Company Magazine for the Odfjell Group - April 2008

✔Organisational StructureQM CornerBy Jan Didrik LorentzTo pursue our missionin an effectivemanner we need tobe well organized.The ISO 9001:2000quality managementstandard states: “Topmanagement shallensure that responsibilitiesand authoritiesare defined and communicatedwithin the organisation”. Accordingly,Odfjell’s Corporate Quality ManagementManual requires that “all units shall havecomplete and updated organisationcharts with reporting lines and authorizationtables defining level of authorityfor each function”.Odfjell SE has now been reorganisedwith two main business units: OdfjellTankers and Odfjell Terminals, dedicatedto shipping and storage respectively.But, the units shall continue to cooperate,to ensure that Odfjell providesa comprehensive and efficient serviceto common customers. Corporate staffunits for assets and financial managementwill support both main productionlines and also ensure the best performancefor our stakeholders.From a quality perspective it is now necessarythat all units make sure that organisationcharts are updated with thecorresponding process mapping and jobdescriptions. Our employees will findthis information in the Quality ManagementSystem (DocMap) on the Intranet.CORPORATE QUALITYMANAGEMENT MANUALTable of ContentsDefinitionsIntroduction2006 Q2Mission and PoliciesOrganisational structures2008 Q1Responsibilities2006 Q4Human Resource Management 2007 Q2Common Directives2007 Q4Processes and elements ofQuality Management2007 Q3Quality Management System 2007 Q3Quality Assurance and Improvement 2006 Q3Event AnalysisHSE Management2007 Q1Risk ManagementModern teamwork often benefits froma matrix type of organisation, wherecommunication follows the most practical(project) channels irrespective oftraditional (functional) command lines.An example where this approach maybe valuable is for our brokers who needleeway to search information and actquickly to secure good business. On theother hand, on board our ships theyapply a traditional line organisation,because the final responsibility alwaysrests with the master and in a criticalsituation there cannot be any misunderstandingsdue to unclear lines. Bothprinciples may be useful. From a qualityperspective we need an organisationwhere we all know what we are responsiblefor and get the authority necessaryto achieve it.Odfjell with record shipment ofsulphuric acid from PeruBy Andres Contador and Rene Saux SpignoFor many years Odfjell, through OdfjellSeachem, Odfjell Americas and Odfjelly Vapores, has been an active participantin the sulphuric acid trade on thePeruvian and Chilean coast. During thisperiod we have taken a leading role insuggesting and assisting charterers toevolve their shipment patterns in responseto the fluctuating supply anddemand.Since it’s inauguration in 2003, DQM,Odfjell’s affiliated terminal in Callao,Peru, has held a contract with VotorantimMetais Cajamarquilla for the storageof sulphuric acid. Initially the productwas shipped out in 10,000 tonne lotson smaller tonnage. However, in 2007Odjell y Vapores (OyV) succeeded inwinning the shippingcontract, using BowPacifico as their regularvessel. Togetherwith DQM and OdfjellPeru, OyV has workedBow Pacificowith Votorantim tomaximize intake on each shipment, forthe benefit of all parties in the logisticschain. Our joint efforts made it possiblefor us on February 18th this year to loada record shipment. The achievementwas mentioned in Votorantim’s newsletter,which text in English reads:On Monday February 18th we shipped15,764.192 tonnes of sulphuric acid. Thisis a historic shipment as it is first timeCajamarquilla refinery ships more than13,500 tonnes on one vessel. The cargowas exported to our strategic customerTrans Sud, with discharge in Punta Patache,Chile. This achievement resultedfrom joint efforts between our commercialand production departments due tothe demanding logistics. The success encouragesus to target new goals and tolook for bigger parcel sizes in order toreduce our ocean freight cost as well asexposure to demurrage.28 Odfjell Quarterly April 2008