Technological innovation always shakes up an industry, and the surveying industry is no exception. All throughout surveying, machine guidance systems are gaining acceptance. The increased adoption of this technology by the industry is renewing the importance of surveyors. Machine guidance systems require skilled workers to calibrate and operate, and surveyors are in the best position to do this job. In order to capitalize on the opportunity, surveyors will need to learn to use machine guidance and promote their new skill.

There are two major categories of Surveying: geodetic and plane surveying. Geodetic surveys consider the surface of the earth as being accurately curved, whereas plane surveys assume the earth is flat, which is functionally accurate for the short distances involved in almost all construction work. There are many categories of plane surveys, which are referenced to an accepted level plane such as mean sea level or the North American Datum.