Influence of Lean Procurement Initiatives on Supply Chain Agility in Manufacturing Firms in Nakuru County, Kenya

The emergence of environmental challenges associated with global warming has placed manufacturing organizations at the centre of environmental conservation. Through the adoption of sustainable procurement initiatives, many firms have taken up the call to conserve the environment by adopting varied initiatives. Despite increased adoption of sustainable initiatives in manufacturing sector the influence of adoption of these initiatives on the ability of these firms to effectively respond to changes in their internal and external environment remains un-assessed. This study sought to examine the influence of lean procurement initiatives on supply chain agility of manufacturing firms. The study targeted 34 licensed manufacturing firms operating within Nakuru County seeking responses from 96 procurement, finance and operation manager as the respondents. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A regression model was used to assess the influence of lean procurement initiatives on the agility of supply chains. The adoption of lean procurement initiatives was evident among the surveyed manufacturing firms with varying levels. Lean procurement was found to significantly enhance supply chain agility. Given the positive influence of lean procurement initiatives, it is imperative that the government supports in deepening the adoption of lean procurement initiatives in the manufacturing sector.