The 5 principles of test data management

Accessible. Automated. Connected. Intelligent. Trusted.

We built our test data management platform on five foundational principles - we are calling them the 5 principles of test data management. These aren't marketing slogans - they're design decisions that shape every product we build and every project we deliver. Together, they create a platform that fits your environment, protects your data, scales your analysis, and evolves with your needs.

 

Five Principles of Test Data Management

Accessible

Connect any tool. Access any data. Standardized interfaces, no vendor lock-in. ASAM ODS APIs, HQL, Python, MATLAB, REST.

Automated

Scale analysis. Automate everything. Thousands of jobs daily in Python, MATLAB, Java, or Spark. No manual intervention.

Connected

All sources. One interface. Federated access without migration. Cloud-native deployment. Data stays where it is.

Intelligent

Automate analysis at production scale. Connect data science tools directly. Natural language queries make data accessible to everyone.

Trusted

Know where your data came from and how it was processed. Full lineage tracking, controlled workflows, audit trails. Compliance-ready by design.

HighQSoft stands for "Accessible. Automated. Connected. Intelligent. Trusted."

Read together, these five words describe one platform, not a checklist of features. Each is a deliberate choice that reinforces the others. Accessible data is what automation runs on, connected sources are what intelligence reaches across, and trust is what makes the whole usable in regulated engineering work. The sections below take each principle in turn, with what it means and what we offer to deliver it.

Accessible - Connect any tool. Access any data.

Your measurement data should be accessible from any tool you choose - now and in the future. Proprietary interfaces trap your data. Standards set it free. We build on ASAM ODS, the industry standard for test data management. Any compliant tool can access your data. Switch vendors without migration projects. Integrate new tools without custom adapters.

 

With us, your data stays accessible for 30+ years, regardless of which tools exist then.

What we offer:

  • ASAM ODS 6 HTTP/REST APIs for modern integrations
  • Modular Web Modules and accessible internal Services Access
  • HQL query language that works across servers and files
  • Python access via pyHQL library
  • MATLAB Toolbox for direct workspace integration
  • Native connectivity for DIAdem, Concerto, and analysis tools

Automated - Scale Analysis, Automate Everything

Manual analysis does not scale. When you generate thousands of measurements per week, you need automated processing that runs consistently, traces every result, and frees engineers for higher-value work. This is not workflow tooling. It is enterprise-grade job orchestration, running in production at major OEMs every day.

 

We are about production automation, not experimental features.

 

What we offer:

  • Merlin Analysis Server running thousands of jobs daily for our customers
  • Technology-agnostic execution: Python, MATLAB, Java, Spark
  • Event-driven triggers: new data arrival, schedules, thresholds, custom events
  • Full result transparency: configuration, progress, and outputs tracked for every job
  • Merlin UI for monitoring, control, and workflow management

Connected - All Sources, One Interface

Test data is scattered across systems, sites, and formats. Engineers waste time hunting for data instead of analyzing it. Multiple sites, multiple systems, legacy infrastructure you cannot replace overnight. A federated approach provides unified access while data stays where it is. No migration required. No disruption to existing workflows.

 

Start small, scale incrementally, extend as requirements evolve.

 

What we offer:

  • Janus Platform federates multiple data sources into a single ASAM ODS view
  • Multi-source support: ODS servers, MDF4, TDMS, Parquet, ATFx, data lakes
  • Cloud-native: Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Azure, Alibaba, on-premises
  • Hot/cold data management for cost-optimized storage
  • API-first architecture for integration with your existing systems

 

Short Stories:

Intelligent - Ask Anything. Get Answers

Your test data should answer questions, not just store them. AI assistants and natural language interfaces only work when the data underneath them is structured. Files alone are not enough. We build on ASAM ODS so that channels are named, units are explicit, and lineage is tracked. That standardized foundation lets AI return precise answers instead of plausible-sounding guesses. Ask a question in plain English. Get the right measurement back.

With us, intelligent access is available today and works with whatever AI assistant comes next.

 

What we offer:

  • MCP Server for AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT
  • HQL for natural language and SQL-like queries
  • pyHQL for Python access from notebooks and ML workflows
  • ASAM ODS schema as the deterministic foundation language models can trust
  • Open APIs for AI agents, dashboards, and custom integrations

 

Short Stories:

Trusted - Traceable and Compliant

When auditors, regulators, or customers question your test data, you need answers. Where did this measurement come from? How was it processed? Who accessed it? When? Trust isn't a feeling - it's documentation. Complete data lineage is already integrated. Controlled analysis workflows. Audit trails for every action. We are providing it.

 

Readiness for data space integration for governed cross-company collaboration.

 

What we offer:

  • Data lineage tracking from import through analysis to export
  • Merlin controlled workflows with versioned scripts and parameters
  • Role-based access control integrated with enterprise identity (LDAP/OAuth)
  • Complete audit logging of all system activity
  • Compliance alignment for ISO 9001, TISAX, product liability requirements

Our core products

Janus ODS Platform

Janus is a cloud-native ASAM ODS 6 platform that virtualizes diverse data sources behind a consistent ODS 6 API endpoint. It keeps the ASAM ODS toolchain stable while enabling federated architectures, allowing classic ASAM ODS repositories to be unified with lakes/buckets, indexing services, legacy databases, and domain APIs without forcing a “copy everything into one database” approach.

ASAMCommander Web Application

ASAMCommander is a modular, web-based test data management client based on the ASAM ODS standard. It enables engineers and analysts to find, explore, and reuse measurement data efficiently across projects, test benches, and sites. ASAMCommander is built around modules that add dedicated capabilities, such as navigation, search, or bookmarking, within a shared user interface and common services.

Merlin for Integrated Analysis and Automation

Merlin/SAM is a technology-independent analysis framework that integrates into test data management workflows. It is built to automate analysis, improve comparability of results, and provide process transparency through job tracking and data lineage.

Why Automotive OEMs Choose HighQSoft for Test Data Management

AUDI, BMW, Cummins, Ford Motor Company, HONDA, and others run HighQSoft's test data management platform in production. These are not pilot projects or evaluations. These are production systems that engineering teams depend on daily, managing measurement data from powertrain development, battery testing, NVH analysis, crash safety, and vehicle validation. Many HighQSoft customers have stayed with the company for over a decade, through organizational changes and technology migrations.

 

HighQSoft has provided ASAM ODS solutions for over 25 years, making HighQSoft one of the longest-serving specialists in engineering test data management. HighQSoft's team of physicists, mathematicians, and software developers understands both the data and the engineering problems it needs to solve. HighQSoft actively contributes to ASAM standard development, holding board membership in the ASAM organization and shaping the standards that the entire industry relies on.

25+ years of experience HighQSoft serves the automotive industry since 2000
8 major OEM customers AUDI, BMW, Cummins, Ford Motor Company, HONDA
10.000+ jobs daily Automated analysis jobs processed by Merlin at major OEMs
ASAM ODS standard HighQSoft actively shapes ASAM standard development

5 principles of test data management

HighQSoft GmbH

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