Evaluation of Barriers to Digital Transformation in Maritime Logistics Based on A Spherical Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework

Purpose: The objective of this study is to identify and prioritize the barriers to the adoption of digital transformation in order to ensure more efficient and effective operation of the maritime logistics sector. Methodology: The Spherical Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (SF-AHP) method, which gives successful results in modelling uncertainty and uses Spherical fuzzy sets (SFSs), is used to rank the barriers affecting adoption of digital transformation according to their importance. Findings: In the application part of the study, firstly the barriers in the adoption of digital transformation were determined and as a result of expert evaluations, the barriers were ranked according to their importance by applying the steps of the method. When the results obtained from the study were examined, ‘Technology’ is the most important barrier category (B1) (0.341) for the adoption of digital transformation in maritime logistics, followed by the main barrier categories related to “Security” (B4) (0.266), “Environment” (B3) (0.223) and “Organisation” (B2) (0.171) respectively. Originality: This study represents a pioneering effort in the field of maritime logistics, as it is the first to identify and prioritize the barriers to digital transformation that impede operational efficiency.