# Supply Chain Management Maturity and Business Performance: The Balanced Scorecard Perspective
## 3 Supply Chain Management Maturity and Balanced Scorecard Perspective: Hypothesis Development
They found out that companies that cooperate with their customers in the form of an in-depth, collaborative relationship to achieve environmental goals simultaneously increase customer satisfaction. Similar results were obtained by [31; 56; 57]. However, the research mentioned above regarding the customers' perspective does not investigate the impact of the SCMM on customers; thus, the second hypothesis is formed:  
**H2**: _Supply chain management maturity is positively related to business performance from the customer perspective of the balanced scorecard framework._  
Relationship between Supply Chain Maturity and Business Performance from the Perspective of Innovation and Learning of the Balanced Scorecard Framework  
Supply management presents the improvement and alteration of business processes [26] and, therefore, positively impacts innovation as in any business process management improvement [58]. Thus, SCM itself is a significant innovation in business operations; however, at the same time, SCM generates innovation in different business areas. Ref. [59] developed a model to demonstrate how SCM positively impacts the company in which it was adopted and the supplying partners. Improvements in supply chain practices, for instance, measuring responsivity with respect to product development involving suppliers [25], can help businesses learn from and innovate the existing processes. Ref. [60] predict that SCM processes improve a firm's competitive advantage through superior prices/costs, better quality, dependability inside the chain, lead time, and product innovation. A supply chain needs to ensure improvements and innovations in the existing supply chain practices and final products and create new value for the customers [27]. Ref. [25]consider how capabilities such as those related to information technology infrastructure, human resources and organizational capabilities, the adoption of a strategic orientation, and awareness, together with the use of modern technology and its vertical and horizontal integration across the supply chain, can support supply chains' business processes and organizational performance in terms of growth and learning. Research suggests that supply chain integration and capabilities predict technological innovation performance, knowledge sharing [61], and innovational performance [62; 63]. Ref. [64] (p. 205) stress that SCM positively impacts learning, especially in the adoption stage, in the forms of \"knowledge acquisition and persuasion and learning, leading to the actual decision of adoption.\" Knowledge sharing among members of the chain can enhance learning and generate competitive advantages for the whole supply chain [65]. Previous research proposes that the level of a supply chain's competitiveness lies in the adequate governance of the inter-firm relationships that support knowledge exchange [66] and organizational performance. A study conducted by [67] shows that supplier and customer learning improve internal learning and operational performance. However, the authors do not investigate the impact of SCMM on business performance from the perspective of innovation and learning. Therefore, we form the third hypothesis:  
**H3**. : _Supply chain management maturity is positively related to business performance from the perspective of innovation and learning of the balanced scorecard framework._  
Relationship between Supply Chain Maturity and Business Performance from the Perspective of Internal Processes of the Balanced Scorecard Framework  
SCM is seen as \"a strategic approach to planning for and acquiring the organization's current and future needs through effectively managing the supply base\" [4], p. 7 and utilizes process orientation.