In my last post, I setup my ideal organization into Production, Management, and Consulting divisions. Each segment can exist as a business in its own right and I will detail my ideal methods for dealing with each in their separate posts. The first one to be addressed is where everything starts: Production.

Ever since its inception, surveyors have dealt with spatial data as sets of discrete points that represent a given region. This is still the best option in boundary surveying, but for anything else modern technologies offer a better solution. Specifically instead of building a dataset point by point, it is a better solution to capture the region via remote sensing like close range photogrammetry and terrestrial and aerial LiDAR. The two biggest hurdles to implementing these methods are their increased complexity and cost.


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There is a lot to think about when it comes to being a professional in the field of spatial science and understanding how things work may only apply for a short while. So many changes in technology, understanding, and legal standards add to and erode the concepts of being a PLS and spatial engineer on such a regular basis that understanding and finding applications is difficult when former pillars of income and work are removed for one reason or another. With such chaos, many concepts and possibilities are available but only a few are really going to work. Using this as a foundation, the basics can be broken down into three parts:
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In my last post, I mentioned the current attempt to remove the education requirements civil engineers need to become a PLS. If you think I'm missing the mark, you should check out the service developed by First American called ExpressMap. ExpressMap's focus is to skip the time and cost of traditional ALTA surveys by using a flyover and publicly available data. Essentially, the technology and methods outside of what can be learned on a jobsite are now assaulting a prime income maker for the licensed surveyor. At the same time, these professionals are trying to remove themselves from what can help them the most in the name of practicality and tradition.
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The engineering board in my region that influences and decides on the qualifications for things like becoming a PE or PLS ruled that engineers who work with boundaries and land data could receive their PLS certification without the education requirements that are mandated for everyone else. While it annoys the academic community to be considered over-educated technicians, apparently knowledge of boundary surveying and leveling is the only requirement for getting a PLS in my state.  That being the case, it is time to bring to bear the other attributes that education and training allow. My first approach is offering commercial GIS solutions to local businesses.
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For awhile now, ever since the birth of my Cyborg Surveying blog, I've been trying to keep up with the latest and greatest technology and innovation with the belief that just about every task currently done solely by a human in traditional survey work will eventually be augmented or completely supplanted with automation. That day is creeping toward the horizon with the release of powerful, cloud-based, user friendly technologies like Autodesk's Photofly.
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Much discussion has been based on the issue of LightSquared’s bandwidth interfering with the L1 signal from GPS satellites. If it hasn’t been clear, that bandwidth right next to the L1 frequency is also more commonly known as “4G-lite” to cell phone providers and is already being heavily marketed and invested in as the next big thing. Many arguments and statements exist to oppose LightSquared, so here is another possible point of view on the issue.

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   Congress is looking to create an Infrastructure bank, to allow private investors to buy into infrastructure projects. Given the broke state of the treasury, and the 2 trillion dollars in infrastructure costs the ASCE projects will be required in five years, anything the government does that works is a good deal. Does this infrastructure bank’s introduction have anything to do with a certain political party’s low approval ratings? Maybe, but even with political drama the idea of giving surveyors and engineers their traditional income base back is still a good idea.
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Surveying has always been taught to me as an art as much as a science, with its modern functions deeply reliant on the ways of the past. While this is a nice notion, I would say the current dearth of work for companies around the country indicates that age-old idea may need some tweaking. 
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All surveyors in Louisiana must maintain a certain number of Professional Development Hours (PDH) each year to keep their licenses. Many meet these requirements through state conventions and local meetings, much like others around the country. These meetings and conventions are usually filled with small-talk and a few presenters or forums for the surveyors to listen to, most of which surveyors pay attention to as readily as an ADD child in geometry. The most common response when asked why they didn’t take the laser scanning or GIS topics more seriously is “it’s not what we do”.

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   While working in the field, it is easy to just assume that every job finished will be followed by a new one that needs to be completed. Given the state of economic up and downs, it seems more prudent to start developing a manager’s mindset about going out and creating new jobs for the company rather than waiting for assignments from on high.

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