Brainforge x CTA: 2026-2027 Data Operations Annual SOW
Date: April 2026
Client: Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
Prepared for: Katherine Bayless, Senior Director, Data Engineering
Author: Brainforge AI
Engagement Path: Fractional Data Team-as-a-Service (FDTaaS)
Term: April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027 (12 months)
1. Executive Summary
This SOW defines a one-year operating model for CTA Data Operations, run as an annual managed engagement with quarterly planning cycles and monthly capacity-based execution. The contract is structured to keep priorities flexible while maintaining momentum on CTA’s highest-value data initiatives across CES cycles.
The engagement is anchored on six core workstreams:
- CES 2026 analytics
- Snowflake Cortex setup and training
- Core data ingestion
- Core marts development
- Data governance and RBAC
- CES 2027 data prep and marketing/sales support
This is intentionally not a rigid, checkpoint-heavy specification. Work is planned in rolling 90-day windows, prioritized jointly by Katherine and Brainforge, and executed against a stable retainer capacity model.
2. Operating Model (Eden-Style)
Delivery Cadence
- Annual agreement: 12-month term with monthly retainer billing.
- Quarterly planning: roadmap refresh every 90 days based on business priorities, data readiness, and team capacity.
- Monthly planning: workstream allocation and sequencing adjusted monthly without requiring SOW rewrites.
- Weekly execution: working sessions, unblockers, and KPI review with CTA stakeholders.
What “Eden-style” means in this SOW
- Workstreams are fixed; backlog and sequencing are flexible.
- Priority decisions are made through operating cadence, not contract amendments.
- Success is measured by adoption, decision support, and operational reliability, not template-style acceptance gates.
3. Core Workstreams
Workstream 1: CES 2026 Analytics
Focus on maintaining and extending the CES 2026 analytical baseline so leadership, membership, and sales stakeholders can trust and act on post-event performance data.
Typical work includes reconciliation support, exhibitor/member performance views, and high-priority analytical requests tied to CES outcomes.
Workstream 2: Snowflake Cortex Setup and Training
Establish Cortex as the analytics access layer for business users and train CTA teams on natural-language query workflows, semantic model usage, and trustworthy interpretation practices.
Typical work includes semantic setup, pilot enablement, question library development, and training sessions for functional teams.
Workstream 3: Core Data Ingestion
Maintain and expand CTA’s ingestion backbone across key systems required for analytics continuity and CES-adjacent operations.
Typical work includes source onboarding, ingestion reliability improvements, schema evolution handling, and connector-level troubleshooting.
Workstream 4: Core Marts Development
Develop and maintain the governed analytical marts that power CTA reporting, self-service exploration, and cross-functional insight delivery.
Typical work includes model iteration, metric consistency, performance tuning, and domain-level mart extension as priorities evolve.
Workstream 5: Data Governance and RBAC
Strengthen operating trust through pragmatic governance, role-based access controls, and repeatable data stewardship standards.
Typical work includes access model refinement, ownership definitions, governance playbooks, and operational controls for production analytics.
Workstream 6: CES 2027 Data Prep and Support for Marketing/Sales
Build forward-looking data readiness for CES 2027 and provide direct analytical support for marketing and sales motions that depend on timely, accurate event and member intelligence.
Typical work includes pre-event data readiness, campaign/support datasets, and launch-period support for stakeholder decision cycles.
4. Annual Phasing
| Phase | Timing | Primary Emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Q2 2026 (Apr-Jun) | CES 2026 closeout, Cortex setup, ingestion stabilization |
| Phase 2 | Q3 2026 (Jul-Sep) | Marts scale-up, governance hardening, CES 2027 prep begins |
| Phase 3 | Q4 2026 (Oct-Dec) | CES readiness acceleration, marketing/sales support depth |
| Phase 4 | Q1 2027 (Jan-Mar) | CES 2027 active support, optimization, renewal planning |
Quarterly focus can shift based on CTA priorities, hiring changes, system constraints, and cross-functional business asks.
5. Team and Governance
Brainforge Team
| Role | Name | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Managing Lead | Uttam Kumaran | Executive alignment, account governance, commercial ownership |
| Strategy and Analytics Lead | Robert Tseng | Cortex strategy, semantic layer direction, analytics prioritization |
| Data Service Lead | Awaish Kumar | Ingestion, marts, technical architecture, reliability |
| Analyst | Amber | Training support, reporting enablement, stakeholder working sessions |
CTA Team
| Role | Name | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Katherine Bayless | Strategic direction, priority arbitration, operating decisions |
| Data Analyst | Kyle | Domain feedback, model validation, co-delivery |
| BI Analyst / Admin Coordination | Chi | Dashboard collaboration, working-session coordination |
| Dashboard Lead | Kai | BI/Streamlit design ownership and governance |
| Data Engineer | TBD | Ingestion and modeling ownership ramp |
| IT Stakeholder | Ian (or delegate) | Identity/access coordination, enterprise integration support |
Working Cadence
- Weekly execution session (delivery and blockers)
- Biweekly strategy/prioritization session
- Monthly leadership review (progress, risk, and reallocation decisions)
- Quarterly roadmap reset and commercial check-in
6. Pricing Options (Annual)
Investment Summary
| Option | Positioning | Monthly Retainer | Annual Total (12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option A | Core coverage | $36,000 | $432,000 |
| Option B | Recommended balanced model | $45,000 | $540,000 |
| Option C | Accelerated model | $58,000 | $696,000 |
Capacity Profile by Option
| Dimension | Option A | Option B (Recommended) | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage across six workstreams | Core continuity | Full balanced coverage | Full coverage + acceleration buffer |
| Cortex rollout and training depth | Foundational | Multi-team enablement | Expanded org enablement and coaching |
| CES 2027 prep bandwidth | Planned baseline | Strong preparedness | Early and deeper readiness |
| Stakeholder support model | Standard | Enhanced | High-touch with faster response loops |
Recommended Option
Option B is recommended as the default annual model because it balances reliability, strategic flexibility, and execution speed across all six core workstreams without overcommitting beyond practical adoption capacity.
7. Out of Scope
- NetSuite implementation and dependencies tied to NetSuite go-live timelines
- CX-specific data modeling outside agreed CTA analytics priorities
- Forecasting/pacing model programs that require separate planning and budgeting
- Large-scale re-platforming outside Snowflake-centered operating architecture
Out-of-scope items can be separately scoped and priced through addenda if CTA chooses to bring them into the annual engagement.
8. Assumptions
- CTA source systems and key connectors remain accessible and reasonably stable during the contract term.
- CTA leadership and domain stakeholders continue participating in monthly prioritization and quarterly planning.
- Governance and access decisions can be made in operating cadence to prevent prolonged execution stalls.
- If major source-system shifts occur, related work may be re-sequenced and repriced by mutual agreement.
9. Commercial Terms
- Billing frequency: monthly in advance
- Payment terms: Net 15
- Currency: USD
- Term: 12 months (April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027)
- Annual scope is capacity-based; backlog composition is expected to evolve through quarterly planning
10. Sign-Off
By signing below, both parties acknowledge agreement with the annual term, operating model, and selected pricing option.
Client (CTA)
Name: ___________________________
Title: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Signature: _______________________
Brainforge AI
Name: ___________________________
Title: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Signature: _______________________