Application of digital technologies in the Singapore Maritime Industry : single window platform to facilitate document transfer

As we undergo the technological revolution, we seek digital technologies to simplify and improve current processes, bringing down costs, and improve our margins. Singapore is a major trading hub in the world despite its lack of natural resources. Hence, Singapore relies heavily on trade, imports and exports to keep our economy afloat and ahead of the regional and global competitors. To continue to improve our position as a trading hub, we seek to develop and adopt digital technologies to facilitate trade. Specifically, Single Window (SW) platforms such as TradeNet and Portnet. For the usage of SW platforms to become a viable option, trade documents have to be standardized and electronic to allow the submission and processing of the documents by the platform. This will lead to improvements in efficiencies through the facilitation of information flow. Although the introduction of SW platforms has improved trade efficiencies compared to the traditional process of paper documentation, having 2 SW platforms has brought about the opposite effect instead, creating inefficiencies. This paper is designed as a case study of the current SW platforms that are currently adopted and a survey questionnaire was sent to relevant industry professionals that are involved in imports and exports, and more specifically, TradeNet and Portnet. This paper seeks to consult and find out opinions of these professionals regarding the proposal of integrating both SW platforms to develop a true Single Window platform that will facilitate and promote trade in our Singapore economy.Bachelor of Science (Maritime Studies