This month, the Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management (GFMAM) held its third face-to-face meeting during the Gulf Society of Maintenance Professionals (GSMP) inaugural conference in Manama, Bahrain. Attracting 748 registered delegates from 15 countries, the conference presented a program that included fifty-seven papers and panel discussions.

As a co-founding member of the GFMAM, John Hardwick, Chairman for the Asset Management Council, represented Australia during the series of meetings that also included representatives from Abraman, Brazil; EFNMS, Europe; FIM, South America; GSMP, Arabian Gulf Region; and SMRP, USA.

“The GSMP delivered a fantastic conference program that provided attending delegates with diverse and relevant content on maintenance issues and ideas that we are facing together globally today.”, says the Asset Management Council Chairman John Hardwick. 

During the meeting, the GFMAM welcomed UK based Institute of Asset Management as its newest member since the GFMAM’s inaugural meeting in Sydney, 2009.

“The IAM aims to expand and enhance our collaboration with other bodies that share our objectives. We believe the GFMAM has the potential to be the premier umbrella body globally for asset management and maintenance people – and we hope that our enthusiasm, expertise and resources will enable the GFMAM to develop even faster”, says IAM Chief Executive David Mckeown.

Marking the success of the Bahrain meeting was an increase in the number of bilateral projects planned and agreed upon by member societies. As a contribution to the GFMAM, the Institute of Asset Management and the Asset Management Council are working to collaboratively prepare a project scope by January 2011 for both the Accord and Asset Management Landscape projects.

The Accord aims to make it easier for employers to identify suitable staff and contractors, easier for people to find work and develop their careers and promote mobility between sectors and regions, whilst the Asset Management Landscape proposes a common global view to asset management.

“This meeting has put the Accord and Landscape work back on track with the production of some clear deliverables and timeframes in position,” says John Hardwick.

Included in the Accord and Asset Management Landscape scope plans is:

• a detailed proposal on the plan and resources necessary to deliver the projects over the next three years (2011-2013);
• an initial list of asset management courses offered in universities, training companies and professional bodies from Australia, Europe, Asia, North America and South Africa; and
• development of a presentation of key findings and scope plans to fellow GFMAM members.

The next face-to-face GFMAM meeting will be held in conjunction with the ICOMS Asset Management Conference on the Gold Coast in Australia, May 2011.

For more information on the GFMAM, go to gfmam.org.