Business process improvement practices adopted by savings and credit societies with front office service activity in Nairobi county

Abstract

Process improvement is a strategy and a tool to help an organization meet its long term goals and objectives. Savings and credit co-operative societies with Front Office Service Activity are generally having much difficulty in identifying their processes, let alone being innovative enough to optimize them. Partly to blame for the difficulties faced by the savings and co-operative societies is the lack of holistic and versatile methodologies for business process improvement in academic literature. The purpose of the study was to investigate business process improvement practices adopted by saving and Credit Co-operative Societies with front office service activity. The research was a cross sectional survey. Cross-sectional survey involves observation of all of a population, or a representative subset at one specific point in time. The study was conducted in Nairobi County and covered all savings and credit cooperative societies offering front office services. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents from each of the selected Saccos. The study adopted a descriptive statistics to analyze numerical data that was gathered using closed ended questions. Quantitative data was presented in tables and graphs. The study established that majority of the Savings and Credit Societies reviewed set strategies and activities. The strategies were related to organization objectives. The study established that IT had been embraced in the organizations as means of emphasizing BPI practices. The study found that staffs in the organization were empowered in contributing their initiatives towards BPI practices. The study found that the organization structure enhanced BPI practices within the organizations. Application of TQM in the organizations involved top management commitment and employee empowerment. The study concludes that majority of the Savings and Credit Societies reviewed set strategies and activities. Strategic realignment had a positive effect to business process improvement practices in the organizations. The study concludes that IT had been embraced in the organizations as means of emphasizing BPI practices. The study recommends the management of Savings and Credit co-operative Societies to review the set strategies and activities. The study also recommends the human resource department to ensure they empower the staffs in the organization through training.