Improving the information flows and business process in global maritime logistics chains considering digitization and digitalization aspects

Abstract

Digitization and digitalization have gradually transformed the maritime industry for over 60 years. Technologies are developing continuously, and applications are designed to meet business requirements. This work has researched how digitization and digitalization influence the maritime industry from the perspectives of effects on information flow, business, and logistics operations, based on the methodology of literature review and case study. This work aims at providing an analysis of the digitalization process in the maritime industry, considering the established, developing, and future ICTs and applications. It finds out that digitalization has influenced all the commercial, regulatory, logistical, and financial processes in the global business and supply chain. As a traditional and important transportation mode of global business, the maritime industry has been through several changes and ushered in a vision for future development under digitalization. By identifying the changes and trends, it is useful for international organizations, governments, and authorities to make decisions for future strategies; it facilitates the maritime actors to have a glimpse of the digitalization process to catch opportunities and challenges; it also provides IT companies with tips on demands of the applications in the maritime industry.