Having access to vast amounts of data is not the same as being able to use it effectively. Without clear guidance, additional information can create confusion rather than insight. This insight examines how information overload and poor data utilisation can undermine decision-making.
This resembles what has been observed elsewhere in other industries. As the amount of information increases, decision quality does not necessarily improve, as too much information can create pressure instead of clarity, slow people down, and lead to worse decisions, especially when teams are left to sort useful signals within background noise devoid of proper guidance on what really matters.
Ara Hachmeriyan, Head of Maritime Data & Intelligence at ABRAXA, stated how “it is not about quantity, not about quality. If you give people a hundred dashboards, you overwhelm decision-making.” More visibility from tools can easily become more noise for users.
Shipping is particularly vulnerable to this problem because decisions often have to be made quickly. When information arrives late or in a form that still requires interpretation, organisations tend to fall back on experience and habit.
Greater data availability has not necessarily simplified the decision-making process for maritime companies. Panagiotis Mouameletzis, IT Manager at Almi Marine Management SA, explained how “to retrieve the information that you need and clear all the parts that actually are required from that information, I think it’s difficult to find the proper information.”
“The sheer amount of digital tools can lead to the information and tools being more confusing than helpful to users.” This highlights the gap between having more data and actually being ready to make better decisions.
The result is a familiar pattern in which data is used to explain what has already happened, rather than to shape what happens next. This is where digital-based tools can disappoint, as they may generate useful analysis but do not always reduce uncertainty at the moment a decision needs to be made, which limits their impact on real-world outcomes.
Fragmentation remains a structural feature of the maritime sector, characterised by shipping companies’ adoption of a wide range of specialised tools for operational purposes, including performance management, voyage optimisation, compliance reporting, and commercial planning.
Download “The Great Integration: How connected maritime technology is unlocking compounded value across performance, compliance, and operations”, and discover how shipping companies can move from fragmented systems to more connected, decision-ready operations.
