A Survey of the Extent of Implementation of Benchmarking Practices in the Manufacturing Sector in Kenya
Abstract
Manufacturing firms the world over have since the mid 1980s adopted continuous
improvement techniques such as benchmarking to build organizations that are internally
and externally geared towards an enhanced customer offering. Benchmarking has been
described as among the easiest to implement requiring few resources and delivering
superior value. This paper sought to investigate whether manufacturers in Kenya do
benchmark, and if they do, in what specific areas of their operations, evaluate the success
as well as the challenges they encounter in their quest to benchmark.
Primary data was collected using a questionnaire, designed to be completed by
respondents at managerial and operational levels in the surveyed firms. The data was then
checked for completeness and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
The survey reveals that indeed most manufacturing firms in Kenya benchmark and
management support in this area is very strong. Secondly, most firms chose
benchmarking partners from those in the same industry or line of trade. Finally, lack of
proper and specific skills is identified as the biggest hindrance to benchmarking among
Kenyan firms.
The paper concludes by a confirmation that benchmarking has had a tremendous effect in
improving the operations of many firms and will continue to playa critical role in their
success going into the future.
Citation
Degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA), School of Business, University of NairobiPublisher
University of Nairobi School of Business
Description
A management research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
of the Degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA), School of Business,
University of Nairobi