E-Procurement Strategies and Performance of Manufacturing Companies in Kenya

Both theoretical and empirical literature demonstrate that e-procurement strategies significantly impact the performance of organisations across various sectors. Nevertheless, the use and assimilation of digital procurement technologies in the Kenyan manufacturing industry is still minimal, which brings difficulties to the cost-efficiency, operational transparency, and responsiveness to suppliers. This paper reviewed the role of main e-procurement elements e-tendering, e-evaluation, e-negotiation, and e-invoicing in performance in manufacturing companies by applying the systematic desktop review approach. The study was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Resource-Based View (RBV) and utilised a positivist research philosophy to critically examine scholarly and policy-based literature that was obtained in academic databases, reports, and peer-reviewed journals. The review revealed that digital procurement tools improve the speed of procurement; its transparency; collaboration with the supplier; cost reductions; and compliance with regulations when successfully implemented. The study found e- evaluation and e-invoicing to be particularly effective, promoting accountability and performance tracking. However, the literature showed that there were several empirical gaps, including the absence of sector-specific and integrative research in the manufacturing industry in Kenya. The majority of the existing literature is descriptive and covers only the sectors of the population that are public or service-oriented. The review showed that there was a lack of studies that examined the relationship among several e-procurement dimensions and the role of internal firm- specific variables, including digital readiness, ICT capacity, and firm size, in moderating the performance results. The research found out that digital procurement system integration is both a strategic asset and competitive differentiator in the manufacturing environment. Considering the results, the research suggests adopting mixed- method research to examine the effects of adopting e-procurement in manufacturing facilities and inform the formulation of evidence-based policy.