Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of Transport’s data management practices
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is committed to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its data management practices. While the organisation's divisions have historically operated independently, with separate data platforms across multiple cloud services and on-premises systems, TfNSW recognises the importance of a more centralised and coordinated approach.
- To address this, TfNSW is working to improve data governance, streamline data management processes, and foster greater collaboration and data sharing across the organisation by implementing a Domain Driven Architecture. This includes:
- Clearly defining accountabilities, roles and responsibilities to ensure the appropriate safeguarding and utilisation of data assets.
- Developing a comprehensive data catalogue to better understand and maximise the value of existing data resources.
- Implementing robust data governance frameworks to ensure consistent interpretation and appropriate use of data and insights.
- Optimising technology, people and processes to reduce duplication and unnecessary data movement, thereby driving cost efficiencies.
- Fostering interoperable data repositories to minimise data silos, inconsistencies and redundancies.
By embracing these initiatives, TfNSW aims to enhance data-driven decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and deliver better outcomes for the community
To achieve Transport’s strategic vision the Domain Driven Architecture will focus on three core priorities:
- Platform Consolidation: Streamlining divisional data into strategic platforms and eliminating redundancy by maintaining distinct domains in dedicated locations; Stemming the flow of data in multiple non strategic data repositories
- Domain Integration: Minimizing data transfer by enabling secure cross-domain access to data assets
- Data Accessibility: Providing a unified access point for all users to support analysis and sharing, while maintaining appropriate security controls. Ensuring clear data ownership and responsibility for all data across Transport
Achievements
This new architecture is anticipated to have several far-reaching benefits
- Platform Consolidation: Less complexity due to fewer data platforms; Lower operational overheads; Lower data risks as data is true to source in strategic platforms; Mutually exclusive datasets ingested into relevant domains within strategic platforms (reduce duplication); Establishes a single system of records (SoR) for analysis & distribution; Easy application of data management & stewardship
- Domain Integration: Reduced data movement/copying; Access to data assets within other domains’ environments
- Data Accessibility: Increased user access to data across all domains; Single access point to analyse data across domains; Provides a layer of abstraction over underlying strategic data mesh platforms.
- Integrated processes: Clear data governance, Data Engineering and Data Operations framework ensuring scalability and sustainability.
- Clear Accountabilities: The new architecture establishes clear accountabilities for data within domains to ensure appropriate governance and quality by data owners
Engagement
This project has been supported by cross TfNSW divisional engagement
Department leading the project
Department of Transport