Abstract
The shipping and port industry must respond to a new reality that has been created by the continuing growth of world trade and the emergence of global operators. This combination has resulted in increased demand for seaports and their related services while they are divided into competing nodal points in the entire global logistic chain. To improve their competitive positions, many ports have begun developing and implementing the port community system (PCS), which constitutes an electronic platform that connects multiple systems operated by a variety of organizations that constitute the seaport community and is believed to be a significant contributing factor to a more efficient movement of cargo across international borders. Related research on the integration of PCSs has only recently started to develop. To this end, this paper proposes a methodology to evaluate port performance changes with the introduction of PCS, which, under a competitive environment is of significant importance to port management. The proposed evaluation methodology introduces, among others, key port performance indicators to account for system implementation. An application of the methodology is carried out for the real case of a port that is kept anonymous to maintain confidentiality. The methodology can constitute an effective decision-making tool for port managers, as well as regional and national authorities, to perform port improvement analysis, encouraging these to be proactive in PCS development—ultimately leading to efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness gains.