Grays: In an era where the role of IT has never been more vital to organizational success and where technology adoption is mainstream, shipping and related services companies must embrace this change, argues Marcelo Espejo, the founder and senior partner of mar-IT-ime consulting, in today’s Maritime CEO interview.
“In our experience,” Espejo says, “the maritime industry in general and the shipping sector in particular have a clear gap in terms of IT adoption. mar-IT-ime has been created to close this gap.”
Shipping is a tradition-bound industry, notes Espejo, but one which quickly adopted new technologies for propulsion, navigation and communications, but kept its back office and administrative operations somehow unmodified.
“With the changes in owners’ profiles, government requirements and the general adoption of integrated e-procurement systems, there is a strong pressure to modernize all the administrative areas related to shipping,” Espejo maintains. From document exchanges to new procurement systems, companies have to change and adapt their back office. The challenge for medium and small companies is large, but new cloud-based solutions put computer power within easier reach.
“We have seen a growing interest in cloud adoption,” says the IT expert. “The industry is embracing the concept, interested in finding ways to have IT as a business enabler, not only as a cost centre.” [12/12/13]
