The Impact of Digital Transformation on Enhancing the Medical Supply Chain

Abstract

The current thesis aims to investigate how digital transformation (DT) technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain can be used to improve the medical supply chain in Saudi Arabia through the Vision 2030 metric. A systematic review based on PRISMA was used to identify and screen the studies (n=6); narrative and thematic synthesis were performed as part of the study, and three general themes were created: operational excellence, economic viability, and implementation readiness. According to the findings, DT enhances visibility, predictability, responsiveness, and resilience, but the strength of evidence was not consistent, and some of the studies have indicated a high implementation cost and organisational barriers. It is important to note that the synthesis has revealed the convergence as well as tensions among studies that technical interoperability and workforce readiness are important in the effective adoption of DT. Some of these recommendations are gradual execution of technology, capacity building initiatives and sponsorship of national policy to enable equal adoption in all the facilities. Its implications go beyond Saudi Arabia, and the fact that DT serves as an agent of predictive and agile systems and the global discussions about how digital health transformation strategies are to be implemented.