What is hassle-free measurement?

In both the construction and infrastructure sectors, accurate measurements play a crucial role in every phase of a project. They form the basis for the design, guide the construction process, serve as the benchmark upon completion, and are an important source of information during management and maintenance. Yet measurement itself is rarely the goal. The real need is for information that must be accurate and available in real time, without interruptions or quality concerns. We are therefore seeing that ‘worry-free measurement’ is becoming increasingly important to our customers, yet at the same time is less straightforward than it sounds. After all, worry-free measurement isn’t just about the technology. The number of providers of measurement instruments and the technologies they offer have increased dramatically over the past five years. And that is precisely why the non-technical choices your organization makes are crucial to being able to work worry-free. And those choices are very diverse in nature.

Over the past ten to fifteen years, for example, we have seen a major shift in the areas of vehicles, machinery, and software—from investing in ownership to investing in usage, flexibility, and continuity. Yet for our customers, it often seems like a given to purchase measuring equipment and use it for as long as possible. But in practice, that choice is less obvious than it seems. Technology is evolving faster, more equipment is needed and available, software plays a greater role, and projects are becoming more complex. As a result, ownership is by no means always the best choice anymore, and careful consideration is crucial. And while purchasing may still be the best option for one person, a subscription might suddenly make much more sense for another.

This shift is also closely linked to the rise of cloud solutions. Whereas data used to be transferred manually and processed in the office, analyzed information is now expected to be available immediately. This blurs the line between the office and the field, which speeds up the process and reduces the likelihood of errors. At the same time, it requires trust in the systems, up-to-date hardware and software, clear agreements, and additional knowledge and understanding on the part of the people working with them.

That brings us to a third factor that is sometimes underestimated: service and support. Monitoring is often critical to a project’s progress. If a device isn’t working, it immediately results in lost time, lost productivity, and/or compromised quality. That’s exactly when it makes all the difference if you can quickly reach someone who understands the practical aspects and can help right away—preferably in Dutch. After all, worry-free measurement also means knowing you can keep going, even when things get tough.

All in all, this means that carefree measurement cannot be determined based on a spec sheet, but is the result of choices—choices that determine whether measurement poses a risk within your processes or, conversely, helps manage other risks. The most important question, then, is: How consciously do you make those choices?

Jasper Schuur, Director of Geometius