The use of information technology for business functions in Sri Lankan sea ports

Abstract

Given the very competitive nature of seaport business it is important seaport operators and administrators to understand the key factors influencing the customer satisfaction and productivity. Growing competition among seaports has forced those seaport authorities and terminal operators to develop competitive strategies to attract and retain their customer base. For the port of Colombo as it is facing severe competition from the seaports in the South Asian region and ports in Far East and Persian Gulf, it is extremely important to have the seaports facilities to meet international standards. The shipping industry is constantly developing and especially due to the economic boom in China too the shipping routes in Asia are expecting a higher level of vessel traffic. At the same time emergence of new terminals, construction of new generation ships, mergers and alliances of shipping lines are also happening. The shipping Alliances that have tremendous command over selection of seaports always set standards and expect very high productivity indicators and service level. The shipping lines and freight forwarders always demand faster response, on-line data availability, online billing and payments and fast dispute management. It is therefore important to have these business functions be processed and managed by using Information technology (IT). This dissertation gives details about the information technologies used for business functions in the seaports around the world including Sri Lanka. The concept of Port Community System is adopted by many seaports in the developed world. Most developed ports in the world use information technology in almost every segment in the cargo export and import processes and they are continuously investing for further improvements. Although shipping lines are well geared with IT infrastructure, freight forwarders and others are less prepared for it although they demand more from the ports. The research shows that the use of IT too has a contribution on customer satisfaction. No research done could be found on this sector and this is a useful area for future research.