We can't blame the rain

By ADAM GIFFORD

High-tech tools such as laser theodolites and GPS receivers have radically changed surveyor Mike Fleming's job, and not always for the better.

"Even with all this technology, we still have to go out in the rain and pick up data," says Fleming, who works for New Zealand's largest surveying firm, Harrison Grierson.

"These electronics are more waterproof. In the old pencil-and-paper days the rain was a good excuse not to go out, but GPS is an all-weather system. It also means you can work straight through the night, and we have done that on motorway jobs."

In all sorts of industries, workers in the field are now kitted up and connected, recording data or accessing databases to do their jobs better and faster than before.

Fleming says the new tools allow surveyors to work faster, especially on projects like large topographical surveys, and they also improve the finished product.

"We pick up a lot more data than we used to so we can produce a better resolution of the site."

The change started in the mid-1980s, when theodolites (now called total stations) were first fitted with electronic distance meters and data recorders.

That meant instead of copying each reading into a field book and working on the data with log tables, surveyors could download a day's work into a computer for further processing.

"In some cases the new laser theodolites can measure distances up to 300m and the heights of buildings without another person on the end," Fleming says.

"We use survey-grade GPS receivers at $40,000 each. We set up a reference station at a suitable known point and the station broadcasts a correction message to the receiver the surveyor wears in a backpack, which allows accuracy to 1cm, horizontally and vertically."

But even with all these tools, there is more to surveying than knowing which button to press.

While Fleming did the New Zealand certificate of surveying as part of his degree, a lot of it is hands-on experience.

"There are lots of bits and pieces in surveying, tricks of the trade, knowing what accuracy to pick up and where the potential errors are."

Sales representatives are also becoming technology road warriors, armed with gadgets and applications.

Cookie Time Auckland salesman Richard Wilton says his routine was transformed six weeks ago when the company adopted a system of Kyocera mobile phones with the Palm operating system, linked in to a Saleslink customer and order management system.

The system, which uses mobile Jetstream on Telecom's 027 network, was put together by Auckland mobile data specialist Rocom.

"I used to go and see an outlet, handwrite the order into an invoice book, then have to add up all the invoices at the end of the day and send them by mail to Christchurch," Wilton says.

"Now I write the order into the phone, hit the transfer button and off it goes.

"I also have a battery-powered HP printer in the car. Once I have generated the invoice, I point the Kyocera at the laptop and print it out on the spot - it's a lot more efficient and it looks a lot more professional than my handwriting."

Wilton can also use the phone to check or update customer details in the Saleslink database.

Lines and networks company Vector has also connected its field staff, issuing them with Hewlett Packard iPacs and Bluetooth phones on Vodafone's GPRS network.

Line mechanic Toby Johnston says apart from cutting down paperwork, the system reduces the risk of mistakes.

"As far as receiving information goes, it's far clearer than the RT [radiotelephone] or phone," Johnston says.

"Sometimes we get situations where the callout or fault is at a different address than the customer address. It used to be we would get there, then have to ring dispatch to say 'What was that address again?"'

The setup also gives the staff mobile access to Vector's geographical information systems such as the asset register and the ESRI Arcpad mapping software.

"Arcpad gives us a plan of the whole network, so we can put in an address or pole number and see what is around," Johnston says.

"That means if an underground cable has a fault, you can track down the feeds. It used to be you would have to go back to the office, print out a plan and go back to the site."

Which means at least he doesn't curse technology for making his life difficult in the rain.