inefficiently has taken up much of the time and effort of top managers whose time would have been better spent attending to Vernon's core business.


OA:E

[spoiler]What's wrong with D. I think both D and E support the argument. Please explain the reasoning.

Thanks.[/spoiler]

E-->we know that Vernon is inefficient producing those parts so, managers lose time and effort. But If managers spend their time and effort for core business it will be better for the company.This answer explains as to why Those parts of business may have been inefficient.

D-->Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
>> This is a strategy, adding nothing to our conclusion.

I completely agree with what you wrote.

But do not you think that D supports to as company will be able to outsource to some firm which will be cheapest. So, it will add to profits too.

Maybe I'm assuming too much .

czarczar wrote:

Ozlemg wrote:

czarczar wrote:Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Vernon, Inc., a small manufacturing company that has in recent years experienced a decline in its profits, plans to boost its profits by outsourcing those parts of its business that independent suppliers can provide at lower cost than Vernon can itself.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Vernon's plan will achieve its goal?

(A) Among the parts of its business that Vernon does not plan to outsource are some that require standards of accuracy too high for most independent suppliers to provide at lower cost than Vernon can.
(B) Vernon itself acts as an independent supplier of specialized hardware items to certain manufacturers that formerly made those items themselves.
(C) Relatively few manufacturers that start as independent suppliers have been able to expand their business and become direct competitors of the companies they once supplied.
(D) Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
(E) Attending to certain tasks that Vernon performs relatively inefficiently has taken up much of the time and effort of top managers whose time would have been better spent attending to Vernon's core business.


OA:E

[spoiler]What's wrong with D. I think both D and E support the argument. Please explain the reasoning.

Thanks.[/spoiler]

E-->we know that Vernon is inefficient producing those parts so, managers lose time and effort. But If managers spend their time and effort for core business it will be better for the company.This answer explains as to why Those parts of business may have been inefficient.

D-->Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
>> This is a strategy, adding nothing to our conclusion.

I completely agree with what you wrote.

But do not you think that D supports to as company will be able to outsource to some firm which will be cheapest. So, it will add to profits too.

Maybe I'm assuming too much .

cheapest may be tricking you to think about profitibility. imo, this is tricky because we have to solve the problem of inefficiency. Firm belives that outsourcing will help them; show that it will help...being cheaper is not a satisfactory and sufficent reason to boast profits. C talks about oursourcing firms but adds nothing to solve the problem

Ozlemg wrote:

czarczar wrote:

Ozlemg wrote:

czarczar wrote:Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Vernon, Inc., a small manufacturing company that has in recent years experienced a decline in its profits, plans to boost its profits by outsourcing those parts of its business that independent suppliers can provide at lower cost than Vernon can itself.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Vernon's plan will achieve its goal?

(A) Among the parts of its business that Vernon does not plan to outsource are some that require standards of accuracy too high for most independent suppliers to provide at lower cost than Vernon can.
(B) Vernon itself acts as an independent supplier of specialized hardware items to certain manufacturers that formerly made those items themselves.
(C) Relatively few manufacturers that start as independent suppliers have been able to expand their business and become direct competitors of the companies they once supplied.
(D) Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
(E) Attending to certain tasks that Vernon performs relatively inefficiently has taken up much of the time and effort of top managers whose time would have been better spent attending to Vernon's core business.


OA:E

[spoiler]What's wrong with D. I think both D and E support the argument. Please explain the reasoning.

Thanks.[/spoiler]

E-->we know that Vernon is inefficient producing those parts so, managers lose time and effort. But If managers spend their time and effort for core business it will be better for the company.This answer explains as to why Those parts of business may have been inefficient.

D-->Vernon plans to select the independent suppliers it will use on the basis of submitted bids.
>> This is a strategy, adding nothing to our conclusion.

I completely agree with what you wrote.

But do not you think that D supports to as company will be able to outsource to some firm which will be cheapest. So, it will add to profits too.

Maybe I'm assuming too much .

cheapest may be tricking you to think about profitibility. imo, this is tricky because we have to solve the problem of inefficiency. Firm belives that outsourcing will help them; show that it will help...being cheaper is not a satisfactory and sufficent reason to boast profits. C talks about oursourcing firms but adds nothing to solve the problem

So, you mean that outsoucing being a cheap alternate is already mentioned in the argument. We need to show whatelse it can help in?

I am confused why option A is not correct?
I think "option A" clearly indirectly implies that tasks that were not outsourced didn't require too high accuracy. Argument gives premise that outsourced tasks were done at lower cost. So, it means that lower costs outsourcing without compromising quality. This outsourcing shall definitely result in profits. Hence, A strengthens.
For OA E, i have problem since I need an assumption that outsourced tasks were the tasks optin E talks about.

Hi Verbal Experts,
Is it an Official CR ? If so, can you please share your analysis for it ?