Field Data Collection That Actually Works Offline

Your crew is out there collecting data with tools that crash in dead zones, lose photos on sync, and charge extra for GIS export. Mapalyze is a field data collection app built for offline data capture, GIS-grade geometry, dynamic mobile inspection forms, and export to open formats — all on every plan.

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The Real Cost of Your Current Workflow

You already know what field data collection is — you've been doing it for years. The question is how much time and data you're losing to the process. Clipboards that get rained on. Photos saved to someone's personal camera roll and never seen again. GPS coordinates copied by hand from a separate device into a spreadsheet at 6 PM on a Friday.

Even teams that have gone digital often hit the same walls: an app that freezes when signal drops, GIS exports locked behind an enterprise tier, or a form builder so rigid that any protocol change means starting over. The tool is supposed to save time, but your back-office team still spends hours cleaning and reconciling data that should have been structured at the point of capture.

That's the gap Mapalyze fills. Your field crew captures forms, photos, and GPS coordinates on the same device, at the same moment, in a structured digital format — and it all works offline. The data is ready for analysis the instant it syncs. No transcription, no manual entry, no matching loose photos to paper forms. Organizations across utilities, environmental science, construction, and asset management have switched to Mapalyze to fix exactly these problems.

Why Paper and Spreadsheets Keep Failing You

Going mobile isn't about chasing new tech. It's about fixing problems that cost your team real hours every week.

Higher Accuracy

Digital forms enforce required fields, valid ranges, and structured choices. Handwriting misreads and transcription errors disappear. Validation happens at the point of capture, not 3 days later when someone back at the office can't read the handwriting.

Faster Turnaround

Data is available the moment it syncs. No waiting for paper forms to come back to the office. No data entry backlog. Project managers see results the same day the crew captures them — sometimes the same hour.

Real-Time Visibility

Managers track field progress as data syncs in. Spot coverage gaps, review submissions, and redirect the crew while they're still on-site — not after they've already driven back to base.

Photo Evidence

Every photo is timestamped, geotagged, and attached directly to its record. No more digging through a camera roll trying to match 37 loose photos to paper forms. Visual documentation stays linked to the data automatically.

GPS Context

Every record gets a location. GPS coordinates are captured automatically, giving each data point spatial context for mapping, routing, and GIS analysis — without separate hardware or manual coordinate entry.

Lower Cost

Eliminate paper printing, manual data entry labor, and the cost of re-visiting sites because someone's handwriting was illegible or a form went missing. Digital collection pays for itself within the first few projects.

Core Capabilities

Everything your field team needs in one platform — from form design to data export.

Dynamic Forms

Build mobile inspection forms with drag-and-drop. Conditional logic makes fields appear based on previous answers — so a pole inspection doesn't ask about pipe diameter. Repeatable sections handle variable-length data like 11 defects on one asset and none on the next. Calculated fields compute values in real time. Every form change is versioned so older submissions stay valid.

Offline-First Architecture

All data is stored on-device first. Your team works for days without signal — forms, photos, GPS coordinates all captured locally. When connectivity returns, automatic background sync handles the rest. No data loss, no crashes, no partial uploads. Offline is the default mode, not a fallback.

GIS Geometry Capture

Capture points, lines, and polygons directly on the map. GPS-assisted placement with accuracy metadata on every vertex. Map-first interface means every record has spatial context. Connect external Bluetooth GPS receivers for sub-meter precision when the project calls for it.

Photo and Media

Attach multiple photos to any record. Each photo is automatically geotagged and timestamped. Batch upload in the background means your crew doesn't stop to wait for photos to transfer — they keep working while files sync. Annotations and markup let you flag specific details within a photo.

Roles and Access Control

Organize your team into projects with role-based access. Collectors capture data, managers review and approve, viewers access reports. A full audit trail records who captured what, when, and where. Security and access control built for multi-team organizations.

Export and Integration

Export to GeoJSON, CSV, or Shapefile. Every format preserves full geometry and attribute data. Compatible with QGIS, ArcGIS, and any standards-compliant GIS software. Your data is always exportable — open formats by default, no vendor lock-in, no surprise charges for the export you need.

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Who Uses Field Data Collection Apps

Any team that gathers structured data at a physical location benefits from a dedicated field collection platform.

Utilities and Energy

Pole inspections, line surveys, meter readings, and infrastructure condition assessments — all geotagged and synced from remote corridors where signal is the exception, not the rule.

Environmental Surveys

Biodiversity assessments, water quality sampling, habitat mapping, and species inventories — with full GIS polygon and transect capture under dense canopy.

Construction

Site inspections, progress documentation, safety audits, and punch lists — captured with photo evidence and GPS location at the point of observation, not reconstructed later from memory.

Asset Management

Inventory physical assets, track condition history, record maintenance activities, and map asset locations with precision over time.
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What to Look for in a Field Data Collection App

Not all field collection platforms deliver what they promise. Here are the criteria that separate the real tools from the marketing demos.

Offline Reliability

The offline capability should be the architecture, not a feature toggle. Test it: does the app truly work without any connection — including first launch, photo capture, and forms with conditional logic? A lot of platforms advertise offline support but fall apart under real field conditions.

GIS Support

If your work involves spatial data, the platform should capture points, lines, and polygons natively — and export them in standard GIS formats like GeoJSON and Shapefile. Walk away from platforms that lock GIS features behind an enterprise tier.

Pricing Transparency

Understand the pricing model before you sign. Per-device pricing can escalate fast when field crews use a phone and a tablet. Per-user pricing is more predictable. Watch for hidden costs: overage fees, export charges, or features buried behind tiers that weren't obvious during the trial.

Data Ownership

Your field data belongs to you. The platform should offer full export in open, standard formats at any time. If it's difficult or expensive to extract your own data, that tells you everything you need to know. You should be able to leave with everything you collected.

Form Flexibility

Field conditions are unpredictable. Your forms need conditional logic, repeatable sections, calculated fields, and the ability to update definitions without wiping out existing data. A rigid form builder becomes a liability the moment your project requirements shift.

How Mapalyze Compares

We built Mapalyze to fix the specific frustrations teams hit with legacy field data platforms.

Other platforms

"GIS export requires an enterprise plan starting at 5x the standard price."

With Mapalyze

GIS export — GeoJSON, CSV, and Shapefile — is available on every plan. No enterprise gate.

Other platforms

"Pricing is per-device, so our costs doubled when each field tech got a tablet and a phone."

With Mapalyze

Per-user pricing. One user, unlimited devices. Predictable costs that don't scale with hardware.

Other platforms

"Offline mode crashed when we tried to save records with photos attached."

With Mapalyze

Offline-first architecture. All data — including photos and geometry — stored locally first. No crashes, no data loss.

Other platforms

"Exporting our own data required a special request and a proprietary file format."

With Mapalyze

Open export formats. Download your data as GeoJSON, CSV, or Shapefile anytime. Your data, your format, no lock-in.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does offline mode work?
Mapalyze is built offline-first. All data is stored locally on your device as you collect it — forms, photos, GPS coordinates, everything. You can work for days without any internet connection. When connectivity returns, data syncs automatically in the background. There's no special 'offline mode' to enable — it's the default behavior.
What happens when data syncs?
When your device reconnects to the internet, Mapalyze automatically syncs all collected data to the cloud. The sync engine handles conflict resolution — if two team members edited the same record offline, both versions are preserved and flagged for review. Sync typically completes in under 30 seconds, even for large datasets with photos.
Can I use Mapalyze with ArcGIS or QGIS?
Yes. All paid plans export data in standard GIS formats — CSV, GeoJSON, and Shapefile. These formats are directly compatible with QGIS, ArcGIS, and other GIS software. No additional modules or paid add-ons required.
What data formats can I export?
Depending on your plan, you can export to CSV, GeoJSON, and Shapefile formats. All exports include full metadata — timestamps, GPS coordinates, user info, and form field data. Photos are exported as referenced attachments with geotag data preserved.
Is my field data encrypted?
Yes. Data is encrypted at rest on your device and encrypted in transit using TLS 1.3 when syncing. Cloud storage uses AES-256 encryption. We follow industry-standard security practices and can provide compliance documentation for enterprise clients.
How does form versioning work?
When you modify a form template, Mapalyze creates a new version while preserving all data collected with previous versions. Historical data remains intact and queryable. You can view and export data from any form version, so you never lose records due to template changes.
Can multiple teams work on the same project?
Yes. Mapalyze supports project-based access control with role hierarchies. You can assign teams to specific projects, set permissions per role (viewer, collector, manager, admin), and maintain a complete audit trail of who collected or edited what, and when.
What if I need to cancel — can I export all my data?
Absolutely. Your data is always yours. You can export all your data at any time in open formats (CSV, GeoJSON, Shapefile). There's no vendor lock-in. If you decide to leave, a full data export takes minutes, and we keep your data available for 90 days after account closure.

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