Factors affecting quality systems implementation by tea handling warehouses in Mombasa county in Kenya

Abstract

The tea industry is the leading foreign exchange earner in Kenya. It is therefore important that quality systems are put in place throughout the tea value chain to secure customer confidence. The primary aim of this study was to determine factors affecting the implementation of quality systems in tea handling warehouses in Mombasa County. The study had three objectives. The first was to establish the extent to which quality systems have been implemented by tea handling warehouses in Mombasa County. The second was to determine the factors that affect quality systems implementation within the context, while the third objective was to determine the benefits of implementing quality systems by the sector. This was a census study of 29 tea handling warehouse sites. Descriptive research design was used. The theoretical framework was on systems and customer satisfaction theories. The response rate was 82.8 %. Data was gathered exclusively from the questionnaire. The study relied on primary data that was collected using a structured questionnaire that was administered using drop and pick method. Quantitative data on the range of factors affecting quality systems implementation was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as distribution tables, frequencies and percentages. On the first objective, study concluded that the tea handling warehouses have implemented quality systems with up to 83.33 % of the warehouses found to have implemented quality systems and were duly certified by the respective certification bodies. Factors affecting the implementation of quality systems were studied in four aspects; top management commitment, people involvement and training, PRPs and infrastructure, and system measurement and continuous improvement. The findings were that all the four factors were paramount in the successful implementation of any quality system. The study also confirmed the last objective. The implementation of quality systems comes with a number of benefits such as improved customer confidence, prevention of food contamination, compliance with legislation, promoting company’s image, motivating employees, reduction of operating costs and reducing product defects. The study recommended that tea handling warehouses should continue implementing quality systems more especially using the HACCP preventive approach being a food handling sector. More research can focus on other sectors, integrating systems and aligning warehouse design and layout to the control and management of food safety hazards