| dc.description.abstract | Supply chain innovations have received growing attention amongst organizations. Supply
chain innovations acts as a catalysts for improved efficiency and competitiveness. To
achieve value creation in supply chain management, most oil companies have realized the
need for innovation. The objectives of this study were to determine the innovative supply
chain practices used by Oil marketing companies in Kenya, to establish the relationship
between innovative supply chain practices and performance of Oil Marketing Companies
in Kenya and to determine the challenges facing implementation of innovative supply
chain management practices by Oil Marketing Companies in Kenya. To achieve these
objectives the study used a descriptive survey. The population of the study consisted of
oil marketing companies in Kenya. A census approach was used in all the 36 oil
marketing companies in Kenya. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from
all the senior procurement officers and their assistants. Out of the 36 questionnaires
distributed, 32 were returned to the researcher. This represents a response rate of 89%
which was considered sufficient for making generalization of the whole population. Data
was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a regression model as per the objectives of
the study. The findings found that mass customization, integration, e-procurement, just in
time and outsourcing were implemented to a very large extent. Reverse logistics practices
were used only to a moderate extent in oil marketing companies in Kenya. The regression
results concluded that innovative supply chain management practices led to improved
organizational performance of oil marketing companies. Further, it was revealed that the
key challenges facing implementation of innovative supply chain management practices
by oil companies were; lack of proper training, failure to invest in research and
development, failure to invest in modern technologies and lack of commitment by the top
management. The limitation of this study was that time factor. Primary data collection
consumes a lot of time. The researcher had to prepare in order to handle the different
demands of the processes and at the same time, manage time effectively. The study
recommends the need for investigating on appropriate ways to increase formalization of
research and development programs in the oil industry that will establish a platform to
build and nurture innovation in supply chain management in order to enhance value
creation. | en_US |
