The information and insight revealed by the survey are highly beneficial to surveying professionals and it’s another great incentive to join TSA as a member.

Quarterly snapshots

TSA has run QISS using largely the same set of questions since June 1999. It was conceived as a way of getting an instant snapshot of the business confidence levels and challenges of TSA members, and as an indicator of the sector as a whole. It’s anonymous and confidential, with the results only being published on TSA’s website. As the name suggests, it takes place quarterly, in January, April, July and October. It has evolved over the years from being a paper-based or faxed questionnaire, to a quick online poll. The results are collated and shared in real-time with members, in the ‘Members Area’ of the website.

Sector indicators

It’s a useful way of surveying changes in the sector. Throughout the year, trends are identified and the questions have remained consistent – with the more recent addition of a question on stolen equipment, as this continues to be a challenge for surveying companies. One of the key questions is whether companies are operating at Full or Below Capacity – this gives a useful insight into just how busy companies are at any given time. There are also key questions on recruitment, sales in the last three months, and also around business confidence levels for the future. The more members that take part, the better – the QISS is aimed at Full Members, but the answers will be of interest to all categories of membership.

Mapping changes

QISS results includes information on how many companies, organisations or individuals have voted in this quarter’s poll. It’s always interesting and informative to read their feedback and findings from this survey.  The data compares information from the last three months to the previous three months. It asks if Turnover and Enquiries were up, down or the remained same. The results are expressed as percentages and these fluctuations demonstrate changes in business confidence and surveying activity. Other areas covered by the survey include fluctuations in their workforce (increases or decreases) or if they are expecting changes to it in the next quarter. It also asks: ‘Do you expect sales over the next 12 months to increase, decrease or remain the same?’ and ‘Which issues cause adverse pressure on your business?’  

Surveying the challenges

As well as these questions, the QISS asks recipients to rank a series of adverse pressures they may be affected by – low fees, a shortage of skilled staff, competition, a shortage of orders, late payments, the delivery of projects, IT limitations, access to funding and the cost of new equipment. A final question about equipment theft asks if any survey equipment has been stolen in the last three months and if so, was the theft reported to DeterTech? DeterTech provide data analysis and share theft intelligence with police and TSA members. As an example, in the July QISS, results revealed that 7% of respondents had experienced equipment theft and reported it to DeterTech.

If you are already a member of TSA and would like to take part in October’s survey, check your emails, click on the link provided and provide valuable data to help Council continue to focus on the right issues.

 Find out more about TSA membership here.

The post QISS – surveying the business landscape appeared first on The Survey Association.

Powers and utility surveys

Powers is a long-established geospatial survey firm in North West England, serving the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors for more than 50 years. The company delivers a full range of geospatial services, including:

• Measured building and topographical surveys
• 3D laser scanning, mobile mapping, 3D Revit modelling, UAV (drone) surveys
• Site‑engineering work like setting‑out, machine control, ground modelling, as‑built surveys, deformation monitoring
• Underground utility detection (PAS 128 compliant and PUMA accredited)

The Powers team brings deep expertise in hi‑tech, high‑precision surveying and works throughout the UK. Powers holds ISO accreditations for Quality (ISO 9001), Health & Safety (ISO 45001), and Environmental Management (ISO 14001), enabling the company to work in the aerospace, defence, and aviation sectors. Powers’ approach is hands‑on, emphasising building relationships with clients to better understand their needs, delivering value within budget and time constraints and supporting decision‑making from early stages in projects.

Why do you think PUMA is important?

In the UK, there’s no mandatory rule governing how underground utility surveys are carried out. Quality varies widely. Being PUMA-accredited tells clients that your surveys truly follow PAS 128 and that your processes are independently audited. That builds trust swiftly, cuts ambiguity in bids, and reduces risk on site. Clients choosing a PUMA‑accredited firm know what they’re getting: independent verification that the surveys meet PAS 128:2022 standards. That spares them from time-consuming due diligence and reduces the chance of buried‑utility surprises, costly delays, or even injuries on site.

PUMA isn’t just a badge. It creates a consistent, national standard for utility surveys by TSA (The Survey Association) and is managed by LRQA (a global leader in quality assurance). Every accredited company is audited against processes, staff competency, risk management, and transparency in results.

How did you find the process of applying for PUMA accreditation?

Earning PUMA isn’t a one‑and‑done. First comes an office systems audit; then on‑site validation of survey methods; then periodic surveillance during the three‑year accreditation period—so the standards are maintained.

As we are already ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified, the external PAS 128 audit was very similar to our external ISO Standard audits so we didn’t have to change much in order to get through it. All of our projects are subject to high quality standards, so it was a case of communicating this well to the auditor. Unlike our ISO auditors, the PUMA auditors understand the geospatial profession as they also audit NERS (National Electricity Registration Scheme), WIRS (Water Industry Registration Scheme) and GIRS (Gas Industry Registration Scheme) companies. LRQA’s PUMA auditors therefore understood the nuances of underground utility detection to a very deep level which means our clients can be assured we are rigorously checked to a high standard. We passed first time with flying colours and will continue to do this in the future.

What impact do you think being PUMA accredited has on your business?

Having PUMA accreditation helps us to communicate effectively and quickly with clients and establish a clear quality benchmark for our underground utility surveys. Our clients are clear about what they are getting and know that they can leave the technical detail to the experts when dealing with Powers. We believe that all utility surveyors should have a requirement to be PUMA PAS 128 accredited so that the quality of underground utility detection in the profession remains high and standardised.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about starting to apply for PUMA accreditation?

Go for it! The audit is a methodical process and if you’re doing everything correctly and you’ve been following the PAS 128 specification anyway, then you should sail through the audit. It really helps when explaining what we do to potential clients who come from a variety of backgrounds and who may or may not understand utility detection.

To find out more about PUMA, please go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/puma/.

The post Gaining PUMA accreditation appeared first on The Survey Association.

“It has been really important to me and the business, being part of a community, that represents the profession and can be a voice.”

With over 200 member companies, The Survey Association has grown by 110% since 2006. Depending on the type of business, there is a range of different categories of membership available; full member, associate member, supplier member, academic member and affiliate member.

Along with the industry-wide recognition of TSA, there are many benefits to becoming a member of The Survey Association.

Collaboration and networking with geospatial professionals 

As a member of TSA, there are opportunities to meet up with other geospatial sector professionals on a number of occasions throughout the year. Along with a chance to network, you can also benefit from inspirational presentations delivered by such renowned speakers as Rugby Union great and business leader, Sir Clive Woodward, and astronaut Major Tim Peake.

Our member events encompass a wide range of activities, often held at must-visit venues, most recently at Wembley Stadium, Silverstone and Anfield.

Free seminars

As a member of TSA, you can enjoy free seminars to hone your business skills. We cover all sorts of topics which are relevant to our members, including health and safety, situational awareness training, addressing equipment theft and business improvement seminars.  We are responsive to what members need, so we are continually reviewing topics.

Offers and discounts

TSA has negotiated a number of offers and discounts on business products for members, including offers from Leica, Trimble and Topcon and more. We also offer a discounted rate of 50% off training at our own training centre, The Survey School. This is the UK’s only commercial training centre providing training to the land survey profession which is accredited by The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. Courses available at The Survey School include our own training course, aimed at improving the expertise of practising surveyors.

Marketing and promotion

One of our vision statements is that every young person should know about land survey as a career and we have a number of initiatives under way to make this happen. TSA has recently produced video and written content for the careers platform Unifrog, which reaches thousands of schools across the UK. From encouraging our members to engage with young people in their local community, to major collaborations with other institutions such as RICS and CICES to promote apprenticeships and training, we are working hard to raise the profile of the land survey profession.

TSA jobs board

As a member of TSA, you can post job opportunities on our jobs board for free. This is an excellent facility, only for TSA members, where you can advertise all your vacancies.

The post Become a member of The Survey Association appeared first on The Survey Association.

What is your involvement with utility surveys?

We offer full service PAS 128 underground utility mapping to clients across the UK and Ireland, working on complex infrastructure projects, large-scale developments, and urban regeneration schemes. Our teams use cutting-edge technology to locate and map underground assets accurately, ensuring safe, efficient and informed decision-making for all our clients.

Why do you think PUMA is important?

PUMA sets a national quality benchmark that brings clarity and consistency to PAS 128 surveys. It allows clients to distinguish between providers who meet rigorous standards and those who do not. For the industry as a whole, it raises the bar in safety, accountability and professionalism. For us as a team, being PUMA accredited demonstrates sustainability of quality, not just as a one-time audit.

How did you find the process of applying for accreditation?

The process was thorough but very manageable. We were already working to high standards, so much of the work was about formalising and evidencing our systems. The Survey Association and LRQA were both clear and supportive throughout, and the live assessment was a positive opportunity to showcase our teams’ capability. Malcolm Hughes was one of the earlier companies to  achieve PUMA accreditation and we hope to lead the way.

What impact do you think being PUMA accredited has had/ will have on your business?

Being PUMA accredited gives clients immediate confidence in the quality and reliability of our work. Internally, it has helped us review and strengthen our documentation and reinforce good practice. Strategically, it sets us apart in bids and tenders and aligns with our position as a trusted, progressive industry leader.

At Malcolm Hughes we aim not just to participate but to set the example and be a voice for industry-wide improvement. PUMA supports a culture of accountability, attention to detail, and pride in workmanship, qualities we’ve always valued. Accreditation is not a ‘one and done’ achievement. It’s a living system that motivates our teams to stay sharp, invest in learning, and continue to innovate within a solid, transparent quality framework.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about starting applying for PUMA accreditation?

Start by reviewing what you already have in place, you might be closer than you think. View it not as a compliance hurdle but as an opportunity to stand out and future-proof your utility offering. Be transparent in your approach and use the process to bring your team into the conversation.

To find out more about PUMA, please go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/puma/.

The post Insight into gaining PUMA accreditation, from Malcolm Hughes Land Surveyors Ltd appeared first on The Survey Association.

From free of charge events in prestigious settings, to learning opportunities and discounts, the benefits of membership of TSA are wide ranging and we have detailed some of them here. The application process to become a member is  rigorous and thorough. This is intentional, as it is crucial to us all to maintain the high standards of skills and proficiency required of our members, giving confidence to clients. 

From start to finish, applying to become a member of TSA takes from four to five months, although it has been completed on occasion much more quickly than that. We do have a rule that the application process has to be completed within 12 months of the start date.

Different categories of membership of TSA

All potential members will be eligible for only one category of the following:

Full member

To be eligible for full membership, a company must derive the majority of its turnover from surveying in the UK. It also needs to have been trading for over three years.

Associate member

This is the category for companies that have been trading for under three years but fulfil all the other requirements needed for a Full member. Once an Associate member company has been trading for three years, they can apply for Full membership.

Affiliate member

This is the category for large multi-disciplinary consultancies that have survey departments.

Academic member

Educational institutions that offer a surveying qualification can apply for this category of membership. Academic membership is free.

Supplier member

Supplier membership is available for organisations that provide services to surveyors, such as IT equipment or insurance.

Starting your application to TSA

The process of application to TSA is completely digital to make it as straightforward and efficient as possible. There is no doubt that it is a rigorous process, and not all applications are successful. This is important to maintain the high standards that clients should expect from TSA members. However, we pride ourselves on the transparency of the process so we always provide open and honest feedback.

As well as providing a number of specific work samples in the form of DWG files, we will need to see evidence of correct survey methodology being followed too, with details of health and safety policies and RAMS. We will also need to follow up references. Once all this is in order, every applicant will have an assessment call. This is an important step as it is a mutual opportunity for the applicant and TSA to find out a lot more about each other. The call is then written up into report form which is sent to the Membership and Internal Affairs (MIA) Committee and then onto Council for final sign-off of the application.

To find out more about the application process, visit https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/membership/

The post How to become a member of The Survey Association appeared first on The Survey Association.

Called, ‘Engaging with your employees: developing corporate HR practices within SME’s’, the guidance focuses on how employee engagement can influence your relationship with customers, collaboration between employees and the subsequent effect on turnover and profits.

For anyone who is not quite sure what employee engagement means, that is hardly surprising. Apparently, there are over 50 definitions of employee engagement, a term which encompasses it as a measure of success, a cultural way of working or even a psychological state. In simple terms, employee engagement means a set of feelings an employee has about their work that makes them want to remain with that employer and do their best work possible.

Where to begin with employee engagement?

The best place to start with employee engagement is with measurement. As with so many instances of business management, you need to establish a baseline. Although you need to be careful not to bombard employees with feedback forms and surveys, a simple, well-designed and administered survey is a great way to establish which areas you need to work on.

Once you have the data from an employee survey, whether it’s one you have obtained online or designed yourself, you need to ensure you use it effectively. Ali recommends using a focus group to discover the key drivers of engagement. These vary, but usually the main drivers of engagement are:

1. Visible empowering leadership
2. Engaging managers with coaching skills who can recognise and reward individuals
3. Having employee voice in the organisation
4. Organisational integrity so the values are lived and breathed by all its members

Communication with your workforce is key in developing the employee voice, demonstrating strategic leadership and reinforcing your values.

With the current market seeing more vacancies than available candidates, SME’s are in a unique position to emphasise benefits to prospective employees, such as opportunities for career and personal development.

With examples of good practice, links to further resources to help you, including short video clips and articles, the full guidance is available to download from our website.  One of our vision statements is to help members build a better business and to that end, you can find all the Business Briefings available so far to download here.

The post Engaging with your employees: developing corporate HR practices within SME’s appeared first on The Survey Association.

Named PUMA (PAS128 Utility Mapping Accreditation), the new accreditation scheme is being run by LRQA, a global leader in assurance, certification and inspection services. PUMA is designed to assess the ability of surveyors to deliver to the PAS128 specification. It will provide a benchmark and create a national standard for best practice for underground surveys. Membership of the scheme will be a tangible means of demonstrating surveyors’ continuous professional improvement.

PUMA is open to all eligible members of The Survey Association

The globally trailblazing accreditation scheme is open to all eligible members of The Survey Association (TSA). The rigorous assessment process for gaining accreditation has two key stages. The first is an assessment of the applicant’s office systems and the second stage is a site assessment. Following accreditation, LRQA will institute a surveillance programme to ensure that the standards, processes and systems against which accreditation was granted, are maintained through the three-year validity period of accreditation.

PUMA is the culmination of ten years of development work by TSA

Sam Roberts, Technical Committee Chair at TSA, who has spearheaded the campaign to create PUMA, commented,

“Installing and maintaining the UK’s four to five million kilometres of buried assets requires accurate utility data to understand the networks that may be present within a survey area, below and above ground. Previously, survey companies could claim to deliver to the PAS128 specification but did not have to provide any proof of their capability and there was no recognised standard for them to work to. Now, thanks to this new scheme, anyone seeking a utility survey, who sees that a survey company has PUMA accreditation, can have complete confidence in the level of service and the quality of data that will be provided to them.”

Mr Roberts continued,

“One of TSA’s stated aims is to raise standards across the surveying profession and the introduction of PUMA is absolutely key to helping us accomplish that. PUMA will not only provide clients with peace of mind but will also save them time and costly delays, as well as warding off potentially huge problems further down the line which can be caused by poor and inaccurate utility surveys.”

Go to LRQA to find out more.

The post PUMA: the new accreditation scheme from TSA creates a national standard for utility surveys appeared first on The Survey Association.

The Covid-19 pandemic has cast a long shadow for many people’s mental health, which in turn has meant that many organisations, including our own, are now prioritising wellbeing as an important part of our day-to-day working life.

Jenny Evans has provided TSA members with a special downloadable guide to Good Mental Health, which is in the Members Area of TSA’s website. With some great ideas and techniques to improve your wellbeing, the guide includes a helpful resilience checklist, designed to help you work out how resilient you are feeling, before diving deeper into how to develop resilience traits. This will increase your ability to bounce back in times of particular challenge and help improve your overall mental health. In the guide, Jenny also covers how to identify your core values, deal with stress, provides practical suggestions on mindfulness and also some excellent simple tips for setting achievable mental health goals and lifting your spirits generally.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Day for TSA members

We are delighted to confirm that Jenny is also one of our guest speakers at our next member event, the TSA Health, Safety and Wellbeing Day, scheduled to take place on Wednesday 15^th March.

As well as a practical wellbeing workshop with Jenny on recognising and tackling stress in ourselves and others, we will also be including Health & Safety sessions. These will comprise Legislation and HSE Statistics updates from Martin Mulholland of MD Safety Management, followed by a focus on ‘Promoting a Positive Safety Culture’ within the business of each member company. Make sure you put the date in your diary and register directly with the Secretariat.

The post <strong>Free guide to good mental health from TSA available now</strong> appeared first on The Survey Association.

Following a well-deserved break, TSA team will be back in business on Tuesday 3 January refreshed and ready to start the new year. And what better way to start, than with the Quarterly Industry Snapshot Survey (QISS), which we will be sending out on that day? The QISS is designed to capture a point-in-time snapshot of business confidence, so check your emails, complete and return!

Taking shape

Our first TSA Council meeting of 2023 then takes place on Thursday 26 January, kicking off the year in Manchester. This first meeting of the year is always a good opportunity to catch-up after the break and finalise our plans for the coming 12 months.

Looking ahead to March, it is set to be a busy month. Our Health, Safety & Wellbeing Day takes place on Wednesday 15 March. It will be an in-person event, hosted by Leica Geosystems in Milton Keynes. The agenda for the day is being finalised, but the event should be fascinating and leave you with plenty to think about and implement back in your own businesses.

Then our TSA AGM is booked in for Wednesday 29 March. This year it will take place at Anfield, home of Liverpool football club. We strongly encourage all our members to attend. The AGM is a brilliant chance to understand more about the performance of TSA and our future plans. We will also have a special guest speaker, but more on that in the new year.

Rounding up

Not wishing to wish away 2023, but for those of you who like to plan well in advance – TSA’s Annual Conference will be held on Wednesday 8 November. After the success and positive feedback from this year’s conference, we will once again be returning to the incredible venue that is the British Motor Museum. Members will be emailed when registration is open for each event.

If you are not already a TSA member and would like to find out more, please visit the website. But for now, we would simply like to wish you a very happy Christmas and all the best for the new year.

The post <strong>Planning ahead</strong> appeared first on The Survey Association.

Terrestrial Laser Scanning for measurement purposes has seen rapid development over the last 20 years, with it now being commonplace in the geospatial surveyor’s ‘toolbox’. To address these advancements, a revised version of TSA’s Terrestrial Laser Scanning Client Guide has recently been uploaded onto TSA’s website. It provides an overview of Terrestrial Laser Scanning techniques, providing information on what they are, how they are used, and some of the important considerations you should think about before commissioning or specifying a survey that utilises this technology.

What is Terrestrial Laser Scanning?

Terrestrial Laser Scanning – which is also known as Three-Dimensional Laser Scanning (3DLS), High Definition Surveying (HDS) or 3D Reality Capture – is used to measure surfaces and objects within a space, resulting in a rich, geospatial dataset. Over recent years there has been major improvements in hardware functionality, data acquisition speed and software processing algorithms. The data captured by a laser scanner is referred to as a point cloud. After processing, this data can be analysed to produce large quantities of geospatial information. Laser scanning is ideal whenever highly accurate, detailed geospatial information is required, or the object of interest is simply out of physical reach.

3D laser scanners can also capture high-resolution digital photography in conjunction with the measured point cloud data. The images can then be overlaid onto the point cloud to show a true representation of the physical world in digital form. Laser scanning collects detailed geospatial data rapidly, facilitating health and safety advantages. Less time is required on site and personnel are physically separated from hazards as data is captured from a safe distance. Laser scanners can also be mounted onto unmanned moving vehicles.

Information from TSA

While the Client Guides provide an overview, TSA’s Guidance Notes are generally aimed at survey companies and clients who require detailed information on a particular subject. This could include where procedures are recommended for specific professional tasks. The Guidance Notes offer ‘best practice’ advice to meet a high standard of professional competence.

Drilling down

The Briefing Notes from TSA are intended to provide information and explanations to members on specific topics of relevance to the profession. However, are not intended to be used for recommendation on professional procedures.

There are over 36 documents available for download from TSA’s website. Client Guides cover a multitude of topics from Aerial LiDAR and Satellite Imagery surveys through to How to Tender and Geological Mapping from Satellite Imagery. Guidance Notes include Network RTK GNSS Best Practice and Railway Surveying, while Briefing Notes cover topics such as Class 3R Lasers and Theft Mitigation Measures.

If you are in the surveying profession or work with surveyors, visit our website and see what resources we have to ensure you get the best survey results: www.tsa-uk.org.uk/downloads

The post Introducing the new Terrestrial Laser Scanning Client Guide appeared first on The Survey Association.