Many organizations still rely on the manual 'Pen and Paper' method for field surveying. This traditional approach is riddled with common problems: unreadable handwriting, missing attributes, photos taken that are disconnected from their actual locations, and manual data entry back at the office which creates a bottleneck where errors thrive. Perhaps most frustrating is the 'data lag', the days or weeks it takes for information to travel from the field to the person who needs to make a decision. In a world of instant information, these delays are no longer necessary.

During the talk, we will present how Mergin Maps was used in real-life scenarios enabling:

• Seamless Collection: Prepare standardized forms with safety features like mandatory fields and drop-down menus to ensure that no data is left behind or incorrectly collected.
• Integrated Georeferenced Photos: With the mobile app, you can take multiple pictures per data point. They are automatically georeferenced and part of your project right away. Forget about the headache of manual geo-tagging during evenings.
• Instant Synchronization: Update your QGIS layers with a single button, no cables and no manual CSV imports required. Our synchronization allows for surveyors to work on the same project at the same time, precise versioning of your data, all the while keeping your office and field teams connected even when they are miles apart. Crucially, while synchronization is handled online, all data collection remains fully available offline for remote locations.

Mergin Maps is an open-source platform that enables you to collect field data directly into your QGIS project. Being fully integrated with QGIS means that all layers, background maps, symbology, and custom forms are fully synchronized and shown in the mobile app exactly as they appear on your desktop. Mergin Maps is developed to be intuitive and as simple as possible. Your field team can focus on the tasks at hand without needing to know that QGIS exists, yet they will still be able to collect high-quality, professional data.

If you are currently struggling with messy spreadsheets, lost paperwork, or a clunky workflow that makes you want to avoid fieldwork altogether, this talk might be for you. Join us to see that losing data does not have to be a standard.