Operational files and reports: From which information source would you obtain the amount of a specific product sold to a specific customer in a past period?

Introduction / Context:
Organizations maintain multiple operational files: customer master, inventory records, and sales history. Each has a distinct purpose. This question checks your understanding of which file stores historical, customer-specific sales quantities for prior periods—information frequently used in forecasting, account reviews, and performance analysis.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We need transactional history tied to customer and product over time.
• Customer file holds master data (name, address, terms), not detailed past sales.
• Inventory file tracks stock levels and movements, not per-customer sales totals.

Concept / Approach:
The sales history file (sometimes a fact table in a data warehouse) records completed transactions: who bought, what was bought, when, how much, and for what price. It enables time-series analysis, seasonality checks, and customer-level profitability. Therefore, it is the authoritative source for “amount sold to a customer in a past period.”

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard ERP and CRM schemas separate master data (customer, item) from transactional facts (orders, invoices), confirming sales history as the correct source.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Customer file: stores attributes and controls (credit, shipping) but not quantities sold by period.
• Inventory file: focused on stock position and valuation, not customer-specific sales totals.
• All/None of the above: conflict with the clear separation of data roles.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing invoice or order headers in operational systems with curated history; reporting often uses a consolidated history table for accuracy and speed.

Final Answer:
sales history file