AWV
Building the digital blueprint of Flanders
Anyone driving on Flemish motorways will witness an impressive feat of engineering. The complexity lies not only in the road surface itself, but primarily in the vast array of electromechanical installations that guarantee safety and traffic flow. To prepare this complex network for the future, the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) is collaborating with Nordend on the ‘Interweaving Project’: an ambitious journey where decades of legacy data is merged with the modern OTL standard.
The Agency for Roads and Traffic manages more than 7,000 kilometres of regional roads and motorways. This management extends far beyond the asphalt, covering a massive array of assets, including intelligent traffic lights, incident detection cameras, dynamic overhead displays (RSS), pumping stations, and complex high-voltage installations. For an organization evolving towards asset-driven management, accurate and well-structured data is crucial. However, until recently, this data was scattered across various systems, each with its own logic.
“Knowing there is someone who can proactively think along and develop bespoke solutions is an enormous added value. A great deal of expertise and trust has been built during this journey.”
Towards a ‘Single Source of Truth’
Historically, assets were registered in so-called ‘EM Legacy databases’. With the rise of BIM (Building Information Modelling) and the need for greater detail, AWV introduced the Object Type Library (OTL). This is a strict, object-oriented data model that defines exactly how every component of the infrastructure has to be described.
The challenge? The old and new worlds existed side by side. Many assets were present in both the legacy systems and the new OTL model, leading to overlaps, inconsistencies, and the risk of conflicting information. For a manager who must be able to rely blindly on their inventory, this was an unsustainable situation.
“The Interweaving Project is one of the crucial steps AWV is taking to standardize its inventory,” explains David Vlaminck, Teamleader Data Analysis at AWV. “This is necessary to streamline our exchanges with contractors and to underpin our asset-oriented work in a standardized way for the future”.
Precision over a ‘Big Bang’
Simply transferring data from point A to point B was not an option. After all, there were approximately 200 different technical asset types to consider, from simple sensors to complex traffic control systems. Furthermore, the data is in constant use: the Traffic Centre uses it to control roadside displays, and maintenance crews use it to prepare repairs. An error in the migration could have immediate consequences for road safety.
Consequently, AWV and Nordend chose a phased approach. Instead of a risky ‘big bang’ migration, assets are ‘interwoven’ type by type. During this process, legacy data is not merely replaced but intelligently merged with OTL data. Crucial information, such as the unique name path (the hierarchical position of an asset in the structure), must be preserved, while technical properties are mapped to the new standard.
“Nordend truly guided us through the exercise of how to approach this process-wise. They master the technology, but also provide process guidance and dare to challenge us.”
FME as the migration engine
As a Value Added Reseller of Safe Software, Nordend was the ideal partner to support this technical tour de force. The core solution runs on FME (Form and Flow), a global standard for ETL workflows. Nordend built automated flows that retrieve data from the sources, run it through a series of validations and transformations, and then deliver it via the DAVIE portal in accordance with the OTL standard.
To manage the enormous volume of data, Nordend uses a PostGIS database as a buffer. This allows for historical comparisons and precise tracking of the migration progress. The data can also be analysed via advanced queries, which was previously difficult when accessing the AWV database directly via the API. Caroline Van Gucht, an expert at Nordend, explains: “We generate extensive reports that allow AWV’s business experts to make informed choices. Once they validate a decision in the reports, our automation ensures the data in the target systems is updated. This way, we retain human oversight where necessary, but eliminate manual errors in processing.”
Strategic partnership
What sets the people at Nordend apart is that they do not simply execute requests; they act as process architects who understand the full logic of the assets. In an environment like AWV, where the OTL standard is constantly evolving, this is essential. Nordend proactively advises on adjustments to the data model whenever the field data does not fit seamlessly into the theoretical structure.
Christophe Vanvinckenroye, Digital Transformation Consultant at AWV, emphasizes the value of this collaboration: “For this journey, we need partners who do not only master the technology but also provide process guidance and dare to challenge us. Nordend guided us through the exercise of how to approach this process-wise to interweave those 200 asset types. They don’t just master the technology; they truly think along with us”.
This close cooperation takes place in ‘mixed teams’. Nordend’s experts sit—both physically and digitally—at the table with AWV’s project engineers and supervisors. That means they understand not just the rows and columns in the database, but also the physical reality of a roadside cabinet or a high-voltage substation.
High-stakes data for a safer Flanders
The stakes of the Interweaving Project are high, since correct data is synonymous with safety. For the Traffic Centre, the assets Nordend processes are the ‘eyes’ on the road. If an incident detection camera is registered incorrectly, it could delay response times during an accident.
Accuracy is also vital for the safety of technicians in the field. When working on electrical installations, they must be able to rely blindly on data regarding connections and component types. Additionally, the data has a significant legal and financial impact, as it is used as the basis for tenders and the inventory provided to external contractors for maintenance contracts. Incorrect data inevitably leads to extra work and legal disputes.
Ready for 2026 and beyond
The Interweaving Project is a long-term journey, with completion scheduled for 2026. By then, AWV’s entire electromechanical inventory will have been transformed into a uniform, future-proof dataset. The result will be an organization that no longer spends time resolving data conflicts but can direct its full energy towards the optimal management of the Flemish roads.
David Vlaminck looks forward with confidence: “Nordend will always find a project with us, because at AWV we are constantly facing new challenges. Knowing there is someone who can proactively think along and develop bespoke solutions is an enormous added value. A great deal of expertise and trust has been built during this journey”.
Through this project, AWV and Nordend demonstrate that the digital transformation of our infrastructure is not just about new sensors or smart software, but primarily about weaving a reliable data foundation with care and craftsmanship.
Challenges
- Eliminating inconsistencies between EM Legacy data and the new OTL standard without any data loss.
- Process-based mapping and migration of approximately 200 different technical asset types.
- Executing migration while systems are in 24/7 use by the Traffic Centre and maintenance teams.
- Translating a flexible historical system into the rigid, object-oriented structure of the Object Type Library (OTL).
Results
- A central, reliable, and future-proof OTL database as the ‘Single Source of Truth,’ where all AWV assets are managed unambiguously via the DAVIE portal.
- Powerful FME workflows that automatically create and validate complex relationships between assets, drastically shortening turnaround times.
- A reliable source of information for the Traffic Centre and field technicians, significantly reducing operational risks.
Solutions & technologies
- FME Form & FME Flow
- PostGIS
- OTL (Object Type Library)
- DAVIE Portal
- Collaboration in mixed teams