I am excited about Machine Control Online and that the website is committed to educating, training and teaching about machine control technology as a whole.  It is not directed at one brand and one way of using the technology, it is focused on all brands and all ways of using the technology, now and in the future.  As we move forward there are many unique and untapped possibilities for machine control.  Currently, we seem to be concentrating our efforts on construction and agriculture, but what lies beyond that?  What are the possibilities of machine control technology?  Currently there are only a small fraction of users, as compared to the construction and agricultural markets as a whole, and those users are using machine control for limited tasks.  What are the possibilities in construction and agriculture, once we achieve a greater percentage of users?  I always like the analogy that once you own machine control, it is simply a tool in your tool box.  What else can you do with that tool?  The more people you have using a tool, the more possible uses you will find for it.

My intentions for this column are twofold.  First, I hope to explore the machine control issues from the land surveyor’s perspective and give land surveyors insight into the whole machine control arena.  I hope to cover such issues as how do land surveyors see machine control?  Is it taking work away from land surveyors or is it a catalyst to new markets of revenue?  Are land surveyors qualified and should they even be involved with machine control?  Do we need to be licensed or registered to perform data preparation and model building?

Second and more importantly, I hope to educate the majority of non users of the benefits and advantages of using machine control and along the way, I will hopefully teach some of the existing users a better or more efficient way to utilize their investment in machine control.  Personally, I hope and expect to learn and gain more knowledge from the various readers and responses to this column.  I would like to see this column and website be a channel to help people with the same issues, questions and challenges come together to learn and teach each other about machine control technology.  I know from experience, the challenges of trying to find someone to talk to about machine control when you are first getting involved, or when you have been using it for years and come up with an unusual situation that requires input from other experienced users.  I see this website as a facility where beginner and experienced users can share experiences, questions, concerns and ideas to help expand machine control technology.  

Machine control is no longer only for the large multimillion dollar companies on large site projects.  Small business working on small scale projects can easily utilize the advantages and earn a great return on their investment. 

Even though I am a professional land surveyor, my true passion is the construction field and construction work.  Because of this, I concentrate the majority my business on construction layout, data preparation and machine control model building and consulting for contractors.  My construction experience has also given me a good understanding of construction projects and the needs of construction clients.  I always tell my construction clients that I am still a “construction guy” I just happen to be a professional land surveyor. 

My goal with this column is to help everyone, including myself, become more educated about machine control and its possibilities whether you are just looking to get involved with the technology or you have all ready been involved for years.