An Analysis of the Effect of Procurement Procedures on Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study of the United Refineries Limited in Bulawayo

Paidamoyo Madondo Paidamoyo Madondo,Sibongile Manzini

doi:10.31580/ijer.v3i4.1605

Paidamoyo Madondo Paidamoyo Madondo, Sibongile Manzini

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.31580/ijer.v3i4.1605

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Abstract

The exploration sought to analyse the effects of procurement procedures on customer satisfaction through a case study of United Refineries Limited. As the industry in Zimbabwe had been enlarging in size and intricacy, so too did the challenges met across the procurement sector. Instances of such challenges comprised inter alia varying customer preferences, the requirement for ecological practices and the need to sustain relationships in the supply chain. The study was based on the network theory which highlighted that businesses in a network cannot create procurement procedures at liberty and independently without involving others in the network. The investigation assessed the effect of procurement procedures on customer satisfaction through the utilisation of the descriptive design. The research population comprised of 107 employees and 25 customers aggregated based on daily walk-ins. The sample was 84 respondents for employees and 20 for customers in terms of which judgmental sampling was utilised. The results showed that the majority of customers were not satisfied with procurement procedures given the incidence of malpractices such as bureaucracy and red-tape which fought against the effectiveness of procurement procedures which led to dissatisfaction as well as substantial discrepancies in procurement procedures. It was concluded that the strategic significance and the latent forthcoming influence of procurement procedures at United Refineries was impossible to ignore. There existed room for improvement in procurement procedures to bring about customer satisfaction. Recommendations included, training, supplier development and supplier streamlining.

Highlights

Purchasing as a practice has been present in one way or the other from the time when commerce as a discipline emerged, but grew in prominence from the early 1990s as it witnessed a de facto regeneration (Aputo, 2018; and Abdalla, 2014)
The food, home and personal care industry is a significant economic sector, to Zimbabwe with regard to the generation of work (Unilever, 2018). Based on this imperativeness of the sector to Zimbabwe, a study that contributed to the present explorations done was mandated to produce modernised facts that could be utilised to deal with numerous difficulties experienced in this sector and to inform future decision making with regard to purchasing practices that could positively impact customer satisfaction, decisions necessary for its additional growth and triumph
After the study was introduced through an all-encompassing review of the problem and aims of the investigation, the second part of the investigation was anchored on an aggregate of fixed aspects which inter alia included an assessment of the various definitions propounded on purchasing and supply chain management (PSCM) before the theory underpinning the exploration was expounded and its implications and relevance to this particular investigation delineated

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Purchasing as a practice has been present in one way or the other from the time when commerce as a discipline emerged, but grew in prominence from the early 1990s as it witnessed a de facto regeneration (Aputo, 2018; and Abdalla, 2014). The food, home and personal care industry is a significant economic sector, to Zimbabwe with regard to the generation of work (Unilever, 2018) Based on this imperativeness of the sector to Zimbabwe, a study that contributed to the present explorations done was mandated to produce modernised facts that could be utilised to deal with numerous difficulties experienced in this sector and to inform future decision making with regard to purchasing practices that could positively impact customer satisfaction, decisions necessary for its additional growth and triumph. Leveraging on these facts, the investigation endeavoured to assess the effect of procurement practices on customer satisfaction. How can purchasing and supply policies be enhanced to facilitate the effectiveness of the supply chain United Refineries Limited??

LITERATURE REVIEW

Objective

Summary of the Findings

Findings

CONCLUSION