Emlid RTK Training for Contractors: We Get Your Crew Up and Running
Buying RTK GPS Is the Easy Part. Getting Your Crew Using It Is What Matters.
A contractor can buy the best GNSS receiver in the world, but if the equipment sits in the truck because the foreman isn't comfortable using it, it isn't saving the company anything.
That's why Brogan Group approaches RTK differently. Brogan Group provides Emlid RTK training specifically for contractors who want to get their crews productive quickly.
We don't just sell you an Emlid receiver and ship a box. We help get your crew up and running.
Our focus is practical implementation: getting contractors comfortable with the equipment, Emlid Flow, RTK corrections, layout, elevations, point collection, as-builts and the actual workflows they need on their jobsites.
And one of the reasons Emlid works so well for remote contractor training is surprisingly simple:
The field controller can already be in your pocket.
Why Emlid's Phone and Tablet Workflow Matters
Many traditional professional GNSS systems use a dedicated field controller or proprietary data collector.
Those systems can be extremely capable, but they introduce another piece of specialized equipment and software for a contractor's crew to learn.
Emlid takes a different approach.
Emlid Flow runs on a compatible smartphone or tablet.
For a contractor, that means the foreman or field employee can operate the GNSS workflow from a familiar touchscreen device rather than necessarily learning a separate proprietary controller.
But there is another major advantage:
We can screen-share the actual device you're using in the field.
During remote training, the contractor can share the screen of the phone or tablet running Emlid Flow.
Our trainer can see what the contractor sees.
Instead of trying to explain over the phone:
"Go into this menu, find this setting, tell me what you're seeing..."
we can work through the interface together.
That makes remote implementation much more practical.
How Emlid RTK Training Works Remotely
Our goal is simple:
Get the equipment out of the box and into production.
A typical remote training session can cover the parts of the workflow relevant to that contractor, including:
Connecting and configuring the Emlid receiver
Understanding RTK and FIX status
Connecting to NTRIP/network corrections
Using Emlid Flow
Creating and organizing projects
Collecting field points
Checking elevations and grades
Construction layout and stakeout
Importing appropriate project data
Recording as-builts
Base-and-rover workflows
Verifying work against known control
Building a repeatable workflow for the crew
Training is focused on how the contractor will actually use the equipment, rather than turning a foreman into a professional surveyor.
Your Crew Doesn't Need to Become a Survey Crew
This is an important distinction.
Many contractors assume that survey-grade GNSS must require years of surveying experience to operate.
Professional surveying knowledge absolutely matters for professional surveying work. Legal surveys, boundaries, certified control and other work requiring professional sign-off remain the responsibility of appropriately qualified professionals.
But many everyday construction applications are different.
An excavation contractor may need to check an elevation.
A utility contractor may need to capture an as-built before covering a pipe.
A landscape contractor may need to lay out design points.
A sitework contractor may need to pick up existing conditions and send them to a designer.
The objective is to train contractors to confidently perform the appropriate construction workflows their crews actually need.
Why Remote Screen-Share Training Is Different
Traditional field training often means coordinating schedules, sending someone to the jobsite or trying to troubleshoot an unfamiliar controller over the phone.
The Emlid smartphone/tablet workflow gives us another option.
A contractor can be hundreds or thousands of miles away and still share the screen of the device running Emlid Flow.
That allows the trainer to see the interface, understand what the crew member is looking at and guide them through the workflow remotely.
For companies with multiple crews or projects in different locations, this can make implementation significantly easier to scale.
A new employee can learn the same workflow.
Another foreman can be trained later.
A contractor can add additional rovers as the company grows without having to reinvent the entire process.
The objective is a repeatable crew workflow—not dependence on one person who knows how to operate the GPS.
What Happens When Your Emlid Arrives?
When you purchase an eligible contractor package from Brogan Group, you're not simply left with a receiver and a manual.
Depending on the package, remote training may be included to help get the system operational.
We can help the contractor understand:
What correction source am I using?
Is network RTK appropriate for my area?
How does my crew use Emlid Flow?
How do we collect a point?
How do we check an elevation?
How do we perform layout?
What files should I request from my engineer?
How do I know the project is actually positioned correctly?
The objective is to shorten the gap between buying RTK and actually getting value from RTK.
What If I Need Help With My Actual Project?
Training and project setup are related, but they aren't the same service.
General training teaches the contractor how to operate the equipment and understand the workflow.
Project-specific setup can involve the customer's actual:
DXF, CSV or LandXML files
Coordinate system
Units and elevations
Site control
Localization
Layers
Field-project configuration
Brogan Group offers project-specific setup services typically starting at $200 per project, depending on complexity.
If a contractor needs continuing project setup or implementation assistance, ongoing support arrangements can also be established.
This allows training to remain focused on teaching the crew while project-specific technical work can be handled separately when required.
What If I Need More Training Later?
Contractors aren't expected to remember everything from one session.
Additional one-on-one remote Emlid GNSS training and troubleshooting is available through Brogan Group for $200 per hour.
Because the contractor can screen-share the phone or tablet running Emlid Flow, additional sessions can focus on the exact workflow or problem the crew is dealing with.
The relationship doesn't end when the equipment is delivered.
As the contractor moves from basic point collection into layout, as-builts, scanning, base-and-rover workflows or more advanced projects, additional support is available.
Training Is Part of the Equipment Decision
When comparing GNSS equipment, contractors naturally look at specifications:
Accuracy.Channels.Tilt compensation.Cameras.Battery life.Price.
Those things matter.
But another question is equally important:
Who is going to get my crew comfortable enough to actually use it?
A receiver that costs less but never gets implemented isn't inexpensive.
A sophisticated system that only one employee understands can become a bottleneck.
For Brogan Group, the objective is not simply to put another receiver into the field.
It's to put RTK capability into the hands of the contractor's crew and help them turn it into a production tool.
New to RTK? Join Other Contractors First
If you're still deciding whether RTK makes sense for your company, you don't need to start with paid training.
Jeremy hosts a free Contractor Workflow / GNSS Implementation Session with a small group of contractors.
It's an opportunity to learn how RTK is being used for layout, grades, elevations, site pickup, as-builts and other contractor workflows, ask questions about your operation and determine which equipment makes sense before purchasing.
If you prefer a private pre-purchase conversation with Jeremy, a free Quick Call is also available.
Already Have Emlid and Need Hands-On Help?
Additional one-on-one remote Emlid training and troubleshooting is available for $200/hour.
If training was already included with your Brogan Group equipment package or has already been prepaid, use the included/prepaid training calendar instead.
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