BOT methodology for the inclusion of Spanish ports into the international logistics market as Ports 4.0

World trade has been modified by a new scenario in which the world is more globalised. These globalisation processes have relied on logistics being able to offer better door-to-door services. In Spain, this trend has a direct impact on ports, so that the trend is moving towards Ports 4.0. For this reason, Puertos del Estado has launched the Ports 4.0 project. In order to diagnose the current situation and to face the Ports 4.0 project, the business observation tool (BOT) is proposed to be used, as it does not only allow analysis of the state of the conditions of the Ports 4.0 project of the Spanish port system but also allows establishment of the possible scenarios of the Ports 4.0 proposal. The main conclusion of its application is that the Spanish port system is well positioned towards the so-called smart ports or Ports 4.0, although a new port model is necessary to develop it.