SELECTED PROJECT:
Midstream Pipeline Data Marketplace
@ iMercata | 2020-2021
Create a marketplace for providing data while allowing owners and contractors to plan & manage pipeline projects from RFP to execution.
The Need
iMercatus is developing a marketplace that simplifies the initiation, management, construction, and maintenance of pipeline builds.
iMercatus partnered with us to help create an interactive prototype that represents the broad spectrum of features envisioned for this platform. This prototype will be used as a tool to validate current thinking, define and prioritize features needed to develop an MVP, and evangelise the product within the industry.
A goal of this project is to develop a clear, comprehensive roadmap to launch an MVP by the end of 2020. In the proposed 12 week MVP Initial Module Development Phase we will create a clickable prototype to validate marketing needs, and validate a technology architecture, forming the basis of the MVP development. This will be followed by a phase to complete the MVP development.
The Work.
Through various activities, both individual and group, and secondary research, the team collaboratively looked at technical and implementation related areas of concern or potential risk for the MarketPlace product. We identified a number of areas when surveying the team.
GIS-related implementations, data sourcing, layering, routing
Automating route generation based on historical data and costs
Integrating with existing tooling and processes in the field
Modeling of data in a number of areas in a way that scales
.
Discovery & Design Process
To make the biggest impact and mitigate the most risk in complexity or the unknown, the team prioritized the top three areas to investigate based on the highest impact and effort/risk.
Historical & Real-time Costing of Routes - How might we model and apply costs to routes, both during the automated estimation/planning phase and after bids start coming in. How do we capture this to improve our accuracy over time?
Routing Algorithm & Analysis - How might we provide an efficient and increasingly accurate route path generator during the planning phase that properly supports surface, distance, and pipeline-specific costs?
Third-party Integrations & API - How might we provide channels to integrate third-party data from external sources like service providers, buyers, existing tooling, and others? What kinds of integration provide value, real-time, batch, API, etc?
In order to set up a future MVP implementation phase for success, the team will plan and run Technical Design Sprints around these three areas during this Discovery engagement. Integral to each of these priority areas is selecting the best Geographical Information System (GIS) platform for development, capability support, and scaling with the product.
There was also an ask to create a viable design-based prototype of the system that the iMercata founders could take their investment board through to align them with the vision and convince them to invest in further in the product.
Methods & Activities
Conducted research with stakeholders, providers, contractors and pipeline owner-operators.
Created a design-based interactive prototype to win over board of investors.
Validated key pipeline modeling algorithms through technical proofs-of-concept.
Comparative analysis of GIS platforms and a recommendation for the product.
The Outcome.
Strategic roadmap for Business to move forward on, prioritized to ensure higher participation by marketplace vendors, contractors, and pipeline owners.
Enthusiastic support, alignment, and investment from their Board to continue funding the project through MVP.
A validated product concept, both from a user experience perspective through a design prototype and a technical risk perspective via mitigating risk through multiple code-based proofs of concept.
Commitment and contract for an MVP phase immediately following this discovery.