A logistics company is analyzing delivery performance using data from three operational systems:
Source 1 - Order Management: In October, 8,940 orders were processed with promised delivery times averaging 4.2 days. Orders were distributed as follows: 35% same-city, 45% regional, 20% national.
Source 2 - Fleet Tracking: Vehicle logs show 2,150 same-city deliveries averaging 1.8 days, 3,420 regional deliveries averaging 3.5 days, and 1,680 national deliveries averaging 7.1 days.
Source 3 - Customer Feedback: Survey responses from 1,247 customers indicate actual delivery times of 2.1 days for same-city, 3.8 days for regional, and 7.3 days for national deliveries. Response rate was consistent across all delivery types.
What is the most significant consistency issue when comparing these three data sources?
- Source 2 delivery counts don't align with Source 1 distribution percentages, suggesting incomplete fleet tracking or order classification errors. (correct answer)
- Source 3 customer feedback shows delivery times that are consistently longer than Source 1 promises, but this reflects realistic expectation management.
- Sources 2 and 3 show similar actual delivery times, but both contradict Source 1's promised delivery average in ways that suggest systematic timing calculation errors.
- The survey response rate mentioned in Source 3 is insufficient to validate the delivery time claims against the operational data from Sources 1 and 2.
Explanation: Source 1 indicates order distribution of 35% same-city (3,129 orders), 45% regional (4,023 orders), and 20% national (1,788 orders) based on 8,940 total orders. Source 2 shows 2,150 + 3,420 + 1,680 = 7,250 total deliveries, which is significantly less than 8,940 orders processed. Additionally, the proportions don't match: Source 2 shows 2,150/7,250 = 29.7% same-city vs. 35% expected. This suggests incomplete tracking or classification problems. Choice B incorrectly characterizes the relationship between promises and actual times. Choice C is wrong because the weighted average of actual times roughly matches promises. Choice D misses the more fundamental counting discrepancy.