Two decades of implementing the world's most successful data warehouses have brought Teradata an array of best practices that have been incorporated into a patent-pending, formal methodology: Teradata Solutions Methodology (TSM) to address the challenges of integrating data from multiple sources that have inconsistencies and incomplete documentation.

This proven approach relies on integrated processes, customized tools and quantifiable metrics that demonstrate quality and value every step of the way. Teradata Solutions Methodology enables users to quickly reduce the risks and delays that result in missed opportunities and escalating project costs. TSM is used to synchronize all components of a data warehousing project, including strategy definition, database design, analytical applications, end-user training, and other key processes. TSM is interactive and designed to deliver functionality based on prioritized goals with successive, overlapping phases that maximize financial return, accelerate development cycles and speed development time.

Teradata is confident that the approach outlined above will ensure that the task orders assigned to Teradata under the execution of the contract will be delivered on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of the Navy.

In support of SeaPort-e, TSM consists of the following three major components to ensure the highest degree of product and service quality:

• Content: Teradata Solutions Methodology contains hundreds of tasks organized into phases and services. The tasks have one or more job roles assigned from Teradata's professional services bank of skills, the Client IT organization, or the business subject matter experts and executives. Each task consumes one or more inputs to produce one or more outputs, and is scheduled to be executed based on the planned availability of all inputs. This master sequencing of work has been carefully laid out to prevent re-work and reduce risk. Support for project features like privacy, security, metadata management, data mining, and active data warehousing have been built into TSM.
• Tools: Teradata Solutions Methodology may be customized for each engagement by selecting only those services that are deemed necessary to meet that data warehouse increment's needs. These tools provide a color-coded visualization of the relationships of phases, services, tasks, and work products that changes color to indicate that required inputs for a task may not be available because an upstream activity has been deleted. The Project Manager has the option of leveraging prior work by the Client by requesting copies of similar work products, requesting that the Client take on the responsibility of filling in the missing work product, or adapts the task descriptions to compensate for the missing inputs. TSM is more flexible than most methodologies due to its customization features, the impact of which become obvious during the project planning process.
• Excellence: Teradata Solutions Methodology's first dimension of excellence is the recognition of the challenges of integrating data from multiple sources that have inconsistencies and incomplete documentation.

The Strategy, Research, and Analyze phases of TSM capture increasing levels of detail about the data sources remaining in the scope of the current data warehouse release. The Analyze phase also resolves conflicts in definition of data across legacy sources.

The Design phase includes careful design of the test plan and adds the automatic detection of data quality and consistency to the component design for more productive testing and more robust production.

The Equip phase puts into place the actual hardware, software, support and education of users.

The Build phase develops the physical database and brings applications and backup and recovery procedures online.

The Integrate phase includes formal technical reviews and system tests to ensure data quality by identifying faults that would be far more expensive to fix later.

In the Manage phase, tasks are assigned unique work breakdown structure identifiers to allow the capture of statistics on actual versus plan across a large number of projects. Information gathered in previous phases is prioritized to further reduce risk and to improve the quality of estimates and time allocation models.

Teradata will appoint a dedicated Program Manager to be responsible for the overall management of the program, including management of all subcontractors/teaming partners. The Program Manager will work with the Teradata staff and the Navy staff to perform project reviews, work with representatives of Teradata and the Navy to accomplish tasks outlined in the Statement of Work, manage the day-to-day project activities, and serve as the Teradata single point of contact with respect to interfacing with the Navy PMO. The SeaPort-e program will be managed each day by the Teradata Program Manager, who will be responsible for the successful implementation of the project activities.