The Tanzanian food industry is one of the most critical sectors in the country. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the largest processors of food. Although SMEs mostly deal with processing food, they still face challenges, especially with their suppliers. Though previous researchers have investigated partnership issues in SMEs, little has been reported on the factors that impact the supplier relationships found in food manufacturing SMEs. This study employed a qualitative design where semi-structured interviews with 13 experts were conducted to identify the factors that impede SRM in Dar es Salaam. The findings reveal that poor relationship management, poor storage facilities, poor transportation and inadequate production capacities are the main challenges affecting SRM within these firms. To overcome these challenges, it has been recommended to improve the supplier relationships through being transparent, fostering trust and sharing quality information with the suppliers on time. Furthermore, investment in technology has been recommended to reduce costs and to enhance the information sharing between suppliers and SMEs. Government support is required with regard to financial aid and the improvement in the infrastructure to facilitate the easier flow of goods from SMEs to the customers.
Supply chain management (SCM) has gained popularity around the globe due to its significance in relation to improving business performance. Although large enterprises have been able to successfully implement SCM, it is different in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as they are faced with several constraints that hinder the effective implementation of SCM. Variables such as technological difficulties, poor coordination with the supplier's lack of government support, resources, funds, access to markets and top management support, issues in information sharing, inventory management, poor SCM knowledge and unskilled workforce all affect the SCM implementation in SMEs. These variables were measured in this study. A mixed method approach was used in this study where content analysis was employed through carrying out an extensive literature review to identify the SCM constraints. Descriptive statistics were then used to justify the relationship between SCM impediments and effective SCM implementation in Tanzanian SMEs. Frequency and percentages were computed to obtain the study results. The findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between effective SCM implementation in Tanzanian SMEs and constraints such as technological difficulties, poor coordination with suppliers, a lack of support from the top management and insufficient funds. This indicates that Tanzanian SMEs are mostly constrained by technological difficulties, poor coordination with their suppliers, a lack of support from top management and insufficient funds. The results also revealed that information sharing, inventory management, a lack of access to markets and poor SCM knowledge were insignificant constraints affecting SCM implementation in Tanzanian SMEs, thus indicating that there are no significant relationships between these constraints and SCM implementation in Tanzanian SMEs. The study recommends that support from the government in terms of financial assistance could help the SMEs to overcome the financial constraints and to invest more in recent technologies to help effectively implement SCM. Training from SME governing bodies such as the Small Industry Development Organisation (SIDO) in Tanzania could help to increase awareness of the importance of SCM. Furthermore, forming and maintaining long-term relationships with suppliers is critical for effective SCM implementation.
A block chain refers to a distributed ledger that contains digital information that has been shared among various parties. It is different from other online platforms as it is more secure and difficult to duplicate. Thus, transactions that are shared on the blockchain platform cannot be compromised in any way.Block chain technology has gained significant recognition recently due to the merits that it offers to various businesses. Some of these benefits include reduced paperwork, more transparency, and security.Although, several African countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia have adopted block chain technology to enhance their businesses, the implementation of this technology in Tanzania is still lagging. To address this gap, this paper highlights the benefits of block chain technology and underlines the significance of adopting such a technology in various sectors in Tanzania. For instance, it has been noted that in the Tanzanian healthcare system patient records are being maintained manually, which makes it difficult for doctors to access the medical history of patients. Furthermore, there is also a tendency for medical reports to be stolen and tampered with. In contrast, it has been identified that land registration in Tanzania is weak and is mainly affected by bureaucracy, corruption, and lack of transparency. Furthermore, having such a weak land registration system has resulted in many impediments to society, such as conflicts which have resulted in the loss of life and property. In the Tanzanian banking sector, it has been identified that network failure, poor security, theft of funds are still issues that interfere with the effective performance of banks. In light of these drawbacks, the implementation of block chain technology can offer improved systems in Tanzania such as enhanced security in managing patient records, transparency in land registration systems and minimization of fraud in banks. Thus, in recognising the significance of blockchain technology in Tanzania, it is imperative for the government as well as various businesses sectors to invest in blockchains in order to derive the benefits.
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