INNOVATION, RESILIENCE AND DIVERSITY

A Glance Back and a Look Forward Through the Plowman Craven Lens

Innovation, Resilience and Diversity

Let’s get the word over with – COVID: hopefully, it is a short-term disruption, but it is a considerable one. It is having an effect on how businesses and industries realign and how they will approach the future. It is no surprise that the use and reliance on technology has accelerated exponentially and those businesses that will survive, develop and grow will be the ones who embrace the opportunities technology brings.

TECHNOLOGY DRIVES PROGRESS

Having been in the geomatics industry, particularly with Plowman Craven, for more years than I can remember, it is the technology revolutions that have driven the surveying profession forward. They have changed the surveyor’s role, our capabilities and our importance. We only have to look at past issues of the “go-to” surveying publication, Geomatics World, to see the innovation and improvement in data capture, capabilities, speeds and application.

In my early days operating as a surveyor in North Africa or on the first commercial commissions from the Ordnance Survey, the move from analogue to digital was a welcome transition. No more negotiating for local maps or ink drawing on film (an art in itself). We moved to GPS and CAD – the technology we now take for granted.

Plowman Craven has always been an early adopter, applying and assisting in the development of new technology. We were the laser scanning evangelist – the first adopter in Europe using the Cyrax (40kg of surveying equipment and a handful of points per second – you don’t know you have lived)! There were many doubters and ‘nay sayers’ in the construction and property industry at the time who said that clients weren’t ready for it. Just look at its importance to the sector now!

As laser scanning technology developed at a rapid pace, Plowman Craven looked at its application and expanded its horizons – the film industry and forensic science took on board its possibilities and the advantages and accuracies it could bring. We saw our surveyors mixing with the stars on film sets, body scanning actors such as Daniel Craig, Natalie Portman and Tom Cruise. We found our teams involved in high-profile crime investigations such as the Princess Diana enquiry and the 2005 Bombings. Our surveyors were suddenly becoming experts in visual effects, match moving, and data wrangling.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BIM

One of the great things about our profession is the diversity and opportunity it brings - if you are on one bus there is no reason why you can’t hop onto another. We knew that Building Information Modelling (BIM) was going to be a major factor in the Government initiative to assist the construction industry to meet its climate change targets and it was clear from the start that the surveying profession, and the technology it utilises, could play and should play a key role in this application. Plowman Craven took this as an opportunity to position itself, not just as a data provider, but also as a consultant and a data

Cyrax scanner used on St Vincents church.

Scan of a baby Threstal (as featured in Harry Potter films).

and information manager. We felt it was important that a geospatial surveyor was at the leading edge and proactive in this field. We published the first BIM specification for all to use: the profession and our clients. Since our initial foray into BIM, we have been involved and have advised on some of the major BIM projects, including the current retrofit and refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster. BIM and its adoption in the design and construction sector has continued at a pace and we are now seeing a number of geospatial companies playing key roles in the BIM process, either as data capturers, modellers, coordinators or consultants. Plowman Craven is now not only a company of measurement surveyors but a multi-talented practice of architectural technicians, structural engineers and REVIT technicians. Geospatial companies are now being drawn not only into the BIM world, but also Digital Twin technology.

THE REBIRTH OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY

A recent revolution in our industry was the re-birth of photogrammetry and structure from motion, made possible by increasing computing power and digital imaging. This coincided nicely with the development and increased use of UAV (drone) technology. Our desire to see where we could push the boundaries, and a client whose health and safety mantra was ‘boots off ballast’, directed us to find an innovative and groundbreaking UAV/ photogrammetric solution for the rail industry - the VogelR3D, featured in Geomatics World November/ December 2017. VogelR3D reduces time spent on the ground, provides band 1 accuracies and enables rail surveys to be carried out during the day. Again, it shows the increased opportunities and another ‘tool in the already large box’ for the geospatial industry. As surveying companies employ more pilots, it could create a multitude of openings and outlets in other sectors where Plowman Craven can establish itself as the expert consultant.

Where do we see geospatial specialists in the future? Are we going to be replaced by automation and robots? The surveying industry should be under no illusion that it will need to change, diversify and adapt as we move forward. At Plowman Craven, we believe that as technology becomes simpler, or more automated, then the role of the professional will become ever more important. Accuracy, rigour and geospatial understanding are still the basics that need to be upheld.

The world is gorging itself on data and information and Plowman Craven, along with the whole geospatial industry, is part of the feast. As a company, we generate terabytes of data per week, so how can we best manage and utilise this data? We need to be a better information manager as opposed to just a data-capturer. Can we play a part in the smart city revolution? Our traditional competitors are changing and digital disrupters are entering our space, so we need to be thinking like them.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

I don’t believe surveyors are out of a job yet. The industry has the innovation and flexibility to adapt and embrace opportunities. This has been shown in the past, working in new markets and driving new revenue streams. Plowman Craven has extended its services to clients and has developed innovative solutions. We are probably now entering the next revolution and change.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

issue No 1 • Volume 26

WWW.GEOMATICS-WORLD.CO.UK

High Precision Photogrammetry for Railway Survey

High precision drone surveys of railways Realities of drone surveys Laser scanning for hazardous surveys Pros and cons of building measurement Intergeo 2017 report from Berlin, Germany

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FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS SEE PAGE 3

01-11-17 11:09

Looking ahead in general, I feel the industry will: • need to maximise the value and intelligence of the data collected by expanding the client base, not necessary in the traditional marketplace; • need a diversity of skillsets within an organisation – architects, software developers, data scientists, drone pilots; • have to embrace new technology –it doesn’t close doors, it creates opportunities; • enhance the importance and value of geospatial services; • need to be prepared for rapid and continuous change; we may have to keep inventing ourselves.

Image of VogelR3D from GW Nov/Dec 2017.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Board Director and MRICS with over 30 years’ experience in the surveying industry, Peter has worked not only in the UK but also across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Building a name in property measurement and developing strong strategic relationships with clients, Peter has been instrumental in establishing Plowman Craven as a leading player in the fields of area referencing, drone applications and BIM.