BPM and BPR for Green Innovation in the Shipping Industry

As the maritime business faces increasing challenges concerning sustainability, maritime operators are urged to adopt new technological solutions for improving the environmental and social impact deriving from their operations. In this context, new evaluation tools are needed, allowing operators to carefully evaluate and select the most viable technological solutions for pursuing their sustainability goals, also considering the specificities of the business which makes decision-making particularly complex. For this aim, the study proposes an ad hoc methodological procedure for investigating the economic, social, and environmental implications that affect the operational processes of shipbuilding companies and the related financial performances when introducing a new green technological solution in the ship manufacturing process. More in detail, the analysis assesses the main implications originating from the introduction of an electric propulsion system in the ship manufacturing process as an alternative to the traditional propulsion systems. To this aim, the main theoretical constructs and practical tools of Business Process Management and Business Process Reengineering are employed. The study allows the identification of the main types of implications arising from the implementation of the technology, and the allocation of the implications within the shipbuilding process, allowing a balanced and holistic evaluation.