LİMAN İŞLETMELERİNDE DİJİTALLEŞMEDEN BEKLENTİLER VE YÖNETİCİLERİN BAKIŞ AÇISI
EXPECTATIONS FROM DIGITALIZATION IN PORT BUSINESS AND MANAGERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Summary/Abstract: While the increase in the global trade volume brings out the importance of Maritime Transport, it also increases the cargo volume and the competition over the ports. The ports, as a connection point between the sea and the continent, provides highly complex services. Due to the increased load volume, functionality of the terminals might hinder, or even stop completely. It is easily seen that the terminals that embraces the concept of digitalization which entered our lives with Industry 4.0, rewarded with more success in the field of competition and an increase of their service quality. Therefore it is very crucial for the terminals to keep up with the updates of the modern day technology. Port managers’ point of view and expectations from this concept of "digitalization" are also very important for ports to adopt and apply these technologies to their daily lives. In this study, the phenomenology model was used as a qualitative research method and the semi-structured interview technique was used as the data collection technique. The middle and senior managers of the currently functioning ports in Turkey participated to this research, the data that is obtained from these participants were transferred to NVivo 12 program and analysed by using content analysis and descriptive analysis methods. At the end of the research it was concluded that, even though they approach digitalization cautiously due to the concerns such as cost and difficulty in the adaptation process, vast majority of the managers of ports thought that the adequate technological development in ports was not achieved yet and the digitalization was needed in the operation processes in the ports. Ports that want to continue their activities more effectively and maintain their competitiveness in the field of developing technology have been advised to closely follow the new technologies used in the terminals by receiving professional support from experts or organizations.

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