Why “We Already Have a GIS Person” Isn’t the Whole Answer

Understanding the Difference Between GIS and Digital Stationing

If you’ve ever said, “We already have a GIS person,” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common responses we hear when teams are introduced to OnStation. And while having a GIS specialist is a valuable asset, relying solely on GIS doesn’t provide your field teams with the necessary tools to manage and document their daily work.

This article explains the differences between GIS and digital stationing, and why both are important, particularly on active construction projects.

“Stationing doesn’t just follow the activities that are performed on the project, it’s the basis for all of the work that’s happening in the field.”

— GIS Professional

Quick Comparison: GIS vs. Digital Stationing

Key Functionality	GIS	Digital Stationing
Data Management	Stores and analyzes spatial data over time for enterprise use	Aligns data to exact station locations for easy access in the field
Field Usability	Limited direct use in the field, requires prior setup	Ready-to-use on mobile devices, no setup required by crews
Real-Time Documentation	Not designed for real-time input by field teams	Instantly capture photos, notes, and flags at station points
Offline Access	Requires internet connection for full access	Station reading operational offline for remote projects
Workflows Supported	Supports planning and long-term data analysis	Optimized for inspection, daily documentation, and verification
Team Collaboration	Information generally shared through exports or internal systems	Shared access and updates in real time across all users, all organizations

Talk to Our Team About Integrating Both

What GIS Does Well

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are excellent for mapping and managing large spatial data sets. They enable planners and engineers to analyze information, identify patterns, and manage infrastructure across regions. GIS plays a crucial role in long-term asset management and offers valuable geographic context.

GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, excel at:

• Mapping and spatial data management: Essential for large-scale geographic analysis.

• Asset and infrastructure planning: Ideal for long-term strategic management.

• Data analysis: Useful in identifying geographical patterns and trends.

However, GIS typically works in geographic coordinates like latitude and longitude or linear referencing systems (mile markers), which can be cumbersome for daily construction tasks. That’s not how most field crews operate.

Proud Member of the Esri Partner Network
OnStation is a member of the Esri Partner Network, working alongside industry leaders to enhance the way infrastructure teams connect field operations with GIS data.

Why Digital Stationing is Crucial for Construction Teams

Digital stationing is explicitly built for field operations. It uses station and offset, the measurement system that contractors, inspectors, and DOT teams use daily. Whether they are logging a density test, capturing progress photos, flagging an issue, or marking work completed, crews reference locations by stations.

Digital stationing is explicitly designed for construction workflows, particularly for heavy highway and civil construction, making daily operations efficient and accurate:

• Daily construction documentation: Simplifies logging tests, capturing photos, marking issues, and tracking progress.

• Real-time project alignment: Instantly accessible data keeps teams informed and coordinated.

• Seamless integration with design plans: Automatically syncs with project designs, removing manual data conversion.

Tools like OnStation give teams real-time access to the current project alignment. The app automatically reads design plans, allowing users to locate themselves, document activity, and collaborate clearly without converting coordinates or searching for information.

They Work Better Together

GIS teams and digital stationing tools are not in competition. They support each other. Digital stationing improves the quality and clarity of field data, making it easier for GIS teams to receive, manage, and analyze that information. OnStation allows data captured in the station and offset to be translated into GIS-friendly formats like latitude and longitude or linear referencing systems.

This partnership creates better data accuracy and less manual work, especially when coordinating between office and field teams.

Field Maps, GIS Tools, and Digital Stationing: Understanding the Differences and How They Work Together

Tools like ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Pro, ESRI, and QGIS are foundational GIS platforms used across many industries to manage and analyze spatial data. In heavy highway and civil construction, GIS teams often rely on these tools to handle asset inventories, environmental constraints, utility locations, or regional planning data. They operate using GPS-based latitude and longitude and are powerful for long-range, high-level mapping.

While these systems are ideal for strategic and geographic planning, their workflows often do not match the day-to-day needs of construction crews in the field. Most construction plans are based on station and offset measurements rather than latitude and longitude, making it challenging to align GIS data with what is happening on the jobsite.

Digital stationing tools like OnStation are purpose-built to bridge this gap. Instead of working in broad geographic coordinates, OnStation references everything to the project alignment using station and offset locations, just like your construction plans. This allows field teams to locate themselves on the alignment, drop pins, capture photos, take notes, and document activities directly tied to the exact station location.

How GIS and Digital Stationing Can Work Together

In OnStation’s case, the data collected in the field, such as photos, documentation, flags, or notes, can be exported or shared in formats that align with GIS systems. This creates a clean connection between the boots-on-the-ground activity and the broader planning tools used in the office.

For example:

• A GIS analyst in ArcGIS Pro can use OnStation's field documentation to overlay daily activity on top of long-term project layers.

• When using ArcGIS Field Maps, asset managers can supplement GIS data with construction-specific updates from OnStation, like test results or flagged locations, tied to the project stationing.

• With ArcGIS Online, teams can create dashboards that visualize recent OnStation field inputs, such as punch list items or site issues, directly within their broader project maps.

Using OnStation alongside tools like ArcGIS or QGIS, your team can connect real-time construction activity with high-level GIS planning. This integration helps reduce confusion, improves communication between departments, and brings more accuracy to both field execution and office decision-making.

Key Takeaway

GIS and digital stationing are not competing solutions. They are complementary tools that work better together. GIS is excellent for planning, mapping, and managing large-scale infrastructure data. But when it comes to the daily work of building roads, inspecting projects, and tracking progress, digital stationing helps crews operate with clarity, speed, and precision.

If you are already using GIS, you are halfway there. The next step is bringing that same level of insight and organization to the field. Tools like OnStation make it easy to connect the strategic work happening in the office with the real-world work being done on-site.

Stationing isn’t just a way to follow what’s happening in the field; it’s the foundation of how the work is performed. The sooner digital stationing is brought into your workflow, the easier it becomes for GIS teams and field crews to stay aligned, accurate, and efficient.

If you are reading this and thinking this would help your team, you are probably right. Reach out to your OnStation contact, or call, text, or email us. We are happy to walk through how it could fit into your current setup.