How to Do a Site Survey

Watch this webinar for the best tips and tricks on using SignAgent mobile for site surveys

Goals

A survey should capture location and images of signs for later categorisation. The ideal survey minimizes a users time on site and captures all of the necessary data for later stages of work. 

Setup 

1. Create a new project within the organization and add surveyors as members.
2. Add States - States are the phases and stages that the signs go through throughout the course of the project. At this point, you need to create a “survey” state. In the future you may need additional states, such as “designer draft,” “review,” “fabrication,” “installation,” and “complete.”
3. Ensure all of the necessary location plans have been uploaded. A variety of file formats can be used, but a PDF floor plan is ideal. For outdoor signage, the mobile app includes exterior mapping integration, which enables you to add your signs to a map, which works just like a Google map.
4. Create a sign type. We typically recommend creating one sign type called “undefined” or "survey" for site surveys. This makes the survey process as quick as possible while still capturing all of the necessary data.  Individual sign types can be assigned later when offsite. The only field an Undefined sign type needs is a "Notes" section.

Before You Go

1. Install the SignAgent Mobile App on your iPhone or iPad. Test it out in your home or office by taking pictures of your pet or artwork and adding them to your location plan (you’ll want to delete these, but it’s a great way to get comfortable with the app before a site visit). Ensure you have adequate storage space on your iPhone (we recommend approximately 1GB for every 500 photos you plan to capture).
2. Upload/Sync your Information. Sync your data prior to arriving on site. We recommend doing this the day beforehand. You will also want to sync at the end of your site visit, make sure to upload/sync your work so that all the data is fully backed up onto the server. (Note that with an on-site wifi connection, your data will upload and sync automatically while you work).

On the Job Site

After you’ve completed the steps above, you’re ready to start your survey. And you’ll be travelling light, armed with just your iPhone or iPad and the SignAgent Mobile App - no camera, no clipboard, no blueprints, no cart!

If you have a data connection, the information you gather will automatically be captured and saved within the SignAgent platform. 

Here are some of the key steps:

1. Open the floor plan or map for the area you want to survey.
2. Walk to the first sign you want to capture in your survey.
3. Find your location on the location plan by moving it with your finger. You can pinch to zoom in or out on the location plan. You can rotate the plan using your fingers or the 45-degree buttons at the bottom of the screen. Orient the floor plan so that it shows the same orientation you have while facing the sign.
4. Use the app to take a photo of the sign (tap and hold) and then position and orient the sign marker appropriately on the location plan.
5. If you notice any issues with individual signs (such as errors, sign wear, or inconsistencies), you should make a note before moving on to the next sign. 
6. Once you’ve captured your first sign, move on to the next one.

Back in the Office

Once you’re back in the office, you’ll be ready to start working with your data. Here’s what you can expect when you open the location plan or map for the site you surveyed:

• All the signs in survey state, showing their exact location and orientation (the direction it’s facing).
• A photo for each sign, including who took the photo, and where and when it was taken.
• Any notes you’ve taken will appear in the comments area for the sign.

Next Steps

1. Assign a sign type to every sign based on their photo
2. Assign tags for "damaged", "non-standard", or "incorrect" signs
3. Program the messaging for each sign into its appropriate fields. This is often a matter of copying and pasting data from the OCR field.