What Are Your Biggest Challenges with Field Data Collection?

[JDiskinLLG]

Hey everyone,

Field data collection is a critical part of many industries, whether you're mapping infrastructure, managing natural resources, monitoring environmental changes, or conducting asset inspections. However, it’s rarely a smooth process.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face when collecting field data? Some key areas to consider:

Accuracy & Precision – Are GPS inaccuracies or poor satellite reception affecting your data quality?
Connectivity Issues – Do you struggle with offline workflows, syncing data, or integrating real-time updates?
Equipment & Hardware Limitations – Are battery life, device durability, or compatibility with GIS tools a problem?
Data Management & Integration – Do you find it difficult to organize, analyze, or sync field data with your GIS system?
Training & User Adoption – Is getting field teams comfortable with digital tools a challenge?

I’d love to hear your experiences, whether it’s specific technology pain points, workflow inefficiencies, or even solutions you’ve found that work well. Let’s share insights and help each other improve field data collection workflows!

Looking forward to your thoughts. 

[JawaherMuthannnaAlMohanish1]

In my case, in northern Yemen, the government struggles to implement smart equipment for data collection.

to over come this problem I collect data manually, which can later be digitized.

[NorthernGeo]

I work in exploration geology and we use Survey123 for our field data collection workflows. Much of our users operate with Android devices in offline environments.

Accuracy and precision are fine for us. Sometimes elevations arent great but our teams have never had issues with getting a coordinate (and they're in middle of nowhere greenland in some cases)

Connectivity Issues - Only issue here is identifying which forms on devices are deprecated or no longer available (i.e. deleted). We had one user contribute offline samples to an old form that doesnt exist anymore. I submittied an improvement request for this last year. 

Data Management and Integration - This would be where we hit some snags. Our Survey123 is linked to our AGOL, but our main system of record is our AcQuire SQL Database which sits behind our firewall. So we have to manually extract our data and attachments via python script, dump the photos onto our server, and the rest of the data into our AcQuire SQL database. At which point we get the sample assays back, they get imported into the AcQuire Database and then I publish it all back out to our portal. It's a cumbersome workflow. 
I would like to see more interoperability of Survey123 with AcQuire SQL databases, as well as better ways to manage attachments. Tho need to check in at the UC this year to see if there have been any improvements made recently in this space. 

Zero issues with adoption. Survey123 is really easy. 

[MrRamonG]

We use Portal and Field Maps for asset management at a small water / wastewater district. Our biggest challenge is app performance in the field. The field team sometimes complain about Field Maps freezing and crashing when trying to submit asset forms. I haven't found the cause of their suffering but the suspects are: network connectivity (service provider), device limitations, our server / firewall hardware, map / asset form configuration, Portal configuration, or geodatabase schema.

[Obada_GeoGeek]

In my first years as a GIS Specialist in UN IOM Sudan I encountered a lot of challenges to track IDPs movements and displaced distances, also by using the Kobo collector tool which was the only familiar app used by field operators it was so challenging and tiresome but when survey 123 was introduced and I got my hands on it, it really facilitates the process in my "head" but it got denied by my supervisor and led me to quit working there. What I'm trying to point out here is :

The problem is not the techs or the procedure you want to adopt, but the human who refuses to evolve it

[PegGronemeyer1]

Agree with @Obada_GeoGeek 

Getting users to agree to even _try_ collecting data using apps is like pulling teeth.   Very frustrating. Even after showing examples of how the change could save time and money, even with training materials, offers of help, people want to write down data longhand in the field, then transfer to excel usually, then they want someone else to deal with getting it into GIS.  They do not seem to care about long-term investment in data - part of a larger problem.

@NorthernGeo  - agree, the back end data are messy and need python wizards (of which I am sadly not).

Working offline can be challenging, but is able to be overcome, usually.  We do not require high resolution, so accuracy is not an issue for our group.   (Incidentally, @MrRamonG I found that intermittant connection, or keeping a survey open for long periods of time with no activity tend to trigger issues - either requests to log in, or "missing service" messages. Turning off web access specifically on device while in the field seems the safest). 

Constantly changing survey123 app _without_ coherent easy to search 'help'.  (Anyone remember how great the help was for ArcMap 9x?) 

Last thing I would say is getting the _time_ allowed that is required to not just design a survye, but also to clean up the data after collection is frustrating.  And if the rest of the data workflow is inconsistent and people don't want to take 10 minutes to add metadata, sigh... again frustrating.  Obviously you hit on one of my top hair pulling issues.