Case Studies

Solution After evaluating different software and hardware scenarios, Dillon selected an automated data collection workflow using Collector for ArcGIS running on ruggedized tablets. Dillon used the free Collector for ArcGIS app in conjunction with their ArcGIS Online subscription, which required six named user accounts for the project. Using Collector for ArcGIS, Dillon developed a process that allowed field crews to gather data on tablets three ways: tag- ging maps, entering information in text fields and taking photos or videos. Field crews collected data without an Internet connec- tion and seamlessly synchronized updates into Dillon's enterprise GIS through ArcGIS Online while travelling between survey sites and within range of a cell tower, which established an Internet connection. To address the challenge of large data transfers, Dillon used a technique called 'side-loading' to create three maps (one for each project team) that resided on the field crews' tablets. This tech- nique ensured only the data model and the vector-based data would be uploaded and downloaded by the field team, limiting the amount of data being transferred from the tablet to the cloud. In addition, Dillon's field staff used Collector for ArcGIS to plan routes and get directions to work locations, search for places and address locations, switch between basemaps (e.g. toggle between satellite imagery and topographic maps), mark places on the map and measure distances and areas. Cloud-based Field Data Collection Expedites Environmental Study in Northern Ontario | Esri Canada 2 Dillon created over 100 customized fields in Collector for ArcGIS to gather a vast array of environmental data in a study area spanning over 400 km. Collector for ArcGIS's offline editing feature allowed Dillon's field crews to gather data in remote areas with no Internet connection. Crews downloaded maps, collected data and synchronized updates to the cloud once they were in range of a cell tower. " Historically, field work data collection technology has been very static. With Collector for ArcGIS and ArcGIS Online, the dynamic interaction that can now take place between the field team—armed with mobile, real-time GIS—and analysts and decision-makers is very powerful." John Fairs GIS Project Manager Dillon Consulting Limited Benefits Dillon's real-time reporting system enabled team members in the Toronto-area to analyze field data throughout the course of the study, allowing decisions and sampling modifications to be made as field work was conducted. For example, if a sensitive feature was identified in the study area, field crews could capture observations, pictures and precise GPS coordinates and synchronize from the field to upload the information to the cloud. A GIS analyst could create a detailed map and send it to project stakeholders for timely evaluation and decision-making. Collector for ArcGIS is designed so that synchronized data is stored safely in the cloud, not on the tablet. This saved Dillon time and money when a tablet was damaged during the project, as no data and little time were lost. If the field crews had been using paper forms, re-collecting the data would have been their only recovery option. On this study, the estimated out-of-pocket expense for a field worker to return to an area and re-collect one day's worth of data was $2,500. The digitized process also allowed Dillon's office team to promptly support the field team on-the-fly. For example, if the field team had difficulty seeing the color of a feature on their map, the office team could make a change during a phone conversation and the field team would instantly see the update after synchronizing.

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