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. Furthermore, a study of the current empirical literature on this topic finds that the majority of local studies have concentrated on manufacturing enterprises in Nairobi, Machakos, and Migori, leaving the coastal region out of the picture, resulting in a research gap. The goal of this research was to see how material handling methods affected the performance of formal manufacturing companies in Mombasa, Kenya, verify how materials handling systems may improve production and yield profitability. The study also determined the impact of material handling systems, stock flow, and material flow on manufacturing enterprises' performance in Mombasa. 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 from 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. We had 81.1% participation percentage. 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. According to the findings, the three variables had a considerable impact on the companies' performance. The research shows that there is a strong link between material flow, stock control, and material handling systems, all of which contribute to the performance of manufacturing companies. According to the study, Material handling was also identified as an important aspect of production that had a substantial impact on the performance of manufacturing firms. A manufacturing company's material handling systems should be prioritized if it wishes to reduce costs, increase profits, and improve quality. The study had two main limitations; the private nature of business information and thus respondents were hesitant in giving information. Time was also a hindrance; most respondents took longer than expected in giving their feedback