A company that replaces its paper logbooks with a PDF version of the same form has digitized something. It has not necessarily transformed anything. The distinction matters more than it sounds. A large part of what gets called digital transformation in maritime is actually digitization: moving an existing manual process onto a screen without changing how the underlying work gets done or what decisions that information enables. Maritime companies have already adopted many digital tools. The...

A vessel's port call can involve dozens of activities and multiple organizations working against the same clock. The vessel needs to arrive. The berth needs to be available. Pilots and tugs may need to be arranged. Cargo operations need to be coordinated. Suppliers may need to deliver services. Documents need to be processed. Authorities may require information. The vessel needs to complete its activities and depart as planned. When all of this information is managed through separate emails,...

A vessel arriving at a port may look like a simple event. The ship arrives. Cargo is handled. Supplies are delivered. The vessel departs. But behind those few visible activities is a highly coordinated operational process involving the vessel, shipping company, port, terminal, agents, authorities, service providers, suppliers and many other stakeholders. A port call brings all of these activities together within a limited period. That makes port call management one of the most coordination...