DATA ANALYTICS STRATEGY AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
The study examined the combined effect of data infrastructure, data-driven decisions, and data quality management on competitive advantage of beverage manufacturing firms in Nairobi County, Kenya. Beverage manufacturing firms in Nairobi County experienced declining competitiveness, reflected in reduced market share, weakening cost-efficiency indicators, and declining consumer utility scores. Despite the growing importance of data analytics, empirical evidence on its combined contribution to competitive advantage in Kenya's beverage manufacturing sector remained limited. The study used descriptive and explanatory research designs and targeted 132 respondents from 11 beverage manufacturing firms. Data were collected using structured questionnaires; 103 completed questionnaires were returned, representing a 78% response rate. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression in SPSS Version 27.Data infrastructure, data-driven decisions, and data quality management had statistically significant effects on competitive advantage, while the combined model explained 64.5% of the variance (R² = 0.645, F = 52.178, p < 0.001). Data quality management was the strongest predictor (β = 0.402), followed by data-driven decisions (β = 0.237) and data infrastructure (β = 0.191). The study recommends an integrated data analytics strategy that strengthens data infrastructure, promotes data-driven decision-making, and maintains high data quality standards.
Keywords: Data analytics strategy; data infrastructure; data-driven decisions; data quality management; competitive advantage.
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