Methodological Evaluation of Manufacturing Systems in Kenyan Plants: A Randomized Field Trial

Manufacturing systems in Kenyan plants are crucial for economic growth and productivity enhancement. However, their operational efficiency varies significantly across different sectors. The study employed a mixed-method approach combining quantitative data analysis and qualitative interviews. A random sample of 100 manufacturing plants was selected for detailed scrutiny, with specific focus on production processes, resource allocation, and financial outcomes. A significant proportion (65%) of the sampled plants showed improvement in cost-efficiency post-intervention, attributed to optimised resource management strategies implemented as part of the trial. Notably, a regression analysis revealed that reducing material waste by 10% led to an average reduction in operational costs by $2,500 per annum. The randomized field trial demonstrated promising results in enhancing manufacturing system efficiency through targeted interventions. Further research should focus on scaling up the effectiveness of these methodologies across more plants and sectors within Kenya. The maintenance outcome was modelled as $Y_{it}=\beta_0+\beta_1X_{it}+u_i+\varepsilon_{it}$, with robustness checked using heteroskedasticity-consistent errors.