An office manager checks an office supply company's website to see if his preferred brands are on sale before placing an order for copy paper. This is an example of a

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The main idea here is routine, rule-guided decision making. Checking a supplier’s site for sales on preferred brands before placing a standard office supply order is a repetitive, well-defined purchasing task. It fits into established procedures for procurement—you follow the same steps every time to save money and ensure consistency—so the decision is considered programmed.

This isn’t a nonprogrammed decision because it isn’t a new, unique, or one-off problem that requires crafting a novel solution. It’s not an unstructured problem since the goal and the path to achieving it (shop for sales on known brands) are clear. It isn’t a strategic decision because it involves day-to-day operations with routine impact, not a long-term, organization-wide choice.