What is field data? Types, challenges and value

Field data is information collected outside a traditional workplace — at a job site, along a utility right-of-way, in a wetland, at a point of transaction — rather than in an office or laboratory. It includes inspection results, sample readings, photographs, GPS coordinates and condition assessments, and it is usually captured by the person witnessing the thing being recorded.

People often confuse field data with data fields, the single columns or inputs in a database or form. A data field holds one piece of the field data your teams collect.

Data that is captured in the field is some of the most valuable information available to a company. It provides a clear picture into what’s happening at a job site or point of transaction, giving managers and other executives the insights they need to make informed business decisions.

Unfortunately, many organizations don’t make effective use of that data: an IDC survey found that as much as 43% of captured data remains largely unusue. So let’s explore how companies can leverage the uniquely valuable information that they collect in the field to save time, money, and resources, and improve business operations.

Key insights

• Field data is collected outside an office or lab — on job sites, in the field, at the point of work.
• Eight industries depend on it heavily: engineering, electric utilities, water and sewer, oil and gas, telecom, construction, environmental protection and agriculture.
• The hardest part of field data collection is rarely the collection itself. It is getting data back to the office in a usable format before it goes stale.
• Transcription errors, illegible handwriting and missing location data are the most common quality failures in paper-based capture.
• When the observer enters data once, in the field, nobody has to retype or interpret it later.

Types of field data collection

Data collection is a routine part of how nearly every business operates, from retailers to utilities to construction firms and more.

For example, an insurance underwriter might inspect a home to record its building materials and roof condition. The underwriter then uses that data to assess risk and set the premium.

A timecard is a more universal example, recording the hours an employee worked so they’re accurately paid for that time.

Data collection is simply the gathering of information as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation. And “field data” just means it was collected outside of a traditional workplace setting like a laboratory or office.

There are many ways to collect field data: interviews, surveys, questionnaires, observations, ethnographies, oral histories, or case studies, or reviewing documents and records. The type of information sought will determine the tools needed, such as a pen and paper, a camera, a calculator, a ruler, a GPS device, or all of those things and more.

Some of the industries that benefit from field data are:

• Engineering
• Electric utilities
• Water & sewer
• Oil & gas
• Telecom
• Construction
• Environmental protection
• Agriculture

Many companies collect data to ensure they stay compliant with government regulations, while others do it to determine the most appropriate location to build a structure. Still others collect data to verify the status of their physical assets.

The uses of field data are limitless.

Types of field data

The methods above produce four broad kinds of record, and each carries different data quality risks.

Observational data. These include what a person sees and judges, such as vegetation condition, structural wear, housekeeping compliance. Observatoins are highly dependent on consistent criteria, which is why digital forms with fixed options outperform free-text notes.

Measured data. Some examples of measured data are instrument readings: pH, turbidity, pressure, load, and depth. Data accuracy depends on calibration and on the reading reaching the record without being copied by hand.

Locational data. These include GPS coordinates attached to every observation. When captured automatically by phones and dedicated GPS devices, this is the layer that makes field data mappable — and the layer most often lost when notes are transcribed later.

Media. Photos, video, and audio are included in this category. Increasingly media becomes the evidence of record in regulatory and insurance contexts because it is timestamped and difficult to dispute.

Modern survey tools and digital tools capture all four in a single pass, which is what makes real-time data possible: the office can see an entry within seconds of it being recorded, rather than waiting for a crew to return.

Challenges of collecting data in the field

Collecting field data can be a complex and lengthy process, and your success can depend on a number of factors.

Potential challenges of data collection include:

• Training/managing staff
• Inclement weather
• Environmental hazards
• Language barriers
• Access to/faulty equipment
• Time restraints

But gathering information is only half of the process of increasing field data efficiency. Getting your data back to the office and into a format for analysis often creates a whole new set of challenges.

Depending on your method, you may be dealing with:

• Lost, damaged, incomplete, or incorrect forms
• Illegible handwriting
• Transcription errors
• Inaccurate/lack of location data
• Labor-intensive reporting
• Out-of-date information

Errors and delays like these can leave field data incomplete, wrong, or outdated by the time anyone uses it. An Autodesk study calculated that bad data was behind 14% of all construction rework in 2020 alone, costing an estimated $88.69 billion.

Creating more accurate and accessible data

Field data collection software makes reliable, timely data a standard expectation for field teams. Mobile forms let you track your teams’ progress and see their data in near real time. Nobody has to wait for field teams to bring paperwork back to the office.

Field data is especially prone to transcription errors, according to best-practice guidance from the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council. When the person who observed the work enters the data once, on site, nobody has to retype it later. The data can then go to managers, clients, and other stakeholders in multiple formats, including CSV, KML, GeoJSON, and JSON.

With a Field Operations Management platform like Fulcrum, your field workers only need one device: a smartphone. They can record data, take photos, tag GPS coordinates, scan barcodes, and capture audio notes. A single phone replaces the clipboard, the camera, and the handheld GPS unit your teams used to carry.

Field data delivers its full value when it’s accurate, complete, and in front of decision-makers quickly. Capturing it once, digitally, at the source is the most direct way to get there.

To see how Fulcrum handles field data collection, contact us today for a free demo.