EFFECT OF SELECTED FACTORS ON BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AMONG PHARMACEUTICAL FIRMS IN KENYA
Grace Wawira Munyi - Master of Business Administration, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Dr. Kennedy Ogollah - Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Business process improvement is the most important element of any company's operations. Many companies that undergo a process improvement program have found that the application of process improvement techniques has led to significant improvements in operational areas. The adoption of process improvement techniques has been inspired by the dramatic improvements demonstrated by such techniques as Lean, Value Stream Mapping, Process Mapping, 5S, Six Sigma, Kaizen and DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control). In order to be effective and efficient, process improvement approaches need to be closely integrated with strategy and other organizational elements such as culture, top management commitment and staff motivation. Despite these numerous strategies to improve the processes among pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, its performance has been wanting. This study therefore sought to determine the extent to which staffing, strategy, management commitment and organizational culture affects the business process improvement at the company. The purpose of the study was to determine factors affecting business process improvement among pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Kenya. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population of this study was all the 42 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Kenya Since the population was not big, the study used a census approach. The study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was obtained through self-administered questionnaires with closed and open-ended questions administered to the managers dealing with the business process improvement. Secondary data was collected by use of desk search techniques from published reports and other documents. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Tables were used to present the data collected for ease of understanding and analysis. This study concludes that management commitment had the greatest effect on the business process improvement at Pharmaceutical manufacturing firms in Kenya followed by organizational culture then staffing in that order while organizational strategy had the least effect. This research study therefore recommends that in order to improve their business processes organizations should focus on training their employees on communication skills, leadership and management skills and problem solving skills. This study also recommends that organization aiming at improving their business processes should adopt differentiation, cost-based, focus and restructuring strategies.. The study finally recommends that managers must not spare any effort to persuade the employees of their ideas for business process improvement to be effective.
