Supporting Transport for Greater Manchester in Shaping a TfGM Owned Unified Data Model (UDM)

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is seeking to engage with the market to inform the development of a TfGM owned Unified Data Model (UDM) that will provide a robust, reusable data foundation for the Bee Network and wider organisational needs.

TfGM manages a complex, multi modal transport network covering highways, bus, tram, and active travel, supported by a diverse technology estate and multiple third party suppliers. TfGM is increasingly dependent on timely, reliable and coherent data to support operational decision making, performance management, planning, and future digital capabilities.

This engagement seeks to draw on market experience and expertise to help TfGM refine its thinking, validate assumptions, and shape a sustainable approach to developing and governing a UDM that can meet both current and future business objectives.

Strategic Context

TfGM has defined three strategic objectives for the Bee Network and the wider organisation by 2030:

TfGM recognises that achieving these objectives requires a strong and coherent data foundation, rather than a dependence on individual systems or suppliers.

A TfGM owned Unified Data Model is being explored as a key enabler that can:

Unified Data Model (UDM) - Current Thinking

TfGM is exploring the establishment of a TfGM owned and governed Unified Data Model, defined at a conceptual and logical level, independent of any single vendor or technology.

Key principles being considered include:

While initial thinking has been informed by Highways together with Operational Control Centre use cases, TfGM is now considering the need to evolve this thinking into a business wide UDM, capable of supporting a much broader range of consumers and use cases across the organisation.

Relationship to Vendor Provided Solutions

TfGM anticipates that different suppliers may provide solutions that utilise their own internal or proprietary data models.

The intent of a TfGM owned UDM is not to replace or mandate supplier data models, but to:

TfGM is therefore particularly interested in approaches that allow vendor solutions to:

Business Drivers and Challenges

TfGM is seeking to address a number of challenges through this work, including:

The UDM is seen as a potential mechanism to centralise meaning without centralising systems, enabling TfGM to evolve its digital landscape in a controlled and flexible manner.

Purpose of this Market Engagement

TfGM is not undertaking a procurement through this engagement.

The purpose is to engage with organisations that have experience supporting large, complex, data intensive organisations to:

TfGM wishes to use this engagement to test and refine its thinking around:

What TfGM Is Asking the Market to Respond To

Suppliers are invited to provide high level responses covering:

Responses should focus on approach, principles and experience, rather than promotion of specific proprietary products or platforms.

Next Steps

Feedback from this market engagement will be used to inform TfGM's future strategy, roadmap and potential commissioning of advisory or delivery support for building a strong data foundation.

Participation in this engagement does not guarantee involvement in any subsequent procurement.