Case Studies

Dillon Consulting digitizes data collection workflow to expedite decision making, save time and improve collaboration 1 Esri Canada | Cloud-based Field Data Collection Expedites Environmental Study in Northern Ontario Challenge In 2013, Dillon Consulting led an Environmental Assessment to predict the environmental effects of a proposed 430 km trans- mission line that will parallel an existing transmission corridor to connect the Wawa Transformer Station (TS) to the Lakehead TS near Thunder Bay, ON. One aspect of the EA includes investi- gating and assessing existing natural environment conditions, through ecological land classification, forest types, species at risk assessments, watercourse habitat mapping, botanical surveys and wildlife surveys. To make observations and gather information about these factors, Dillon needed to send field crews to travel along the proposed route, which coursed through Ontario's northern wilderness and its abundance of marshes, rivers, rugged terrain and dense forests. Traditionally, collecting field data in such a re- mote area limits project teams to adopt a paper-based process. However, the introduction of Web GIS and advancements in mobile hardware inspired Dillon to avoid using paper forms and pens to make observations and gather information—a system which offers limited capabilities and poses timely data accessibil- ity concerns. Dillon sought to achieve a dynamic exchange of information between field crews and the office while fieldwork was in prog- ress, which would require the development of a fully digitized data collection workflow. In addition to the challenges posed by harsh environmental conditions and limited Internet connectivity, Dillon needed a solution that could handle large data transfers projected to exceed 10GB per download. Collecting field data efficiently in remote areas poses many challenges. Sporadic Internet connection and unfavourable environmental conditions relegate many project teams to collect field data using a traditional paper-based process, which lacks strong data safeguards and the ability for field and office teams to easily share information. As part of an environmental study in northern Ontario, Dillon Consulting overcame these limitations by developing a digitized data collection workflow using Collector for ArcGIS installed on ruggedized tablets. This workflow allowed field crews to collect data and synchronize updates to the cloud when travelling between study areas in range of cellular towers, enabling project stakeholders to make key decisions throughout the study.

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