Only 5% of respondents said their port has fully implemented a Port Community System (PCS), which is an electronic platform that manages data distribution between the variety of stakeholders that comprise a port community, according to global research from logistics software vendor Kalé Logistics.
The primary barrier to PCS adoption is customs agencies (according to 50% surveyed) and other government agencies (35%), respondents said in Kale’s “State of Port Digital Readiness & Stakeholder Adoption of Port Community Systems” report.
It also found that 79% of respondents report that their port does not have a fully operational PCS, while 22% highlighted digital skills gaps as a barrier to adoption, and uptake remains particularly weak in low-income countries.
Customs authorities and freight forwarders also record the lowest willingness to adopt PCS, at 33%, despite their central role in cargo clearance and trade facilitation. Kalé says wider adoption can give port communities the real time information and coordination needed to manage disruption, improve cargo flows, and build more resilient trade corridors.
That’s because a PCS is a tool to connect public and private organisations across a port through a shared digital environment, allowing data to be securely exchanged and reused to reduce paperwork, congestion, delays, and duplicated processes, while improving cargo visibility and coordination, the firm says.
The research, combining stakeholder surveys from port authorities, shippers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and government officials, highlights the need for regulatory reform, improved digital skills, and greater collaboration across port communities.
“Ports are facing greater supply chain disruption, congestion, labour volatility, and compliance demands, but technology alone cannot solve these pressures while information remains fragmented between organisations and regulatory systems,” said Vineet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Director, Kalé. “The next phase of port digitalisation requires policy, people, and technology to move together, with authorities enabling trusted data exchange and ensuring developing markets are not left behind.”
