{"id":527942,"date":"2024-06-07T06:08:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T06:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uat.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/?post_type=blog&p=527942"},"modified":"2024-06-08T06:08:43","modified_gmt":"2024-06-08T06:08:43","slug":"five-ways-surveyors-can-leverage-gis","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/five-ways-surveyors-can-leverage-gis","title":{"rendered":"Five Ways Surveyors Can Leverage GIS"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am fortunate to live in an area that experiences four distinct seasons throughout the year, and those who know me don\u2019t have to guess which is my least favorite.  That\u2019s right – although I appreciate nature’s beauty in winter, I don\u2019t appreciate the frozen misery that comes with it!  Too many hours spent out working in it as a ranch kid, and later as a surveyor, I guess.  What I do love about winter, however, is that it is also surveying convention season throughout much of the country.  And this year, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at a number of them.  While there were many common threads, one question I was asked repeatedly was, \u201cWhat are some ways I can leverage GIS in my surveying firm?\u201d  So, I decided it was time to summarize my top five responses and share them with everyone:<\/p>\n\n

1.) Firm Management \u2013 Surveying is a Spatial Business<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

One recurring theme was how much your workload continues to increase and how difficult it is to keep track of where you have worked and what was done.\u00a0 Imagine if you could open a map on a web browser at any time, from anywhere, and know?\u00a0 With GIS, you can put your project areas together on one map (a great reason to work in a projected coordinate system if you are not already).\u00a0 Add a few basic attributes such as year, client, and project number, along with a link to the final deliverable, and you are well on your way to being so organized that you won\u2019t know how you lived without it!\u00a0 Feeling bold?\u00a0 Add a few more attributes like client type, project type, and contract amount.\u00a0 Now, you can start to analyze patterns in your business.\u00a0 Create a simple ArcGIS dashboard<\/a> to track patterns in project types, clients, and contract amounts year-to-year. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Have a new employee starting?  Providing access to a comprehensive map of the projects completed by the firm and easy access to archived deliverables goes a long way during training!  It also increases efficiency for project managers when scoping out new projects.  Awareness of previous work in an area can help the project manager identify if there were challenges, constraints, or other extenuating circumstances encountered.  It also reduces the amount of time spent researching and minimizes duplication of effort from project to project.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

2.) Project Management \u2013 There is a Lot to Keep Track of<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Regardless of the type of projects you work on, you probably gather a lot of background information as you prepare to work on the project.  Maps, plats, plans, reports, service cards, and so on.  And it probably comes in a lot formats \u2013 including paper.  Are you tired of the \u201ctraveling box\u201d full of documents that moves around the office to each person who needs to use it?  And what about those dreadful document hoarders?  You know what I\u2019m talking about.  Those individuals who can\u2019t let go and put ALL of the documents back in the box to move on but instead store some of them in their field trucks for safekeeping\u2026<\/p>\n\n

All jokes aside, there is a better way.  You invest a lot of time and money in research, which is the foundation of your decisions throughout a project.  By leveraging GIS, you can create a quick map and spatially index all of the information you\u2019ve retrieved.  Publish it out to a web map, and now your team members ALL have instant access– to ALL project data anytime, from anywhere. <\/p>\n\n

Some of you expressed concern over the time required to scan or digitize paper records so they can be included in the map.  From my experience, the amount of time spent converting to digital is far less than the time lost due to not having complete information readily accessible.  The good news is many organizations either have or are in the process of converting records to a digital format.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

3.) Collaboration \u2013 Communication is Key<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Public-private partnerships are key for many surveyors’ businesses and the success of public infrastructure projects.\u00a0 GIS strengthens these collaborations by providing a way to seamlessly share project updates and gather feedback in real-time through interactive web maps, dashboards, and surveys. Final deliverables can be digitally submitted and as-built conditions captured using ArcGIS Field Maps<\/a> and high-accuracy data collection methods \u2013 straight into the owner\u2019s GIS!<\/p>\n\n

Need to mail project notification letters and questionnaires to impacted landowners? With GIS, you can easily automate the generation of letters for mailing.\u00a0 And, by creating an ArcGIS Survey123<\/a> form to capture questionnaire feedback, there is a reduction in postage and supplies for return mailing. It also eliminates the need for manual entry of responses for tabulation and analysis; it all happens in real-time, allowing you and your client to visualize the data as it comes in.<\/p>\n\n

Public meetings are also commonly required for these community projects.\u00a0 With GIS, it is easy to facilitate meetings, gather feedback, and provide ongoing project updates through web maps or ArcGIS Story Maps<\/a>. The ability to provide current information to residents and other stakeholders, such as EMS, when conditions are continuously changing (e.g. during construction), improves confidence in public agencies and results in a better experience for all.<\/p>\n\n

4.) Field Safety and Efficiency \u2013 Being Productive and Bringing Everyone Home Safely<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Safety is paramount for all surveyors working in the field.  Many companies have their own requirements for ensuring safety protocols are being followed, as do many project owners.  GIS can help streamline the process:<\/p>\n\n