Supplier Visibility in Supply Chain Network and Firm Performance: A Study in Kenya’s Manufacturing Sector

The aim of this study was to establish the effect of supplier visibility on the performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was anchored on supply chain planning theory. The study utilized a cross-sectional research design. The target population was 561 respondents drawn from the 187 large manufacturing firms in Kenya. Using a stratified random sampling, a sample of 228 respondents was selected. A questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 27. The findings revealed that supplier visibility was not effectively embraced among the manufacturing firms in Kenya. The results further revealed that supplier visibility had a significant relationship with performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya (β=0.769; P<0.05). The study concluded that manufacturing firms were declining in performance as a result of inefficient supply chain process and failure to enhance supplier visibility. The study recommended that there is need for managers in supply chain among the manufacturing firms to enhance supplier visibility by incorporating suppliers in their supply chain network planning for them to meet customer needs and promote their performance.