Statistical Quality Control and Operational Performance of Manufacturing Companies in Kenya

Abstract

Quality management is key to the performance of any firm .There are several quality management practices that are used in the operations if various firms to facilitate cost reduction, improvement in quality of products, customer satisfaction and revised errors and defects. Statistical quality control practice is one the several quality management practices. The study was aimed at establishing the various statically quality control practices adopted in large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi. The study used descriptive research design since it focused on the effects of statistical quality control practices on operational performance of the large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi County. The study was guided by Theory of constraints and quality improvement theories. The study used a descriptive statistic in its methodology on statistical quality control practices adopted in large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi. This study used primary data. Data collection was effected by use of structured questionnaires. Property owners in Nairobi County were the targeted population who were sampled out to be 45 out of the total number of 455 large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi. These questionnaires were issued through drop and pick method, coded, keyed and analyzed using both descriptive and regression analysis. The regression model used had three variables. Statistical process control, descriptive statistics and acceptance sampling were the dependent variables while operational performance was the independent variable. The study findings indicated that statistical process control, acceptance sampling and descriptive statistics had a positive impact on operational performance. The findings also indicated that to a large extent all the statistical quality control practices had been implemented in large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi. Other future academicians should research on statistical quality control practices in a different town rather than Nairobi county or carry out a cross sectional study in Kenya. Key words: Quality, statistical quality control, large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi.