A broad line vendor primarily helps by reducing the number of vendor relationships.

• A. Decreasing processing time - Less paperwork and requisitions
• B. Single-sourcing risk
• C. Increasing lead times
• D. Raising unit costs

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that using a broad line vendor reduces the number of supplier relationships, which cuts the administrative workload in procurement. When you source many items from one supplier, you submit fewer requisitions and purchase orders, and you spend less time on paperwork and receiving confirmations. That streamlined process speeds up the overall purchasing cycle. The other points don’t match this primary benefit: relying on a single vendor can increase risk if that supplier has issues; lead times aren’t inherently improved just by breadth of items, and unit costs aren’t guaranteed to be lower as a direct result of consolidating vendors. So, the strongest fit is that processing time decreases due to less admin and fewer requisitions.