215 Chapter VI Conclusions and Further Research VI.1 Conclusions The conclusion of this research highlights the significance of its results. First, this research successfully addresses the first research question by conceptualizing maturity stages within Hospital Supply Chain Management (HSCM). Through an extensive literature review and case study analysis, a comprehensive maturity framework was developed. This framework identifies four distinct maturity stages—Foundational, Developing, Advanced, and Optimized—across the dimensions of people, process, technology, and partner. Each stage represents a progression in competencies, integration, technological adoption, and collaborative practices. The maturity framework provides a structured pathway for hospitals to enhance their supply chain management capabilities, offering actionable insights into how they can transition from reactive, ad-hoc systems to proactive, optimized, 216 and integrated operations. This model serves as a valuable tool for evaluating current maturity levels and guiding strategic improvements in HSCM. The second conclusion of this study pertains to the second research question (RQ2), through a descriptive study involving expert respondents in the field of HSCM, the research identified key variables to be used in modeling efforts aimed at enhancing hospital supply chain maturity. The variables used to enhance maturity in hospital supply chain management are as follows: from the perspective of people, the number of training sessions provided to physicians and staff plays a crucial role. A higher training rate increases the competency of physicians and staff, leading to improved customer satisfaction and, subsequently, raising the hospital's maturity level by optimizing the utilization of facilities by patients. From the perspective of process and technology, the implementation of supply chain integration processes and technologies effectively reduces supply chain costs, which in turn alleviates the cost burden on patients. Supply chain integration processes significantly impact inventory management, which, from the perspective of partnership, enhances inventory visibility and fosters trusted access, leading to partnership growth and an extended partnership horizon. The combination of these variables—people, process, technology, and partnership—contributes to an overall improvement in the hospital's maturity level. The case study findings reveal the current maturity levels of participating hospitals and provide actionable insights into their progression. Notably, the results indicate that each hospital has the potential to reach Level 4 maturity, particularly with targeted investments in technology and the development of human resources in compliance with regulatory standards. These findings offer a clear roadmap for hospitals to systematically improve their supply chain management practices and achieve optimal maturity levels. 217 The third conclusion of this study pertains to the third research question (RQ3), a System Dynamics (SD) model was constructed, providing a prognostic and prescriptive tool that not only highlights areas for improvement but also predicts the potential outcomes of these enhancements. The simulation results offer valuable insights into the time required for hospitals at various maturity levels to reach the highest stage, Level 4. This model serves as a strategic guide for hospital management, enabling them to plan and implement targeted interventions in people, process, technology, and partner dimensions. By leveraging the SD model, hospitals can accelerate their maturity progression, optimize their supply chain operations, and achieve sustainable improvements aligned with their strategic goals.