Supply chain management practices of small and medium-sized office supplies firms in Nairobi, kenya
Abstract
The aim of this research was three-fold. Firstly, the research sought to establish the
supply chain management practices adopted by the office supplies firms in Nairobi,
secondly to determine the benefits of adopting supply chain management practices by the
office supplies SMEs in Nairobi and thirdly to establish the supply chain management
challenges facing office supplies SMEs in Nairobi. Based on the review of the literature
the main supply chain management practices, the benefits and the major challenges were
identified. The research adopted a complete census design, where a self-administered
questionnaire was designed and distributed to 125 Nairobi-based SMEs of which 87
complete and valid questionnaires were returned. Through a descriptive and inferential
statistical analysis of the data collected, it was established that managing customersupplier
relationships was rated the highest ranked SCM practice. The major benefits of
SCM were identified as increased response to customer needs while the major challenge
was identified as the high cost of raw materials. The study concluded that SMEs
implement SCM practices, benefit from implementing most of the practices, but also face
challenges of embracing these new trends. The researcher has recommended that a
further empirical study should be conducted to link each of the practices to the supply
chain performance of the SMEs in Kenya.
Publisher
University of Nairobi