Project Description

From 2018 to 2020, Bronson provided a wide-range of services to support the Airport Authority’s analytical platform and data visualization tool, Tableau. Bronson provided a range of Tableau-related services including:

• Developed multiple new dashboards and improved and restored functionality of existing dashboards to enhance and support decision-making including developing documentation to enable data refreshes and providing one-on-one training to enhance in-house capacity for self-serve analytics;
• Provided an on-call service to the Airport Authority for level 1 and level 2 maintenance and technical support according to prescribed service standards. In this regard, Bronson responded to a variety of Tableau-related and/or data/software-related issues and provided direct support related to the Airport Authority’s use of Tableau, including supporting the Tableau services installed at the Airport Authority and managing and enabling upgrades; and
• Developed a multi-year data strategy for the Airport Authority that included assessing the organization’s approach to data management and documenting and understanding data sources, opportunities to access and share data, obstacles and challenges to leveraging data sources, current and potential data architecture and organizational capacity to expand use of and access to data and related resource requirements.

Bronson also provided formal project management services to monitor the status and completion of multiple streams of work taking place in parallel. Project management services included: managing the project and project team on a day to day basis; ensuring the success of the project from the project initiation through to the planning, delivery and wind down phases of the project; planning and controlling the project; achieving the defined project objectives; creating the project schedule and defining tasks, in addition to monitoring and tracking time and status of scheduled tasks; managing regular communication with the client and ensuring routine and consistent reporting of project status, impact, cost and schedule.

Business Challenge

The Airport Authority had selected Tableau as their preferred data analysis and visualization platform but did not have the in-house capacity to maximize the potential and use of the tool.  In addition, the Airport Authority was interested in updating existing dashboards and developing new dashboards to inform decision-making and to identify trends in various operational activities. In addition, the Airport Authority was interested in a data strategy that would ensure decision-making would be evidence-based, easy to access and easy to use. To that end, there was an identified need for a third-party review of the Authority’s data sources, data systems and ability to access and share data alongside a need for a recommended data architecture and organizational capacity to access and use data to inform decision-making. The Airport Authority was also interested in partnering with a local third-party who could be responsive in addressing Tableau maintenance and support requirements.

Our Solution and Outcome

Bronson established an internal project team to meet the requirements of multiple streams of parallel project activity to support the Ottawa Airport Authority. Specifically, project members were assigned to the following main activity streams: dashboard functionality and development; data strategy development; and Tableau maintenance and support. In addition, Bronson assigned a Project Manager to be uniquely focussed on the effective and efficient delivery of services, to fulfill client expectations and standards and to meet prescribed project budget, schedule and scope parameters. To that end, extensive effort was taken to monitor Bronson project team time and budget while also monitoring status of each project stream. In addition, the Bronson Project Manager established a close and consistent relationship with the Ottawa Airport Authority through weekly meetings with the Client Authority and through the delivery of formal status updates, monthly budget updates and monthly invoices.

Bronson developed ten dashboards, using Tableau, to highlight and illustrate data related to a number of operational areas including, but not limited to parking, winter storms, bird strikes, passenger movement, concessions and utilities. Bronson established a standard approach to dashboard development that included: gathering requirements and preliminary dashboard design through consultation with the Project Authority or delegate; reviewing available data sources to ensure it can support preliminary design; developing dashboard; testing/verifying dashboard; developing documentation for routine updates to dashboard; providing one-on-one training to Project Authority of delegate to test update documentation; and assessing future opportunity for automating dashboard updates in the future. Time and cost required to complete all of these sub-tasks was monitored and reported to the Airport Authority to ensure full visibility. In addition, careful project management ensured that any unexpected challenges was addressed early and/or that the budget/scope/schedule was adjusted to accommodate such challenges.

The Data Strategy was developed through the following four step methodology:

• Conducted stakeholder interviews and assess current state in terms of current approach to data management, strategic context of Airport Authority and external/peer benchmarking;
• Consolidated and communicated preliminary findings;
• Developed a strawman of the data strategy including creating draft options; socializing the options with key stakeholders and assessing viability of options through consultations with key stakeholders; and
• Developed Data Strategy.

Tableau maintenance and support was provided on-demand based on specified service standards that were arrived at through consensus with Bronson and the Airport Authority. Bronson time and cost dedicated to each maintenance and support requirement was tracked and reported to the Airport Authority. In addition, Bronson used an issue-tracking software (JIRA) to assign maintenance and support tasks and to monitor status of each task. This information was also shared with the Project Authority to ensure full visibility of progress.