SMEs supply chain management practice: A study focus in Oman.

This paper analyses the outcome of a survey designed to identify the adoption of supply chain management practices in Omani SMEs. The objectives of this paper are to determine the degree of awareness of SCM principles among Omani SMEs, to identify the sector-wise challenges faced by SMEs in Oman, to ascertain the level of understanding of the importance of SCM in SMEs, to identify possible SCM strategies for SMEs to improve SCM activity, and to contribute to SCM knowledge among SMEs. The study sample was selected based on simple random stratified sampling. The questionnaires were emailed to 412 SMEs in Oman, covering all governorates to ensure comprehensive geographical coverage and various sectors in Oman. The questions were closed-ended and used the Likert five-point scale method, consisting of independent and dependent variables related to the study. Based on the 258 firms that responded, the results indicate a lack of effectiveness in implementing inventory management systems and a lack of improvement in accessing technology performance. When asked about the factors preventing them from achieving these goals, respondents cited a lack of understanding of how to use the system and an inability to find qualified employees to operate it. Hence, the firms must implement SCM strategies to gain a competitive position in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]