Information sharing inventory management and customer satisfaction: the case of manufacturing firms in Kampala
Loading...
Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Information sharing and inventory management have emerged as key factors for manufacturing firms wanting to meet their customer demand in the downstream chain. Downstream chains of manufacturing firms in Uganda face a number of challenges that affect customer satisfaction. Information sharing and poor inventory management are some of the challenges that affect customer satisfaction in the downstream chain. This study attempts to study the relationship between information sharing, inventory management and customer satisfaction in the downstream chain of manufacturing firms in Uganda. Customer satisfaction in the downstream chain is important because Manufacturing firms contribute a large percentage to the GDP of the country. The research was based on registered distributors and retailers who sell products of manufacturing firms in Uganda. A Sample of 523 was taken composed of registered retailers and distributors. A survey questionnaire was used which was adopted from those used by previous scholars and was modified to suit the local setting. A response rate of 69% was achieved. The study established that information sharing explained 47.1% of the variation in customer satisfaction and inventory management explained 39.4% of the variation in customer satisfaction. According to the results, information sharing affects customer satisfaction more than inventory management. This is consistent with what previous scholars have found out. These results raise implications to the owners manufacturing firms in Uganda and to the theory as well. This is the first study to document the effect of information sharing ,inventory management on customer satisfaction in the downstream chain of manufacturing firms in Uganda. Manufacturing firms in Uganda have neglected the issues of information sharing and inventory management which has affected their ability to meet customer needs. The results indicate that the firm’s ability to share information and ensure proper inventory management has implications on customer satisfaction. The fact that manufacturing firms are not willing to share information with their downstream chain partners also has important implications, demonstrating the practical value of information sharing and inventory management
Description
The article is available full text. One of the authors, Moses Muhwezi is a senior lecturer at Kampala International University
Keywords
Information sharing, Customer satisfaction, Uganda, inventory management