30 June 2022
The Survey Association and The Survey School
IT support, hardware and software
About The Survey Association and The Survey School
The Survey Association (TSA) is the trade body for commercial survey companies in the UK. Today, the association has over 200 member companies, all directly involved in the geospatial profession. In May 2014, TSA took over the running of The Survey School, home to the TSA Surveying Course and 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.
Providing relevant and efficient IT support
PCM Systems was originally recommended by the former TSA Secretary General, who had dealings with the company before. Until that point, IT issues had been managed by the current Secretary General, Rachel Tyrell. At that time, TSA operations were disseminated around the country. IT was a fast-developing issue with the advent of faster internet access, and Rachel recognised the importance of partnering with the right organisation to provide professional support.
"We needed an efficient, well-connected secretariat to run TSA, to alleviate the pressure of implementing the solutions we needed to support our operations," said Rachel. PCM provided a total service, initially introducing reliable remote back-up systems, software and hardware solutions and ongoing IT support.
Introducing IT support for The Survey School
When TSA took over the running of The Survey School in 2014, this support stepped up to a different gear. "We needed a full overhaul of equipment and IT support, and students needed access to laptops capable of supporting often complex applications," explained Rachel. "PCM managed the entire project efficiently and with minimal disruption to ongoing operations."
The PCM team visited The Survey School to assess the requirements of the individual courses and processing requirements. They took the project in hand, made recommendations on hardware, software and IT infrastructure to achieve the optimum end result, then implemented the project over a period of weeks. The Survey School continues to provide what is arguably the best survey training available in the UK.
Ongoing IT support and management
PCM continues to provide support to TSA and The Survey School, including upgrading and updating hardware and software, ensuring systems are current, secure and ultimately reliable. For The Survey School in particular, PCM's in-depth understanding of the facility has made a vital contribution, ensuring the bigger picture is well managed and that the IT function runs smoothly in support of both operations.
Into the future
PCM is currently working with TSA to ensure uniformity of Office 365 and creating a bespoke CRM system matched to individual TSA tasks. Future projects include migrating The Survey School to Office 365 and implementing VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone systems across the organisation.
"When you go to PCM for advice, they listen, research, present options and basically demystify the entire process," stated Rachel. "We rely on and appreciate their approachability and professionalism."
We have been working with PCM Systems since 2007, which in itself speaks volumes about the quality of the service we receive from the team. Their unfailingly friendly and approachable attitude takes the headache out of any IT challenges we face. From day to day support through to emergency assistance, hardware and software advice and acquisition and professional guidance on upgrades and bespoke developments, they ensure our bigger picture in terms of IT is well managed, up to date and performing efficiently"
Rachel Tyrrell FCInstCES, Secretary General
The Survey Association