I started my surveying career in 1968. I have been at it for awhile. When it comes to business development and embracing change this profession has been its own worst enemy, but things are getting a lot more serious. Small to medium sized surveying operations are not struggling to survive, they are dying a slow death, and I am the eternal optimist, so it might be even worse.
The surveying profession in the US has long since passed on their opportunity to be an important player in GIS. In most other developed countries there is a land cadastre – a system of land registration, but the real estate industry in the US is not interested in that kind of approach. The current system is much, make that was, much more profitable.
Enter laser scanning, and while I am on my soapbox we might as well include machine control. Both of these technologies are disrupting the traditional surveying workflows, one in terms of data collection and the other in terms of construction layout. It’s 3D, which is new and intimidating, plus the licensing boards in each state do not know how to handle it. In both cases it is certainly not boundary surveying, which is their jurisdiction.
I recognize that buying a scanner is expensive, but as I have mentioned before the real value is in creating 3D models that can be used to solve customer’s problems. That takes software, not hardware. This same statement applies equally to machine control.
The traditional surveying firm’s business is being continually eroded. Laser scanning and machine control are new opportunities that need to be embraced, not ignored. Maintaining the status quo is not going to get it done.
Interesting. Speaking as a German surveyor, I believe that the situation here and in the UK and Ireland (where I know more surveyors too) is different. While there are still many traditional surveyors, who don’t embrace new technology, others are very much involved with terrestrial (and in my case airborne) laser scanning or other new technologies.
The challenges are very different with these new technologies and many are still struggling with the efficient processing of the mass of data that is being produced. But it is being tackled and from your post it sounds like the surveying field in Europe is embracing innovative technologies more than in the US. I find that surprising.