Inventory management in a government agency: Status, problems, and effectiveness

Abstract

This study sought to explore and to understand the inventory management system of the government agency that is responsible for the promotion of agricultural development by providing the policy framework, public investments, and support services needed for domestic and export-oriented business enterprises in Region VI. Along this line, the researcher’s research question was “How is inventory management being carried out/ or implemented in the government agency?” The purposive sampling technique was employed to select the participants who met specific inclusion criteria relevant to the research problem and the investigated case study. There were 12 participants involved in this study, consisting of three participants who have specific roles in managing and in monitoring the warehouse transactions, three participants with the second level of employment who monitored the inventory transactions in the agency, three employees responsible for the recording and for the transparency of inventory transactions, and three participants coming from the beneficiaries of inventory held for distribution who were knowledgeable about the timeliness, the quality, and the effectiveness of inventories issued to them. A researcher-made interview guide was provided to the participants in advance, facilitating a conversational approach with open-ended questions. A case study methodology was used in identifying the status, problems, and effectiveness of inventory management in a government agency. The duration of the study was from October 2023 to December 2024. The data gathered through interviews were analyzed using the thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke.

The status of agency shows that there are some issues that have an impact on effectiveness and efficiency, such as no annual physical count, a lack of manpower, and no inventory record system that can provide a real-time report for decision making and in warehousing. It is recommended to discuss with the entire team the issues that have an impact on effectiveness and efficiency, such as no annual physical count, a lack of manpower, systems to be used in inventory and warehousing. The researcher recommends to conduct physical counts that can help identify inaccuracies in data, detect potential fraud or theft, and ensure compliance with regulations; Investing in modern inventory management systems can improve accuracy, efficiency, and transparency in tracking assets; Provide proper training for personnel involved in managing inventory can help reduce errors and promote compliance with policies and regulations; Additional workers to handle inventory records, create guidelines, train personnel involved in inventory management, and have full-time inventory monitoring to increase record dependability.