A 3D scanning project is only as good as the conditions it operates in. GDS brings the best equipment, the most experienced operators, and proven processing workflows to every engagement, but the quality of the results depends in part on what the client does before the scanner arrives.
The good news is that preparation is not complex. It does not require specialist knowledge, significant expenditure, or major disruption to ongoing operations. What it requires is advance planning, clear communication with your team, and attention to a short checklist of items that GDS can walk through as part of the project scoping process.
This article covers the full preparation process, everything from securing site access and completing HSE requirements to locating existing documentation and briefing your on-site contact. Follow it and your scanning project will mobilise smoothly, capture data efficiently, and deliver results faster.
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Connect This Step to the Right GDS Service
Most physical-to-digital projects involve more than one decision. GDS can help clarify the right capture method, deliverable, file format, and review process through 3D laser scanning, 3D modeling, reverse engineering, and consulting.
GDS lists service coverage across posted metro areas including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Long Beach, Fort Worth, Irvine, Riverside, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills. GDS also lists offices in Torrance, California and Houston, Texas. See the current GDS locations page for posted service areas.
Scope note: Accuracy, tolerances, schedules, file formats, review windows, data retention, reporting, site access, safety requirements, and acceptance criteria should be confirmed in the quote, proposal, or statement of work for the specific project.
Why Preparation Matters, The Cost of an Unprepared Site
Every scanning project has a finite site mobilisation window. GDS's scanning team is on site for a defined period based on the agreed scope, and every hour of that window consumed by avoidable delays is an hour not spent capturing data.
Common avoidable delays that GDS encounters on site include:
- Access restrictions not identified in advance: Areas that the scanning team discovers on site cannot be accessed without additional permits, inductions, or clearances, causing schedule delays and potentially requiring a return visit.
- Temporary obstructions not cleared: Pallets, equipment, scaffolding, or materials placed in scan areas after the site survey but before scan day reduce coverage and create data gaps.
- HSE inductions not pre-arranged: Many industrial sites require mandatory HSE inductions before any contractor can begin work. If inductions have not been scheduled in advance, scanning time is consumed by induction administration.
- On-site contact unavailable: The scanning team needs a knowledgeable site contact who can grant access, answer questions about the facility, and authorise entry to specific areas. An unavailable or uninformed site contact causes delays.
- Existing documentation not located: GDS can work without existing drawings, but having them on site, even partial or outdated, helps the scanning team understand the facility faster and cross-check their coverage against known features.
None of these delays are unusual and none are costly to prevent, but all of them are expensive to resolve on the day.
The Five Preparation Categories
Category 1, Access and Permissions
Before GDS arrives on site, confirm the following:
Physical access: Identify all areas within the scan scope and confirm that physical access is available, doors unlocked, hatches opened, ladders in place where required. Walk the access route with your site contact in advance and identify any areas where access requires keys, codes, or specific personnel.
Permit requirements: Many industrial sites require permits to work (PTW) before any contractor activity. If a PTW is required for scanning, initiate the permit application process as soon as the scan date is confirmed, not on the morning of the scan visit.
Confined space access: If the scan scope includes confined spaces (vessels, tanks, ducts, pits), confirm that a confined space entry procedure is in place and that any required atmospheric testing, standby personnel, and rescue equipment will be available on scan day.
Elevated access: If the scan scope includes elevated structures, platforms, or equipment, confirm that access is available, either via existing fixed access or via temporary access equipment (MEWP, scaffold, ladder) arranged in advance.
Exclusion zones: Identify any areas that cannot be accessed during the scan visit (live process areas, safety exclusion zones, secure areas) and communicate these clearly to GDS during project scoping. Exclusion zones affect coverage and must be reflected in the deliverable scope.
Category 2, HSE and Safety Requirements
Site induction: Confirm whether a mandatory HSE site induction is required for GDS personnel. If so, arrange the induction in advance, either on the morning of the scan visit before work begins, or through a pre-visit online induction if available.
PPE requirements: Confirm the personal protective equipment (PPE) standard for the site and for specific areas within the scan scope (hard hat, safety boots, high-visibility vest, eye protection, gloves, hearing protection). GDS personnel arrive with standard PPE; non-standard requirements (respirators, chemical-resistant PPE, specialist footwear) must be communicated in advance.
Area classification: For sites with hazardous area classifications (ATEX/NEC zones), confirm the area classifications for all scan areas. GDS must know the classification in advance so the required safety controls, access limits, equipment requirements, and project feasibility can be confirmed before mobilization.
Operational hazards: Brief GDS on any specific operational hazards relevant to the scan areas, process fluids, overhead crane operations, vehicle movements, high-temperature surfaces, noise zones. GDS can prepare a task-specific risk assessment when that requirement is included in the project scope.
Emergency procedures: Provide GDS with site emergency procedures, muster point locations, and emergency contact numbers before scanning begins.
Category 3, Site Conditions
Clear the scan area: Remove temporary obstructions from areas within the scan scope where possible, portable equipment, materials, scaffolding boards, temporary storage. Every object in the scan environment that is not part of the permanent facility creates a data feature that must be managed in processing.
Mark permanent but temporary items: If items that are temporarily present during scanning should not appear in the deliverable (such as maintenance equipment, scaffolding, or temporary pipework), clearly mark or flag these for the GDS scanning team so they can be managed during processing.
Manage moving elements: Inform GDS in advance of any regularly moving elements in the scan area, overhead cranes, AGVs, conveyor systems, rotating equipment with exposed components. GDS can plan scan capture around movement cycles or use processing techniques to reduce movement artifacts where practical.
Lighting: Confirm adequate lighting for the scan areas. Laser scanning does not require ambient light for geometry capture, but embedded photography for visual reference requires adequate illumination. GDS carries supplementary lighting; particularly dark areas should be flagged in advance.
Category 4, Existing Documentation
Locate and provide to GDS in advance any existing documentation covering the scan areas:
- Existing drawings (even partial, outdated, or hand-marked up), useful for understanding facility layout and cross-checking scan coverage
- Equipment lists and tag numbers, enables GDS to tag equipment in the point cloud where required
- Area classification drawings, critical for hazardous area scanning
- Utility drawings (electrical, mechanical, piping), provides context for as-built interpretation
- Previous survey data or scan data, if the facility has been partially scanned before, existing data may reduce scope and cost
If no existing documentation is available, this is not a blocker, GDS is regularly engaged to create documentation where none exists. Simply inform GDS during scoping so the project plan accounts for the absence of reference material.
Category 5, Stakeholder Coordination
Nominate an on-site contact: Assign a knowledgeable facility contact who will be present throughout the scan visit to accompany the GDS team, grant access, answer facility-specific questions, and make decisions about access or scope changes on the day.
Inform affected teams: Brief any operational teams whose work areas will be entered or whose activities may be affected by the scanning visit. Scanning is non-contact and non-disruptive, but team members who are unaware of the scanning activity may inadvertently obstruct coverage or become concerned about the equipment.
Operations and maintenance scheduling: Where the scan scope overlaps with planned maintenance windows or shutdown periods, coordinate the scan timing with your maintenance scheduler to maximise access to areas that are difficult or impossible to scan during normal operations (inside vessels, inside equipment, under removable floor plates).
The GDS Pre-Mobilisation Checklist
GDS can issue a project-specific pre-mobilization checklist as part of the proposal or kickoff process. The checklist should be tailored to the specific scope, site type, and scanning technology for your project. A typical checklist covers:
Return the completed checklist by the timeline defined in the project schedule. This allows GDS to identify outstanding items and work with you to resolve them before mobilization, not on site.
What Happens If the Site Isn't Ready
If GDS arrives on site and conditions prevent scanning from proceeding as planned, the following protocols apply:
Minor access issues: GDS can work with the on-site contact to resolve minor issues (a locked door, a missing key holder) before consuming significant site time. Where resolution is quick, scanning proceeds with minimal delay.
Significant access or safety issues: Where a safety concern or significant access restriction prevents scanning of a material portion of the planned scope, GDS can document the restriction, complete scanning in available areas, and discuss whether a return visit is required. Return visit costs are the client's responsibility where the restriction was not disclosed during scoping.
Scope reduction: Where agreed scope areas are inaccessible on the day, GDS can document the reduced scope and discuss revised deliverable coverage with the client before leaving site.
Quick Facts
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The next best article depends on where you are in the project. These suggested reads connect this topic to the next practical decision your team is likely to face.
FAQ
Does the facility need to be shut down for scanning?
Not always. GDS scanning is non-contact and non-destructive, but live-site scanning depends on site access, safety requirements, traffic control, operational restrictions, and required permits. Scanning can often be planned around live operations when those conditions allow. However, some areas that are normally inaccessible during operations (inside vessels, under raised floors, behind normally closed access panels) can only be scanned during planned maintenance windows or shutdowns. GDS can identify these areas during scoping and recommend whether a maintenance window scan may be beneficial.
How much of the facility needs to be cleared before scanning?
Permanent facility fixtures and equipment should not be moved, they are part of what GDS is documenting. Temporary items that are not part of the permanent facility and that should not appear in the deliverable, scaffolding, portable equipment, materials in transit, should be removed from the scan area where practical. GDS may be able to work around some temporary obstructions, but the cleaner the environment, the more efficient the scan and the clearer the deliverable will typically be.
Can GDS scan a live process plant while production is running?
Often, if site safety, access rules, area classification, and operating conditions allow, scanning can be planned around live plant operations. The scanning team works around operational constraints, avoiding scan positions in active traffic routes, coordinating with control room operators for access to specific areas, and planning scan capture around operational cycles. For plants with very restricted access policies during operations, GDS can help identify an appropriate scan window, such as a low-production period, planned partial shutdown, or turnaround, during discovery.
What should I do with old drawings before the GDS visit?
Locate whatever you have, even partial, hand-marked, outdated, or damaged drawings, and share them with GDS before the scan visit. GDS uses existing documentation as context, not as the only dimensional authority. The scan scope should still define what visible conditions are being captured. But having drawings on site helps the scanning team understand the facility faster, cross-check coverage of key features, and identify areas where the as-built condition likely differs from the drawing record.