From Field Data to Report

In this workflow overview, we’ll cover the 5 stages from creating your data collection project to generating a report for stakeholders and managers!

1. Form Setup

Log into your GIS Cloud account and open the Mobile Data Collection Portal (MDC Portal).
Click “Create new project” — this will launch a form builder. Define your project name, details, and add appropriate form items (fields) based on what data you intend to collect in the field
Once the form is defined, click “Create project” to save it. This automatically creates the associated map and layer/table where collected data will be stored.

A more extensive guide for creating new projects is available here.

Sharing the projects is as easy as a click of a button!

Field collectors log in to the MDC app using their GIS Cloud credentials.
In the app’s Settings page:
- Select the shared map/project
- Choose the appropriate layer
- Tap on Form to start entering data
Data entry can use the device’s GPS (for spatial location), or you can manually draw points, lines, or polygons as needed
Collect additional information like photos, videos, or any other media supported by the form (if configured)

This step is your field data gathering, the foundation of your dataset.

More information about using the MDC app is available here.

Once data is collected, project managers/reviewers can open the MDC Portal to manage incoming submissions
To edit a feature: either select it from the datagrid, or click it directly on the map. The feature will open in an editing window with the same form fields originally configured
Use the datagrid’s filter tool to filter and explore the data — filters apply both to the map and datagrid. You can save filters/views for easy reuse (e.g. quality check, analysis, or preparing data for reporting).

This ensures your data integrity and allows manual corrections before final export/reporting.

Once your data is reviewed and cleaned, you can create a report with all collected attributes + media.

In the MDC Portal, open your project and click the “Report” button
Choose which fields (attributes) to include in the report. You can reorder fields by pressing and holding the “ribbon” next to the field name and dragging and dropping
Click “Create Report”
To save: press CTRL + S — a dialog will appear. Choose a save location, and select the “Webpage, complete” option. Alternatively, to save as PDF, press CTRL + P

When defining your form (Step 1), think ahead about what data and media you need — this reduces later editing or missing fields.
Make use of filtering and saved views in step 4, especially if you have many entries — this helps in quality control, spotting outliers or duplicates.
When generating a report, include only relevant fields — avoid clutter — but ensure you include enough info (e.g. photos, location, timestamp) for documentation