WOODAP
Go from how breakdowns can be prevented to what should be done to facilitate immediate recovery if breakdowns do occur
As for water supply and sewerage infrastructure, while there are problems such as catastrophes, the aging of facilities, water supply and sewerage project profit decreases and insufficient numbers of engineers available due to the population decreases, our mindset needs to change from thinking about how breakdowns can be prevented to thinking about what should be done to facilitate immediate recovery if breakdowns do occur. Having done that, we also need to utilize that way of thinking for design, construction, operational maintenance and management, and for the operation of facilities and equipment under normal circumstances. It is important to establish a mechanism for recovering quickly and return the state of the facility to the fixed service level, meaning high-speed recovery operation taking place after an event based on the predetermined timeline until recovery occurs for cases where facilities and equipment actually break due to disaster and aging.
What kind of method is WOODAP?
"WOODAP" is a concept unique to METAWATER. The method encompasses design, construction and operational maintenance management centering on early recovery in the case of a disaster. It involves a fusion of the problem solving process used under normal circumstances, PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Action) and OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Action), which is used for prompt decision-making and action on site in an emergency.
For example, let's assume that a meter of flooding has been caused by a catastrophe. Recalling past experience with disasters of a similar scale, we set a recovery timeline of three days and then train for this situation over and over again. As individual issues pop up during training, the results of OODA loop training, primarily the "Observe" aspect, are reflected upon the content of the next iteration of training. "WOODAP" is used to clarify standards of action during disasters by linking the large and slow PDCA cycle undertaken at the headquarters (head office) and the OODA loop for prompt action on site.
Linking together of the PDCA cycle and the OODA loop
“WOODAP” is “W + OODA + P,” with the “W” standing for wisdom and effort, and the “P” standing for preparation. OODA is sandwiched between "Wisdom" and "Preparation" and must be achieved.
Timeline control
With "WOODAP," a clear goal is called a timeline. A timeline with clear goals are set, and preparations are made to achieve them. It is necessary for everyone to share their wisdom with each other so that accurate decisions can be made on site in an emergency.
Mechanisms supporting "WOODAP"
For quick recovery, mechanisms and system serving as backup to operation sites are required. One of the mechanisms serving as backup to operation sites is the Water Business Cloud (WBC), which was born in 2011. With WBC, it is possible to automatically collect and freely utilize material-related information sent from sensors at operation sites, etc., and fact-related information obtained based on awareness and experience at operation sites.
Another one consists of the "three centers," which are: (1) the training center for facility operators, (2) the supply center for parts, and (3) the knowledge center. By utilizing these three centers, the people, materials and wisdom necessary for the operation of water supply and sewerage facilities are expected to be shared widely in the public and private sectors.