EFNMSvzw or European Federation of National Maintenance Societies is a federation of 21 National Maintenance Societies that covers almost the whole of Europe.

The federation was founded in 1970 based on only 5 maintenance societies that could see the possibility of working together, exchanging information and knowledge, and together developing new and better methods in the field of maintenance.

Maintenance, a word used for centuries and with many different meanings. Even the ancient Romans used the word; the curator for the aqueducts in Rome wrote a book about how to manage daily operation and more long-term maintenance.

Every 5 years new buzzwords appear: TPM, RCM, OEE, LEAN etc. to make production more cost effective. Maintenance organizations in the different areas of production infrastructures etc., must constantly be prepared to adopt new methods, new organizational structures and implement them in the present structure. EFNMS has also been under constant adjustment to the world around, and since 1970 has changed the articles of association, “The constitution” several times, with the last changes being made in 2002/2003.

In the world of maintenance a decade is a long time, so at the 18th General Assembly November 2011, the delegates were presented with a provocative description of the existing EFNMS, and a way to develop it to the demands of the future. It was decided to go further with the idea, and all National Maintenance Societies were asked to comment on the description, which were very different in their opinions than expected.

These comments were presented at the next General Assembly in Belgrade May 2012, and a committee was elected to try to get a coherent basis for a new constitution, to be presented and perhaps amended at the General Assembly in October 2012 in Athens.

Unfortunately the meeting in Athens was trapped in a time lack, so the debate never took place and this left the Board of Directors and the Committee in a situation where more input from the National Societies is needed. This may lead to a situation where the delegates will be asked to express their comments in an e-mail survey.

As always, it is a challenge to get 21 European countries to unite on a simple conclusion, but there will be a result before the spring meeting in Geneva.

Hans Overgaard

Secretary,

Board of Directors

EFNMS vzw