Caspian Energy (CE): Mr. Rahimov, what success was the company able to achieve in the past year and what are the plans for 2015?
Huseynaga Rahimov, General Director, Azpetrol Ltd: Azpetrol Company is one of the numerous companies created and developed owing to successful implementation of the strategic plan on entrepreneurship and private sector development. The basis of this plan was laid by All-National Leader Heydar Aliyev and nowadays is implemented by his worthy successor President Ilham Aliyev.
In spite for the growing quantitative and qualitative competition, Azpetrol continues maintaining leading positions among companies engaged in retail sale of petrol in Azerbaijan.
Last year, in Paris, our Company received an international prestigious WQC award (World Quality Commitment) in the category “Brilliant” for high quality, leadership, introduction of new technologies and innovations. Besides, Azpetrol Ltd was honored with “Caspian Energy Integration Award” - “Company of the Year” prize in the nomination “Network of Petrol Stations of the Year» as well as Azeri Business Award in the nomination “High quality standards and customer satisfaction”. Considering the above-mentioned, we do not intend to rest on our laurels but continue developing our successful activity in 2015 with much higher energy.
CE: What importance does the company attach to quality of its products and services?
Huseynaga Rahimov: Azpetrol is involved in wholesale and retail sale of fuel produced mainly by the State Oil Company at Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery. As the mentioned refinery stopped producing Ai-95 petrol in May of 2014, we promptly arranged supply of this fuel from abroad under the trademark Premium Euro 95.
During operation we certainly attach very big importance to transportation and storage of fuel, its conformity to technical requirements and state standards. Apart from this, a timely replacement of out-of-date fuel tanking units is an important factor which secures quality of fuel. On the other hand, regular inspection of the quality of sold fuel and its appropriate certification enables to ensure effective control in this sphere.
It is noteworthy that this year our company has been accredited against international certificates ISO 9001:2008 (Quality management system), ISO 14001 (environmental management system) and OHSAS: 18001 (occupational safety and health and environmental protection).
CE: Which measures are introduced to extend the present network of petrol filling stations?
Huseynaga Rahimov: One of the priority lines of the Company’s activity is to supply the population of the republic with qualitative fuel both in the capital and in the regions, create a modern infrastructure and new working places, enhance welfare and living standards of the citizens, and make a feasible contribution to the implementation of the “State program of social-economic development of the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan” approved in accordance with the relevant order of President Ilham Aliyev.
Taking the abovementioned into account, this year we have commissioned a new petrol station in the town of Shamakhy. There are plans to open petrol stations in Mingechevir, Ganja as well as in Beylagan regions of the country in 2015.
Staying loyal to own principles, when building new petrol stations we try not only to satisfy the requirements of clients but also make sure that a new design of our petrol stations makes dwelling settlements more attractive and original. I also would like to note that petrol stations that have been recently commissioned in the regions do not yield to their capital prototypes.
CE: What could you tell about Petrol Plus online and which new advantages does this new system offer to clients?
Huseynaga Rahimov: As it is known, since 2002 Azpetrol Ltd has launched Petrol Plus Offline system which enables customers to make payments via cards. As the number of users of this system increased day by day, a decision to substitute the existing Petrol Plus Offline with Petrol Plus Online system, meeting all modern requirements of information technologies and security, was made.
The advantages of the system which was commissioned in 2011 and gained popularity within a short period of time are the following:
∙ Security of information – information will be preserved in the operating memory even if POS terminals are out of service for some reason;
∙ Possibility to provide on-line service to clients (clients have an opportunity to make payment for products at any time and any place without visiting the office of the company);
∙ Possibility of controlling one’s account via internet;
∙ Possibility of blocking a card within a short period of time in case a client loses it.
CE: What additional services does Azpetrol provide its clients?
Huseynaga Rahimov: Azpetrol’s trademark has become one of the most recognizable brands in Azerbaijan and a symbol of high service quality. The major feature of the Company is to carry out retail sale of AI-92 and Premium Euro-95 petrol as well as diesel fuel and liquefied gas.
Therefore, medium and long-term contracts were signed with many foreign and local companies engaged in this sphere.
The authorized state agencies regularly inspect the quality of products we sell and provide appropriate quality certificates.
The company has been providing services on cashless basis since 2001. As of today, the quantity of legal and physical individuals using our card system, who signed corresponding agreements has exceeded 5000. It has been possible to make payments via Master Card, Euro Card and Visa Card at our petrol stations since 2006.
For securing the comfort of our clients, we provide them insurance service as well as technical and maintenance service of transport means.
Apart from this, there are cafes at our petrol stations, which provide qualitative food not only to our employees but also those who wish to have it. Different markets are at service of customers. A number of petrol stations even have comfortable motels.
CE: What changes or innovations were introduced at petrol station networks due to the shift to new standards of fuel?
Huseynaga Rahimov: I would like to note that our company is not involved in production. We are engaged only in fuel sale which does not require making additional changes or innovations at our petrol stations when adopting new standards. The very fact that fuel tanks as well as corresponding equipment meet modern standards and requirements is enough.
CE: Which policy does the company follow when training human resources?
Huseynaga Rahimov: Commissioning of numerous petrol stations in the country as well as opening of new permanent working places is a reflection of the fact that sound HR policy is one of the priority directions in the activity of the company.
As of today, the company has over 3000 employees working for it. We keep the matter of expansion of the personnel under constant attention and control.
It is very hard to attain set goals without responsible and disciplined labor personnel. It is the reason why the forming of the staff of high skilled human resources has been always one of the most important tasks for us.
It is safe to say that Azpetrol is successfully handling this issue. It becomes possible owing to conduction of a serious contest, when recruiting people, qualification growth of employees by arranging different trainings. The training-education center of the Company arranges training and preparation of candidates who apply for vacant positions. The candidates are involved in practical work at different facilities of the company. After education is completed, a special commission assesses their practical and theoretical knowledge whereafter candidates who pass exams successfully get a job. This process enables our employees to fulfill the assigned tasks properly.
CE: To what extent does the company manage to meet clients’ requirements?
Huseynaga Rahimov: Nowadays, the major objective that Azpetrol pursues is to maintain and strengthen its positions in the private sector, make own contribution to the economic development of the country. We intend to keep expanding the scope of activity of the Company, opening petrol stations in all the regions of the republic, new working places, expanding the range of our services as well as studying all the newest global developments in order to introduce and apply them in Azerbaijan.
It is known that the company can achieve success only if it has a team of highly professional, hard-working and intellectually developed human resources. We always note that availability of such personnel has been one of the most important achievements of the company. It is the reason why we always try not only to improve material welfare of our employees but also create a more comfortable working environment for them, meeting all modern requirements.
It is quite clear that it is not easy to gain and hold leading positions for a long time in the country which has created favorable conditions for business development. We spent and continue spending big resources in this direction. Creation of the company meeting all international requirements with the most advanced infrastructure is a major factor securing full satisfaction of customers’ requirements. In this regard, along with the reconstruction of existing facilities, we also carry out a systematic work on renewal of the motor car park of the company, numbering 109 special-purpose transport means. Old vehicles are currently replaced by tank trucks of well known global companies.
I would like to note that the success of any company depends on the way it manages the business process. For now, it is impossible to have this issue solved without creating a single information system. Therefore, we made a decision to introduce a single automated control system at petrol stations, which will enable to optimize the entire process and provide an opportunity for ensuring much faster and more qualitative service of clients.
