OPERATIONAL ISSUES AT PAINT CENTER BUSINESSES AT CALOOCAN CITY, DISTRICT 1

Abstract

This study aims to assess the operational issues affecting paint center businesses in Caloocan City, District 1. It seeks to support not only small paint businesses but also the broader industry by identifying critical concerns related to workplace safety, financial management, and resource materials. Operational issues in these areas are shown to impact employee safety and business profitability, particularly due to low-quality materials that lead to costly defects and inefficiencies. A qualitative research design was employed using survey questionnaires and purposive sampling to gather data from 20 small business owners in the paint industry. Participants were selected based on their relevance to the study’s objectives, including both male and female owners with varying lengths of business operation. The focus was to assess the root causes of operational challenges within these enterprises. The findings indicated that operational issues significantly affected three key areas. First, workplace safety was compromised due to insufficient employee training and lack of enforced safety protocols. Second, the financial aspect of operations was hindered by the absence of proper inventory management, leading to reduced profitability. Lastly, the quality of resource materials was jeopardized by inadequate machinery inspection and the lack of consistent quality control, increasing the risk of defective products. Among the three operational areas assessed, resource materials received the highest overall weighted mean (3.25), followed by financial aspect (3.22) and workplace safety (3.20), all rated as "strongly agree" by respondents. These results highlight the urgent need for improvements in employee training, inventory systems, and equipment maintenance. The study recommends implementing targeted interventions such as regular safety training, inventory control mechanisms, and routine inspection of machinery to ensure consistent product quality and operational efficiency.