Guidance for Developing a Freight Transportation Data Architecture (2010) / Chapter Skim
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. The research team undertook the following activities to address these research needs: • Completed a review of systems, databases, and architectures that might be used as a potential reference for the development of a national freight data architecture; • Conducted surveys and follow-up interviews, interviews with subject matter experts, and a peer exchange with freight transportation stakeholders; • Developed a formal definition for a national freight data architecture; • Identified high-level categories of data architecture components; • Identified potential implementation approaches; • Developed a list of specifications for a national freight data architecture; and • Identified challenges and strategies related to the implementation of a national freight data architecture.
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Respondents indicated that they use freight data to support the production of a wide range of public-sector transportation planning documents, adding weight to the notion that the national freight data architecture should support a variety of freight-related processes. Respondents reported using and/or needing data at various levels of geographic coverage and resolution.
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Feedback from peer exchange participants included recommendations for changes to initial research findings as well as a list of issues, challenges, and strategies to consider during the implementation of the national freight data architecture. National Freight Data Architecture Definition Taking into consideration the results of the literature review, as well as feedback from surveys, follow-up interviews, and the peer exchange, the research team developed the following generic definition for a national freight data architecture: The national freight data architecture is the manner in which data elements are organized and integrated for freight transportation-related applications or business processes.
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National Freight Data Architecture Components The research team identified the following categories of components to include in the national freight data architecture: • Physical transportation components, • Cargo or freight, • Freight functions or roles, • Business processes, • Data sources,
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; • Compare candidate data architecture concepts; • Develop implementation plan for national freight data architecture components; • Develop lists of components to include in the national freight data architecture; • Develop and implement protocols for continuous stakeholder participation; • Conduct data gap analysis; • Conduct data disaggregation need analysis; • Assume a distributed approach (as opposed to a centralized approach) to freight data repository implementations; • Use a systems engineering approach for developing the national freight data architecture; • Use standard information technology tools and procedures; • Develop and/or use standardized terminology and definitions for each data architecture component developed; • Implement strong privacy protection strategies; and • Establish integration points with other data architectures and standards.
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Figure 1. National freight data architecture framework and components.
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The national freight data architecture might fail if there is no stakeholder buy-in or consensus about the potential benefits that could result from implementing the data architecture. Examples of related issues include the following: – Reluctance of stakeholders to participate if there is no clarity regarding justification and anticipated benefits; – Confidentiality clauses in supply chain contracts, which might impede data sharing for transportation planning purposes; – Perception that data collected as part of a national freight data collection program could validate projects of national significance at the expense of small or rural communities; – Ability of carriers to provide data about loads they move; – Risk of low stakeholder participation, which could decrease data reliability; and – Adequacy of data standards.
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to make data accessible for transportation planning purposes in a cost-effective manner. • Performance measures and effectiveness – Develop criteria for measuring effectiveness in the implementation of the national freight data architecture, – Identify major progress milestones, – Tie the implementation of the national freight data architecture to the development of metrics or performance measures that could benefit the entire freight transportation community, and – Accelerate the implementation of programs such as EFM and the freight performance measurement program.
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One of the strategies for implementation mentioned is to develop and compare candidate data architecture concepts. Peer exchange participants highlighted that implementing a comprehensive data architecture at once with no testing of options prior to making a decision about the correct approach would be too risky.
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