Analysing the Effects of Beef Supply Chain Practices on Customer Satisfaction in Tanzania

<p><span lang="EN-GB">The purpose of the study is to analyse the impact of Supply Chain Management Practices (SCMPs) on Customer Satisfaction (CS) in Tanzanian beef industry. The independent variables were SCMPs namely, customers relationship management (CRM), supplier relationship management (SRM), Information Sharing (IS) and Internal Lean Practices (ILP), while dependent variable was customer satisfaction measured as customer retention rate. Correlational research was conducted to 307 respondents comprising of cattle traders and staffs of butchers, supermarkets, slaughter houses, abattoirs and beef processors in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma Regions of Tanzania, specifically in Ilala and Dodoma Urban districts respectively. Data were collected using questionnaire survey, and analysed using multiple linear regression model. The descriptive findings revealed that beef firms have established SCMPs and effectively implement them. The results of regression model indicate that CRM, SRM, IS and ILP have positive and highly significant effects on customer satisfaction. The study concludes that CRM, SRM, IS and ILP are essential in improving performance of beef supply chain in Tanzania. Thus, enhancing the implementation of SCMPs in beef industry improves customer satisfaction. Accordingly, it is recommended to Beef Supply Chain (BSC) actors to assess the effectiveness and suitability of SCMPs applied in Tanzanian BSC since still the beef sector face larger amount of postharvest waste, to integrate information technologies to improve information sharing and advance beef production infrastructure to improve beef quality. This study has filled a knowledge gap regarding the effects of SCMPs on customer satisfaction in BSC of Tanzania</span>.</p>