Professional Maintenance is the Key Success Factor for Every Company and Society
A professional maintenance person will keep the machines running safely and reliably. He will also constantly try to improve the efficiency of the equipment.
What is the Task of Maintenance? Its Significance in Society?
In Europe every year, thousands of billions of Euros are invested in new machines, factories, roads, etc. It is the task of the maintenance people to take good care of these huge investments – to be responsible for ensuring that they provide the service they were designed for, at best possible profits for the investors.
The duty of maintenance is not only to repair and maintain the machines. A professional maintenance person will keep the machines running safely and reliably. He or she will also try continually to improve the efficiency of the equipment.
The main task of maintenance is to make sure that the investments made will generate the best possible profit during the entire lifetime of the machine.
Improving the availability, reliability, safety, and return on life cycle cost are the foundation of profitability and competitiveness.
The better the Industry’s competitiveness and the community’s ability to provide services, the more the assets’ efficiencies are optimised.
 
The Business of Maintenance is undergoing a complete transformation
In the majority of European countries fewer investments are being made in new factories and equipment, whilst many more investments are targeted to Asia and other low cost countries. The European companies must, if they want to maintain their productivity and competitiveness, keep the old machines and factories running at maximum capacity. Hence, in the future the role
of maintenance and its importance will be emphasized significantly.
Concurrently, due to new and fast recurring technical development, the requirements of knowledge and know-how will increase with a
speed which is diffi cult to manage. The traditional maintenance man, (who in the past only lubricated the bearings and tightened the bolts) has become a real maintenance specialist. He must be continuously up to date and able to manage new working methods, operation processes, new computer programs and equipment such as for condition monitoring, etc. Modern professional maintenance
requires constant learning and hard study.
It is also a fact that the maintenance business is carried out today by more elderly people. Many companies are saving costs by not employing new maintenance staff. Valuable maintenance knowhow is being lost on retirement of those elderly people.
In most countries there is also a shortage of professional maintenance staff. Unfortunately, youngsters do not see the challenges offered by the maintenance business. There is not enough “glamour” in the business.
The Reactive - "let's fix it when it breaks" Maintenance is still the most common practice in most countries. Is there room for improvement in your maintenance operations?
The Maintenance Business is quickly developing
In the past, it was common practice to wait for equipment to fail, and then repair it – known today as “fire-fighting”. Management regarded maintenance as a necessary cost of doing business.
Luckily this standard way of working and thinking is changing. Fast developments are taking place in the Maintenance Business.
Today the goal is to optimize plant efficiency by shifting as much as possible from traditional corrective activities to a fully integrated,
proactive approach to improving reliability. However, several studies made in different European countries show that corrective maintenance is still the most common practice, 35 to 50 % of the operation being still within the “let's fix it when it breaks” approach.
The chart above illustrates the range of different maintenance practices.
Modern professional maintenance requires constant learning and hard study.
There is a need for Networking in Maintenance
The importance of maintenance, as well as the requirements of maintenance knowledge, will increase with a speed that nobody will be capable of managing alone. To ensure that the people, organizations, and companies, will benefit from the best know-how and competitiveness that the maintenance knowledge can bring, the existing barriers must be broken down. Human beings, as well as companies, must learn to build up networks, co-operate and make use of the knowledge of others.
BEMAS - Belgian Maintenance Association
In every European country, there exists a National Maintenance Society - BEMAS in Belgium - which has been established for professional people and companies associated with the business of maintenance. Within BEMAS, professors, scientists, consultants, maintenance managers and professional technicians, as well as students, will meet and discuss common maintenance problems and experiences with the intention of developing and improving the know-how and image of the maintenance business in the country. Networking, learning, benchmarking, training, and the distribution of information are the main tasks of these societies.
Improve your Competitiveness : join BEMAS!
The mission of BEMAS is to network people and companies which are operating within the maintenance business. As a member of BEMAS you will obtain information from companies as well as maintenance professionals on how they make use of and implement maintenance services for improving the competitiveness of their business. Come on and improve your competence in maintenance. You will soon be in a position to use your maintenance expertise as a competing factor to the benefit of both your company and yourself.
By joining BEMAS, you will get the following benefits:
- You will join the network – have co-operation with the most professional maintenance experts
- You will be among the first to learn about the new research and development findings in maintenance business and technology advancements
- You may participate in discussions on how to manage safety, health and environmental issues. Reflecting on practices and procedures in view of new legislation and standards
- You may participate on benchmarking projects and learn how the “best in class” companies are running their maintenance operations
- You will have the opportunity to take part in the latest maintenance training and learn about the future direction of education
- You may test your knowledge on maintenance and receive the certificate “European Expert in Maintenance Management”
- You will have your say and may influence the planning and content of maintenance seminars and exhibitions
- You will learn about useful web-sites, and how the internet can be used for developing maintenance operations
It is certain that if you are keen in learning about the latest developments in the maintenance business and its processes you will find information on this from BEMAS. You are most welcome to join the maintenance professionals!
European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS vzw)
The European Federation of National Maintenance Societies, EFNMS vzw is an official non profit organisation under Belgian Law and is the umbrella organisation for the National Maintenance Societies in Europe.
The mission is to coordinate and represent the National Societies supporting a knowledge network and providing means to improve the know-how and direction of Maintenance in the European Union. With the aim, by means of Maintenance, to raise the effectiveness and competitiveness of Industry and Infrastructure of Europe thereby providing social, environmental and economical
sustainability.
For more information see: www.efnms.org or contact BEMAS at info@bemas.org
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