Page 55: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Jul/Aug 2017)

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SOFTWARE

Addressing Today’s Shipping Challenges with Software Solutions

Technology will prove the game changer for the shipping industry.

By Alexander Buchmann

Addressing the Challenges However, things are changing. In the last decade, we’ve

Solving these challenges is tough. Many of the external seen technology drive signifcant changes to business process- factors such as the supply/demand imbalance and swings in es and working practices in other industries As global man- demand are beyond the ability of one company to fx, how- agement consultants McKinsey recently highlighted, “Over ever shipping companies can deploy internal improvements the past few years, rapid technological advances in digitiza- to business areas such as commercial, operations and feet to tion and data and analytics have been reshaping the business improve their performance. landscape, supercharging performance and enabling the emer-

Despite the need for change, shipping companies have of- gence of new business innovations and new forms of competi- ten been slow to adopt new ways of working. And those who tion and business disruption.” are on the road to making changes are being held back by However, the frm goes on to point out that progress has legacy IT systems that are hampering them from making the been uneven and says, “While many companies struggle to improvements they need. harness the power of these technologies, companies that are www.maritimelogisticsprofessional.com 55

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