Influence of Technology Innovation on Performance of Mombasa Water Services and Sanitation Company in Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

Technological innovation has revolutionized numerous industries worldwide, and the water services sector is no exception. The implementation of advanced technologies innovations has the potential to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance revenue generation for utility companies. This research study focused on the Mombasa Water Services and Sanitation Company Limited, which plays a crucial role in providing reliable water supply and sanitation services to the residents of Mombasa County, Kenya. The research examined the influence of technological innovation on revenue performance, with a specific focus on the Mombasa Water Services and Sanitation Company Limited in Mombasa County, Kenya. To do this, the study looked at four specific variables with one moderating variable to show the effect of technological innovation on revenue performance. The study variable was to determine the impact of mobile money payment adopted by Mowassco in revenue performance, to determine the impact of Digital Infrastructure deployed in Mowassco in revenue performance, to determine the impact of training and expertise in technological innovation in the revenue performance of Mowassco and to examine the moderating effect of government regulations and policies in the relationship between technological innovation and revenue performance of Mowassco. The study used a case study approach and was qualitative in nature. The target population consisted of top management of the company who are directly involved in revenue management. The tools used for capturing information included interviews, observation, artifacts and interrogation of the firm’s records stored in their systems. The researcher conducted a pilot study on some of the staff who were not participants in the study to make sure the research instruments are valid, reliable, clear, and error-free. The study findings indicated that mobile money services have significantly improved Mowassco's revenue collection efficiency as well as reduced expenses, increased productivity, and reduced payment delays and corruption. Further the study found out that training increased efficiency, enhanced reliability, and ultimately improved Mowasco's revenue performance. It was also evidnt that digital infrastructure and government policies and regulations greatly influence Mowasco's revenue performance.Technology and innovation improved customer service by fostering strong client relationships and offering timely responses.The study recommanded that Mowasco should have a continuous technological upgrading mechanism, enhance stakeholder education and engagement, collaborate with tech innovators, have a data-driven decision-making systems, have customer-centric technological solutions, sustainability initiatives, enhance employee training and empowerment, involve community participation in decision-making, have strategic planning mechanisms for future innovations, enhance monitoring and evaluation framework, frequently sharing knowledge with industry peers and finally be actively involved in government and regulatory collaboration.