Global readiness to adopt Maritime Single Window (MSW) systems meant to seamlessly synchronise and streamline port systems are at least 33% below what it should be to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) New Year’s Day 2024 deadline.
According to a survey done by Indian cloud-based tech company, Kale Logistics Solutions, the primary reason for the take-up failure to comply with the digital transformation initiative is cost.
This is despite the fact that $50 billion in port-related administration costs could be saved annually if optimum MSW integration is achieved, Kale co-founder Vineet Malhotra has said.
Apart from cost and the required digital ability to implement MSW systems, timelines to comply with the IMO’s deadline were also cited as reasons for roll-out readiness falling short by at least a third.
The survey is widely regarded as a major red flag for the IMO’s MSW ambitions as Kale managed to talk to at least 200 ports from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Malhotra said the survey primarily aimed to gauge the hoped-for wholesale adoption and implementation of MSW systems, as nothing short of 100% compliance by global ports will serve to achieve a return on investment.
Unfortunately, the survey confirmed what had been expected, that readiness is substantially lagging behind adoption and implementation of MSW systems.
On paper MSW systems make perfect sense as it streamlines and synchronises systems where 12 elements of ship-to-shore services rendering are usually required to work vessels.
