The sales budget for modesto corp. shows that 21,900 units of product a and 23,900 units of product b are going to be sold for prices of $11.90 and $13.90, respectively. the desired ending inventory of product a is 10% higher than its beginning inventory of 3,900 units. the beginning inventory of product b is 4,400 units. the desired ending inventory of b is 4,900 units. budgeted purchases of product a for the year would be: a. 21,900 units. b. 26,190 units. c. 14,090 units. d. 22,290 units. e.21,400 units.

You work as the sales manager for a company that sells office supplies to businesses of all sizes. because the profit margins are razor-thin, you need to ensure that you are getting the very best prices on paper, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and other office supplies from the manufacturers. when reviewing the quarterly profit statement, you realize that your costs are higher than they should be, and you trace the higher costs back to an employee who has been lax about getting competitive bids to ensure the lowest prices. when you conduct your research to determine the reason for the higher costs, and take action to bring those costs back down, in which of the key management processes are you taking part?