The story begins in 2004 when a pipeline explosion in Ghislenghien showed that there was a severe problem with worksite management and knowledge of the infrastructure in the Walloon Region. Most worksite-related information was isolated at the communes or provinces level, the mapping of the infrastructure was incomplete, there was no central point of communication, no collaboration between the different companies and contractors. This proved not only to be inefficient, but dangerous.

The need for a solution was first defined in the Decree of April 30th, 2009, and it eventually materialized through the non-profit organization PoWalCo: Plateforme Wallonne de Coordination des Chantiers, the Walloon platform of worksite coordination.  

In October 2015, the Walloon Region, together with ORES, SWDE, Proximus, VOO/Nethys, and Elia kick-started the project by choosing the technical partners to realize their mission: creating a platform where cable and pipeline managers, utility companies, and governmental bodies collaborate as one. 

TenForce, together with Altran and GIM, turned their vision into reality and developed the software solution that today allows utility companies to collaborate and share real-time information about worksites across the entire Walloon region. And you don’t have to trust our word. Thanks to ORES, you can see PoWalCo in action in the video below: 

Collaboration, communication, and clarity

Taking a closer look, we can quickly see how the platform is used to optimize worksite management: cable and pipeline managers plan their constructions in detail and request authorization to the right instance without the usual hassle that is involved. In concurrence, the communes and other governmental bodies grant the right permissions and always have a complete overview of which works are happening in their territory. There is faster and clearer communication between not only them, but also towards the public: with the PoWalCo platform, transparency is guaranteed, and the people are aware of what’s happening in their area.

Goodbye to neverending, repetitive works

Now that actors from both the public and the private spheres are unified, they are encouraged to plan works together. Taking advantage of this opportunity decreases the need for repeated construction on the same site in a short period of time. Who likes to have their street broken up or their normal commute doubled three times a year? Exactly; no one. With this collaborative tool, repeated worksites in the same area are minimized, to everyone’s relief.

The right user experience

A smooth experience for all users in an easy-to-navigate and secure space, created on a clock and within a budget, was the demand. And because of the strong alignment between Tenforce, Altran, GIM, and the PoWalCo team, we delivered.

Other than working within several constraints – a tight budget, strict deadlines, and multiple stakeholders – the platform itself has to handle a lot. Creating a secure environment where confidential information can be handled on the same platform that can also share public information was critical. Such a massive hub of information and processes can result in a cumbersome user experience, data overload and lots of wasted time on IT support. But not on this platform: all users can customize their experience so they only see what is relevant to them. 

As an added bonus, the platform will also help perfect the knowledge of all existing pipes and canalization structures in the Walloon region, and make that information public. And the work doesn’t end here. For as long as necessary, TenForce will help the platform evolve and grow to meet new demands and will offer continuing support.

In short: the PoWalCo platform optimizes worksite management and facilitates cooperation between all parties involved. There will no longer be gaps in the mapping of the infrastructure, or miscommunications leading to otherwise preventable accidents. Construction and maintenance are more efficient, and everyone involved is informed at all times. 

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