British Data Awards Finalists!
British Data Awards Finalists!
We’re delighted to announce that we are a finalist at the British Data Awards 2025, for Data Management Solution of the Year. This is for our work with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in building the data platform that underpins the ground-breaking Bee Network.
Jason Johnson, Co-Founder of Predatech and British Data Awards judge said:
“Judging so many excellent entries really is a huge challenge but also an enormous privilege. Every organisation named a finalist this year should be exceptionally proud of this achievement. By sharing your data success stories with us, you’re also helping to showcase the strength and vibrancy of the UK’s data ecosystem, and I can’t wait to celebrate your achievements on the 14th of May.”
Real Transformation
Real Transformation
We have played a pivotal role in transforming Greater Manchester’s public transport network, delivering a cutting-edge data infrastructure that has enabled the city’s ambitious bus franchising programme—the first of its kind in England since the 1980s.
In 2021, Greater Manchester's Mayor, Andy Burnham, pledged to bring bus services under local control by 2025. After overcoming legal challenges, a landmark decision in March 2022 initiated the Bee Network programme, expanding TfGM’s role from managing trams to integrating a unified transport system. This shift required a robust, scalable data infrastructure to support critical operational and financial decisions—this is where we stepped in.
Following workshops with TfGM in late 2022, we defined the scope of an expanded multi-modal Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW), and by January 2023, development was underway. Over the past three years, our partnership with TfGM has deepened, with us as the sole developer of the EDW.
Collaborating for Success
Collaborating for Success
A dedicated team of five has collaborated with TfGM to integrate nearly 80 data feeds from multiple sources, including contactless payments, mobile app usage, ticket sales, inspections, enforcement, concessionary schemes, performance metrics, timetables, services, and financial settlements. This complex data ecosystem ensures TfGM has the real-time insights needed to manage and optimise public transport operations.
We leveraged leading technologies, including Snowflake, AWS, Matillion, and Tableau, to build a highly resilient data platform. Data is ingested from various sources into AWS S3, validated, transformed, and modelled, delivering a system with zero unplanned downtime since launch.
Despite the challenges of breaking new ground, the Bee Network launched successfully in September 2023, with the final phase going live in January 2025, delivering on the Mayor’s vision. This success has already inspired other local areas to explore similar transport reforms.
A Future Proofed Solution
A Future Proofed Solution
In addition to integrating bus services into the EDW, the expanding Bee Network has increased the need for deeper transport analysis.
New workstreams are enhancing pay-as-you-go (PAYG) capabilities, allowing riders to seamlessly tap on/tap off across all TfGM services—enabled by insights from the EDW. Train integration is the next step in this ambitious programme.
Through our innovative, scalable, and dependable data solutions, synvert TCM has not only set a new standard for smart, data-driven urban mobility but also created a replicable model that could transform public transport across the UK.
Finalists will be celebrated, and Winners will be announced, at an awards ceremony taking place on the 14th of May in the heart of London.
