Integration FieldMaps and Survey123 connect for offline monitoring

[Edmond_Muller]

Hi all,

I am setting up a field data collection tool with FieldMaps and Survey123 connect. Registration is done with FieldMaps. Monitoring is done with Survey123 connect. To link the registration and monitoring data, I use the solution to copy the globalID from FieldMaps to Survey123.

I used this solution because the data collection capabilities of FieldMaps are fairly limited and by far not sufficient for our needs. Survey123 connect (ODK) does provide the capabilities that we need but is fairly limited for its mapping capabilities. The relation between the FieldMaps form and Survey123 form is created by a pop-up URL. This seems to work fairly well during the first (online!) tests. 

Now, here comes the issue: I want the enumerators to carry out both a registration and a first monitoring in the field at the same time. They work very remote and completely offline (no WiFi or GSM signal). Testing it offline I realised that the URL pop-up (and the globalID) is only generated at the server level.... If this is indeed the case this would means that the enumerator first has to submit the FieldMaps data before he/she can start monitoring that data with Survey123... Even if I would create a 'local ID' (for example an ID based on site name) and copy this to Survey123, this still would not work since the URL to Survey123 is only created when FieldMap data is submitted. Am I correct? If not, how could this be solved? Are there any other people that use this solution (using FieldMaps + Survey123 at same time before submitting the data in an offline situation)? good to hear experiences and possible solutions. Thanks!

[SebDLC]

Hi Edmond, 

I have a similar workflow in place. Our field staff creates features in Fieldmaps then submit it before clicking on the link in the pop-up window to open the survey123 form for the submitted record to enter the rest of the data. Once submitted in survey123, it sends them back to FIieldmaps and after a few seconds the data from survey123 is added. It works well online.

However when working offline, it does not work as technically the record in survey123 won't open as it has not been synced yet so it does not exist in the inbox. I tried playing with the url and it creates another issue with duplicates. For instance, after submitting the mapping feature offline in fieldmaps and clicking on the link to open survey123, the data is passed but since survey123 and fieldmaps have 2 different databases, it creates a duplicate of the feature - one with the survey123 data but the wrong location and the other with the right location but missing data.

I am unsure how to fix this so keen to find a solution. It's super important as field staff may be dealing with sites with no signal at all or sites where might have some sort of sporadic signal. 

[Edmond_Muller]

Hi SebDLC,

Thanks for the response. Yes, I am sure that a lot of organisations working in remote areas (landuse organisations) find this limitation. Survey123 connect could do the job for us perfectly (ODK), however, it has still the limitation that ODK also has: Difficult to create a relational database for trend(!) monitoring. The workaround from ESRI does not seem an ideal solution as we are still limited to (the limitations of) FieldMaps (very few data types and smart form options) and we first need to upload FieldMaps data that before we can do a first monitoring with Survey123.

As if it was only possible to do some mapping with Survey123 connect and create relational data, a lot of our limitations would be solved. I really do not understand why there are so few mobile collections apps out there that are capable of proper remote (trend) monitoring (not updating data, but trend monitoring). So I hope ESRI will come up quickly with a solution that enables us to use only Survey123 connect for the registration AND monitoring of our areas. I think there is a market to win there for ESRI. I would be happy to provide input of the technical needs that people in the landuse sector need.:-)

[Edmond_Muller]

One of the work around solutions could be to create a feature layer with Survey123 and use this feature layer as a base map layer in FieldMaps. When you are in the field you can then use FieldMaps to visualise the polygons in the field and use the URL link (in FieldMaps) to open a new (monitoring) form in Survey123. However, I am still figuring out if this can be done...