This story was made in collaboration with Safe Software partner Nordend.
Creating a single source of truth for critical infrastructure assets
The Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) manages more than 7,000 kilometres of motorways and regional roads across Flanders. Supporting this network requires accurate information about thousands of electromechanical assets that guarantee safety and traffic flow.
Historically, these assets were managed in legacy electromechanical databases. As AWV embraced Building Information Modelling (BIM) and more detailed infrastructure management practices, it introduced the Object Type Library (OTL), a standardized data model that defines how every infrastructure asset should be described.
For a period, both systems existed side by side. Many assets were recorded in both the legacy databases and the new OTL model, creating duplicate records, inconsistencies, and the potential for conflicting information. Maintaining confidence in asset data became increasingly difficult, making a unified approach essential.
Automating migration and validation with FME
To bridge the gap between the legacy systems and the new OTL model, AWV partnered with Nordend to modernize its asset management workflows. Using FME Form and FME Flow, Nordend developed automated workflows to transform, validate, and migrate approximately 200 different technical asset types into the new OTL structure.
The workflows automated the creation and validation of complex relationships between assets, replacing manual, error-prone processes while ensuring data remained accurate throughout the migration.
Just as importantly, the migration took place while the data continued to support day-to-day operations. Field technicians and traffic controllers relied on these systems throughout the transition, making continuity a critical requirement.
Maintaining operations without disruption
The automated FME workflows allowed AWV to migrate infrastructure data without disrupting ongoing operations. The transition was completed with zero downtime, ensuring uninterrupted access to critical infrastructure information.
Today, all electromechanical assets are managed through a centralized OTL database and accessed through the DAVIE portal, providing teams with a consistent and reliable view of infrastructure information. Automated validation helps ensure that only complete and accurate data enters the system, reducing inconsistencies and strengthening confidence in the asset inventory.
By replacing fragmented datasets with a single source of truth, AWV has improved the reliability of the information used to manage one of Belgium’s most critical transportation networks.
Building a foundation for future infrastructure management
The migration to the OTL model provides AWV with a scalable foundation for future infrastructure initiatives.
With standardized asset information and automated validation powered by FME, the organization is better positioned to support BIM workflows, simplify ongoing asset management, and reduce the operational risks associated with inconsistent data.
What was once a collection of disconnected legacy databases has become a modern, centralized asset management environment. By automating migration and validation with FME, AWV has created a trusted digital foundation that supports the safe and efficient management of Flanders’ road infrastructure.
