Atwell, LLC

Stacy (Stacy Balzer) Jacobs

Surveying Technology Steward

Stacy Lynn Jacobs is a licensed professional land surveyor currently working within the state of Colorado. She has been in the land surveying industry for 35 years and has worked on projects from coast to coast throughout the Unites States. Her experience ranges from commercial and residential development, oil and gas, solar farms and wind farms and transmission lines, primarily concentrating on the entitlement / boundary side of the industry, while also providing construction teams with professional support.

The basic role of the surveyor has been the same since the times of the ancient Egyptians – to measure and divide boundaries, layout structures. That’s what we do, but now it’s so much more. Today’s technology has impacted how we do our jobs so greatly that even in the last 35 years, the changes in tech are astronomical!

Satellites and GPS, LiDAR and drones are making the surveyor’s work faster, more intuitive, allowing us to survey larger areas quicker and more accurately. They are also helping us move beyond the limits of human physical capabilities, from using drones to survey rough mountain terrain and LiDAR to inspect underwater pipelines to deploying 3-D scanners that produce digital “photos” of spaces in real time. I can only imagine what the Egyptian rope stretches would think of all we can accomplish today!

The Technology Behind More Accurate Surveys

Accurate survey work is critical at every stage of a project. Today’s advances in technology have directly strengthened its foundation. Precise locating of boundary lines, easements, rights-of-way, setbacks, and improvements, as shown on surveys such as ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys, along with topographic surveying that can now be completed in the field and analyzed and digitized in the office with greater accuracy has reduced the risk of disputes and litigation. These improvements give surveyors’ clients and the project team of designers, engineers, and architects a solid base from which to work.

“Today’s tools can measure more, reach farther, and work faster. They still need people who know what to look for.”

While technology may change the way we work, as well as the accuracy and timing of that work, the key to any successful project has been, and, dare I say, will always be, clear, concise, and timely communication. A satellite does not replace the human interaction needed to coordinate a project. What is the client’s ultimate project goal? What challenges will need to be considered? What are the expected timing and budget, and are they feasible? When the client, surveyor, contractor, architect, and engineer are all on the same page, it truly is a beautiful thing.

Without that strong, open line of communication, issues can escalate exponentially, causing costly delays and rework. Communicating potential problems as soon as they are identified allows the team to address them head-on, hopefully with minimal impact on the project timeline.

Preserving the Foundations of Modern Surveying

While technological advancements continue to improve the surveyor’s day-to-day work, one thing that is drilled into every surveyor from the start of their career is the concept of following in the footprints. The records, field notes, plats, and monumentation of those who came before us are invaluable to the work we do today. What young surveyors must remember is that without those footprints to follow, our jobs would be so much more difficult. We must continue to teach future surveyors how to follow those footprints and, just as importantly, how to be the ones who leave footprints for the future.

That starts with understanding why field notes are so important. Many times, I hear the excuse, “Well, it’s in my point code.” That’s great for today. How will the future be able to access that data? How are we leaving footprints for others to follow?

One thing I have always stressed in my career has been teaching the why of things. All of these technological improvements don’t teach the whys. That is up to those of us in roles as supervisors, managers, team leads, and mentors. If a field or office teammate doesn’t understand the whys of things, how will they be able to identify errors or potential problems? A main role of the surveyor is to protect the public. Being able to identify potential issues and potential solutions is key to that, and it all begins with knowing the whys.

So, how do we ensure we are teaching these invaluable lessons to the younger surveyor? We continue to provide education. Lunch-and-learns are great ways to bond together while learning. Starting each team meeting with “lessons learned” allows the team to see real-time, real-experience issues and solutions from people they know. Examinations, not just the PLS exam, but the fundamentals, the Certified Survey Technician exams, the Certified CAD Technician exams, and others that improve our industry, must continue to include the basic principles, the “old school” whys.

It means taking not only the time but also the pride in our profession to share all our knowledge, guiding the younger generation of surveyors as we were guided, and leaving those footprints for others to follow.