Journal of Procurement & Supply Chain

Nexus between Standardizing Procurement and Performance of County Governments in Kenya

Jael Lagat — 2025-02-13

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between standardizing procurement and performance of county governments in Kenya.

Methods: The study used a descriptive research design. The target population of this study was 384 respondents drawn from all the 47 counties in Kenya which included the staff from the procurement, ICT, finance and administration, and audit departments. The study sample size was 188 respondents and both stratified random sampling technique and simple random sampling techniques were adopted to get the sample of respondents to be included in the study. Data analysis was done with the help of Statistical Package for Social Science version 28. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis.

Results: The study findings indicated that standardizing procurement had a positive significant effect on performance of county governments in Kenya

Implication: This study recommends that county managers should fully adopt practices designed in their county process through counties. The county professionals should establish strategic collaborative working partnerships and agreements with industry players and experts ranging from seasoned global freight forwarders, ocean carriers, airlines, and overland transporters to critical suppliers and all other County processes through county actors to allow expertise and near precision responsiveness to needs of vulnerable people in an efficient and coordinated manner. Each one of these players applies their operational expertise, assets, and networks to what they do best hence creating an integrated county that is responsive to the needs of vulnerable populations.

Supplier Relationship Management and Performance of Supermarkets in Nairobi County, Kenya

Faith Wangari Machira — 2025-05-28

In Kenya, supermarkets are regarded as one of the primary contributors to the economy’s notable expansion and advancement. However, in recent times, the performance of the retail industry has been beset by several challenges. This study aimed to examine the effect of supplier relationship management on supermarket performance in Nairobi County. The research adopted a descriptive research design which focused on describing the phenomenon being studied. The research target population comprised 147 registered hyper and mega supermarkets operating within Nairobi City County. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed. A sample size of 45 supermarkets and 135 respondents were selected for the study. In the analysis process, descriptive, inferential, and thematic statistical analysis was employed to analyze the data collected in this study. The study found that there is a positive and significant relationship between trust-based relationship management (β=0.0152, p=0.002), supplier segmentation (β=0.3154, p=0.002), and the performance of supermarkets. The study concludes that establishing and maintaining trust with suppliers is essential for ensuring a smooth and efficient supply chain, as well as fostering long-term partnerships that benefit both parties. Supplier segmentation helps supermarkets improve their overall performance by tailoring their approach to each supplier based on their specific needs and capabilities. The study recommends that when supermarkets have strong, trust-based relationships with their suppliers, they are more likely to receive timely deliveries, high-quality products, and competitive pricing. By segmenting suppliers, supermarkets can better match their specific needs and requirements with the capabilities of different suppliers.

The Effect of Inventory Management on Performance of Selected Naivas Supermarkets in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Gillian Jemutai Kogei — 2025-06-03

Electronic supply chain management has emerged to be a core area and source of implementation in contemporary business environments, especially the retail sector. Naivas supermarket has continued to rely on the traditional supply chain which has caused it not to achieve its optimum performance as concerns market penetration, sales revenue actualization, customer fulfilment, and right-time delivery. The study investigated the role of inventory management as an aspect of electronic supply management on the performance of the retail sector in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study settled on a descriptive research design to investigate a sample size of 137 staff members from 8 randomly selected Naivas supermarkets in Nairobi city county. Semi-structured questionnaires were utilized to gather first-hand data from targeted respondents. Reliability and validity in this study was also determined. Reliability was examined using a threshold of 0.70 of the Cronbach alpha value. The element of inventory management practices exceeded the threshold and thereby deemed reliable. Quantitative analysis revealed that inventory management (β=0.342, p=0.031) showed moderate impact, limited by partial manual processes. To enhance performance through inventory management practices, Naivas should prioritize full automation of inventory tracking using IoT and AI-driven systems, building on the moderate but significant impact found in the study. Implementing vendor-managed inventory with key suppliers would further optimize stock levels, leveraging the strong correlation between SRM and inventory efficiency. Additionally, staff training programs should be introduced to ensure seamless adoption of these technologies and address residual manual verification issues noted by respondents. Future research should explore long-term digital transformation outcomes and AI/blockchain applications in Kenya’s retail sector.

Evaluating the Effect of Product Traceability on Operational Performance: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms in Tanzania

Sophia Paulo Juma — 2025-06-18

The study aimed to determine the relationship between product traceability and performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Tanzania. The research utilized a cross-sectional design, targeting 480 individuals from 120 food and beverage manufacturing companies in Tanzania. This included managers from procurement, inspection, quality, production, and operations departments. A total of 218 individuals were sampled using a stratified random sampling method. Data analysis was carried out with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 27, applying both descriptive and inferential techniques to the quantitative data. The findings indicate that product traceability significantly enhances the efficiency of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Tanzania (R²=.609, p=.000), suggesting that approximately 60.9% of the variance in the dependent variable can be attributed to product traceability. This offers insights into how traceability systems function as strategic assets promoting competitive advantage. The notable benefits of product traceability on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing companies offer empirical support for viewing traceability as a strategic asset within a resource-based view theory. This data reinforces the idea that investing in traceability systems generates sustainable competitive advantages, as these systems are difficult for rivals to replicate and can evolve to adapt to market changes. Therefore, managers should emphasize the importance of investing in strong traceability systems, acknowledging them as strategic resources that improve company performance. Additionally, policymakers in Tanzania ought to create supportive regulatory frameworks that encourage the implementation of effective traceability systems. This may involve tax incentives for companies that invest in advanced traceability technologies. Furthermore, clear guidelines for traceability practices should be developed to ensure alignment with international standards, aiding compliance for manufacturing firms and facilitating their access to global markets.