“Shipping companies must be more cost conscious and efficient. Those who don’t manage to adapt to this will fall behind and ultimately lose,”says CFO Håvard Framnes. Photo: Østensjø Rederi
BY THOMAS FØRDE
“WE MUST ADAPT” “This is serious. We can’t believe that today’s difficult situation will pass by simply continuing as we have done. We must adapt. This applies to both the branch in general and for our shipping company,” says Håvard Framnes, Østensjø Rederi’s CFO. He underlines that the entire industry must examine itself. “Operation must become more efficient and the actual boats must be built to suit the needs that they will be filling. We must come up with more standardised solutions. For many years, the customer has been willing to pay for many types of innovations and for equipment that it’s nice to have, but we must be careful assuming that this will continue,” says Framnes.
“But innovations must first and foremost now promote efficiency. At the same time we’ll have to work hard to remove all procedures, routines, and customs which have contributed towards creating a disproportion ately high cost level,” says Framnes.
He does add, however, that innovations and technical solutions that Norwegian industry has developed have been a major benefit up until now, as the solutions have been exported and contributed towards de veloping the Norwegian supply industry.
“Shipping companies must follow up and be more cost conscious and efficient. Those who don’t manage to adapt to this will fall behind and ultimately lose.”
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He also points out that there must be increased focus on efficiency in work on creating new types of boats.