Influence of Material Handling Practices on the Performance of Formal Manufacturing Firms in Mombasa County

Abstract

Material handling is an essential component of the manufacturing process. Manufacturing companies are working to improve their production and operating efficiency while also assuring the safety of their employees. Manufacturing organizations are working on building systems that will see the material go through several phases of manufacturing in a seamless manner to ensure customer satisfaction and increased profitability. Despite these notable investments in material handling, manufacturing firms in Mombasa County have experienced poor growth and high production costs. The goal of this research was to see how material handling methods affected the performance of formal manufacturing companies in Mombasa, Kenya. The study used a descriptive survey design, with the population of interest being 25 formal manufacturing enterprises in Mombasa. The study's 175 participants were recruited from various levels of management in various manufacturing companies (strata). To compute the sample size of each strata or industry of selected manufacturing enterprises, a proportionate stratified sampling technique was used on the target sample of 150 participants. Structured questionnaires with a Likert scale were used to collect primary data. Data was collected by managers, engineers, truck drivers, and operators from each manufacturing organization. The surveys were double-checked for accuracy before being coded and entered into SPSS. The data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The analytical findings were given in tables with footnotes. Most of the indications for the material handling operations were determined to be helpful to the company's success. As a secondary method, a regression analysis was performed at a 5% level of significance to explore the bond between the variables. The research shows that there is a strong link between material flow and the performance of manufacturing companies. A manufacturing company's material handling systems should be prioritized if it wishes to reduce costs, increase profits, and improve quality.