The major organisation leap from ancient to futuristic : An explorative case study investigating a company in the shift towards smart ferries

Abstract: Many industries stand in front of a significant shift as we have entered the 4th industrial revolution,and society is becoming digitalised to a higher degree. Autonomous and smart ships may be emergingin the coming future within the maritime industry. Previous research has tried understanding thecompetencies needed to work with the autonomous ship. This case study aims to understand a shoreand ship organisation as their company stands on the verge of smart ships arriving. To understandthis, the a) present work has been explored, b) potential changes to the work tasks because of theautomation and c) how the organisation and crew members can meet the changes have been explored.The methods used are interviews, observations, thematic analysis, and hierarchical task analysis. Thestudy’s major findings were the importance of clear communication and a good relationship betweenthe ship and shore organisation.