A certain wholesaler supplies goods on a regular schedule to various retailers. A retailer can choose to receive the same...
GMAT Graphics Interpretation : (GI) Questions
A certain wholesaler supplies goods on a regular schedule to various retailers. A retailer can choose to receive the same numbers and types of goods on a regular basis without having to submit a new order for each delivery using what is called a standing order. The flowchart represents all of the steps in the process for evaluating and accepting or rejecting a request to edit a standing order with the wholesaler. The process begins with "Edit terms of standing order."
Suppose that G is a group of requests evaluated using the process described in the information provided. Select from the drop-down menus the options to complete the statement so that it most accurately reflects the information provided.
Owning The Dataset
Table 1: Text Analysis
| Text Component | Literal Content | Simple Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Business relationship | "A certain wholesaler supplies goods on a regular schedule to various retailers." | The wholesaler regularly delivers goods to retail stores. |
| Standing order definition | "A retailer can choose to receive the same numbers and types of goods on a regular basis without having to submit a new order for each delivery using what is called a standing order." | A standing order lets a retailer automatically get repeated deliveries with no additional orders. |
| Process purpose | "The flowchart represents all of the steps in the process for evaluating and accepting or rejecting a request to edit a standing order with the wholesaler." | The flowchart explains how edit requests are reviewed and either approved or denied. |
| Process entry | "The process begins with 'Edit terms of standing order.'" | Every review starts with someone requesting a change to their standing order. |
Table 2: Chart Analysis
| Chart Component | Representation | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Decision points | Five diamonds (e.g., accounting approval needed?, approves?, management approval needed?, approves?, all items stocked?) | There are multiple possible checkpoints for each request and approvals are conditional. |
| Outcomes | Two endpoints: 'Edits rejected' and 'Edits accepted' | Every request is either fully approved or fully rejected by the end. |
| Warehouse stocking step | Box: 'Items added to warehouse stocking list' immediately before 'Edits accepted' | If approved and items aren't stocked, they're added to be stored in the warehouse before acceptance. |
| Branch logic | Yes/No arrows from decision points | The process follows branches: a 'No' at any approval leads to rejection, 'Yes' lets the request advance. |
| Process order | Approvals before stock check | Requests must get all approvals before final stock (warehouse) verification. |
Key Insights
Requests to edit a standing order must navigate multiple decision points, with specific approvals possibly required by accounting and management. All approvals must be granted before the system checks if the requested items are already stocked in the warehouse. If some approved items are not stocked, they are added to the warehouse stocking list before the edit is accepted. If required approvals are not obtained at any stage, the request is immediately rejected. Thus, only requests passing all relevant approvals and, if necessary, adding new items to stock, are accepted.
Step-by-Step Solution
Question 1: Analyzing the Flowchart Outcome for All Requests in Group G
Complete Statement:
If each request in G [was approved by Accounting / was approved by Management / resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list], then it must have been the case that ...
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: each request in G
Meaning: Every request within group G, no exceptions.
Relation to Chart: We need to consider what must be true for all requests in the group based on the flowchart.
Important Implications: If a characteristic holds for all, then whatever leads to that must also be true for all in the group.
- Key Phrase: each request in G
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: was approved by Accounting / was approved by Management / resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list
Meaning: Each is a possible flowchart outcome for a request.
Relation to Chart: These are distinct outcomes or events that happen along different paths of the flowchart.
Important Implications: We must choose the path that would make a clear, necessary statement for all requests in G about warehouse stocking.
- Key Phrase: was approved by Accounting / was approved by Management / resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list
- What is needed: Which option, if true for every request in G, lets us conclude something about all requests in terms of warehouse stocking.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
We analyze which flowchart outcome directly links to warehouse stocking by considering the process for each option. - Necessary Data points:
In the flowchart, 'Items added to warehouse stocking list' happens only if the answer to 'All items in edited order currently stocked in warehouse?' is NO.- Calculations Estimations:
Logical flow only: trace which outcome requires unstocked items in the order. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Being approved by Management or Accounting does not specifically tell us about the warehouse status, since both stocked and unstocked items can be approved. Only 'resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list' definitively means there were unstocked items for every request.
- Calculations Estimations:
FINAL ANSWER Blank 1: resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list
Question 2: Quantifying How Many Requests Included Unstocked Items
Complete Statement:
... then it must have been the case that [some, but not all / all / none] of the requests in G included one or more items that were not currently stocked in the warehouse.
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: included one or more items that were not currently stocked in the warehouse
Meaning: Requested at least one item that wasn't already in stock.
Relation to Chart: This is the precise situation that causes 'items being added to the warehouse stocking list' in the flowchart.
- Key Phrase: included one or more items that were not currently stocked in the warehouse
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: some, but not all / all / none
Meaning: Which proportion of requests in G had at least one unstocked item.
Relation to Chart: If every request resulted in items added to the list, every request must have had at least one unstocked item.
- Key Phrase: some, but not all / all / none
- What is needed: The proportion (all/some/none) of requests in G with at least one unstocked item, if every request resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Directly connect the flowchart logic: the only way to get items added to warehouse stocking list is if an order contained items not already stocked. - Necessary Data points:
From flowchart: 'Items added to warehouse stocking list' requires 'All items in edited order currently stocked?' = NO.- Calculations Estimations:
No arithmetic; just logical deduction that if every request had this outcome, every request must have included an unstocked item. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
'All' is correct, because the specific outcome could only happen for every request if every request had at least one unstocked item.
- Calculations Estimations:
FINAL ANSWER Blank 2: all
Summary
If every request in G resulted in items being added to the warehouse stocking list, then all requests in G must have included an item not currently stocked. This is the only outcome that guarantees this conclusion, as shown in the flowchart.
Question Independence Analysis
The questions are linked: the answer to the second blank depends on which flowchart outcome was chosen in the first. Only if all requests resulted in new items being added can we conclude all requests included at least one unstocked item.