There is something afoot (in fact, it’s less than a foot!) in the world of positioning.
Surveying could be moving into the domain where traditionally specialist surveying tasks can be undertaken by non-surveyors such as Site Agents, Supervisors, Inspectors and field operatives on infrastructure and utility construction projects. Controversial… cue the debate on data quality.
Reality is, with the proliferation of mobile apps for capturing information on site, along with smartphone/tablet technological advancements, in-built and plug-and-play (wearable) GNSS receivers and PAYG positioning services, many construction and utility contractors can capture high-accuracy data for pre-construction, stakeout, as-built and site progress surveys, previously the domain of specialist survey teams or engineers.
There are significant benefits to this, not least cost savings and productivity gains, however this must be considered carefully as adoption of additional workload can often be detrimental to morale and site behaviour, particularly if there is a reluctance to undertake these tasks, or the technology itself is not robust and simple enough for it to be adopted willingly.
At MGISS, we consider behavioural change to be fundamental to adoption of new technology, whether it’s “designed-in” to a new workflow or field solution from the start, or via iterative UAT (user acceptance testing). There also must be an element of carrot and stick with a rollout of a field mobility applications, i.e.. If new data is being captured, feedback loops need to be real-time and constructive. Sometimes, even simple things like capturing photos needs to be process-driven, as there is now much information, context and even accurate measurement detail to be extracted automatically to augment survey information.
Ultimately though, technology is empowering workforces to be more productive, safer, and drive improvements in the robustness of spatial data, and it’s ability to derive real value for business.
MGISS are very much at the forefront of this and continue to focus on ensuring enterprise spatial data is fit for the future. This is reflected in the type and size of projects we are engaging in, and the level of successful long-term adoption of our services and solutions.
The original article can be viewed here.
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