World class manufacturing in the maize milling industry - a case of Mombasa maize millers limited
Abstract
Global competition has called for innovation and application of best practices. World
class manufacturing practices has been identified as a strong answer to the global
competition. Mombasa Maize Millers Limited, a king-pin firm in the maize milling
industry in Kenya adopted World Class Manufacturing practices in quest for increased
operational performance. The objectives of this study were to investigate the extent to
which Mombasa Maize Millers Limited has adopted World Class Manufacturing
practices, the challenges that Mombasa Maize Millers faced while adopting World Class
Manufacturing practices and the effect of World Class Manufacturing practices on the
operational performance of Mombasa Maize Millers Limited. This was a case study since
the unit of analysis was one organization. Primary data was used for the study. This
involved interviewing senior managers at Mombasa Maize Millers Limited. Content
analysis was employed in analyzing the data. The third objective required quantitative
data where a t-test was done to determine whether the operational performance of
Mombasa Maize Millers Limited had improved after adoption of World Class
Manufacturing practices at Mombasa Maize Millers Limited. The findings from the study
suggest that the organization had adopted World Class Manufacturing practices such as
JIT, TQM, TPM, EI, SCM and MRP. The study also revealed that Mombasa Maize
Millers Limited had encountered challenges such as employee apprehension, increased
expectations of efficiencies, staff resistance and use of technology. These challenges
were overcome by top management support, availability of resources and consideration
of staff input. The study further found out that there have been improvements in
operational performance in variables such as input, output and extraction rates of flour.
Other operational performance achievements noted were reduced wastage's and lower
down-time of machinery. As part of the recommendations, the research puts forward a
necessity for innovations and for continuous improvements. The researcher also
recommends flexibility in adapting to technological advancements as this is a dynamic
world that demands timely evolvement towards the changing customer tastes and
preferences.
Citation
Degree of Master of Business Administration,Publisher
University of Nairobi,