Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardStrengthening Arguments

A logistics company recently replaced human inspectors with an automated software system designed to audit shipping manifests for tariff misclassifications. Whenever discrepancies are flagged, the affected containers undergo mandatory physical inspections. Management claims that adopting this software will decrease total vessel departure delays attributable to documentation errors, despite critics pointing out that the automated software flags twenty percent more paperwork discrepancies than human inspectors previously identified.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for management's claim?

  1. The automated software audits manifests days prior to vessel arrival, enabling inspections of flagged containers to finish before loading begins, whereas human inspectors flagged errors during active loading.Answer
  2. B
    Physical inspections triggered by paperwork discrepancies take twice as long to complete as the initial automated manifest audit.
  3. C
    Shipping companies operating at nearby commercial ports have reported a fifteen percent increase in international cargo volume over the past two years.
  4. D
    Human inspectors were historically required to complete a fifty-hour professional certification course in international maritime trade regulations.
  5. E
    The software developer plans to release an updated version next year that will expand automated document auditing to international air freight hubs.

Answer

The argument is most strongly supported by the statement indicating that automated auditing occurs prior to vessel arrival, allowing physical inspections to finish before loading begins rather than interrupting active loading.
The correct response bridges the logical gap between increased discrepancy flags and reduced departure delays. By establishing that automated audits occur before vessel arrival, inspections are completed prior to loading. This eliminates the active loading disruptions caused by human inspectors, directly supporting management's claim.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conclusion and premises of the argument.
Conclusion: Adopting the software will decrease vessel departure delays caused by paperwork errors. Premise: The software flags 20% more discrepancies than human inspectors did, leading to mandatory physical inspections.
To strengthen an argument, one must first identify the logical gap between the premise (more flagged discrepancies creating inspections) and the conclusion (fewer departure delays).
2
Evaluate the missing assumption or logical gap.
The critics argue that more flags equal more inspections, which should cause more delays. Management's claim can only hold true if the inspections triggered by the software do not interfere with departure schedules.
A valid strengthening statement must explain why an increase in flagged discrepancies will not translate into vessel departure delays.
3
Assess the correct option against the logical gap.
If automated auditing takes place prior to vessel arrival, physical inspections are completed before loading starts. Under human inspection, errors were caught during loading, directly holding up departures.
Shifting the inspection window entirely out of the active departure timeline explains how total departure delays decrease even though more containers are inspected.

Key Concept

Strengthening Arguments via Timing and Operational Mechanisms
Rate this question

Topics

Strengthening Arguments

More questions from this topic