5 Concrete Measures to Reduce Work Time with RTK

People tend to think that introducing RTK will automatically speed up fieldwork, but in reality that alone is not sufficient. RTK is a system in which a base station placed at a known point and a rover simultaneously observe satellites and, by canceling common errors, determine a position accurate to within a few centimeters in real time, making it far more precise than standalone positioning. Furthermore, with network RTK that uses nearby electronic reference points, centimeter-level surveying can be carried out efficiently without having to set up a base station on site each time, so the real benefit of adoption appears in labor savings for the processes before and after positioning rather than in positioning itself.

In other words, what RTK shortens is not just "the seconds it takes to measure a single point." Whether you can reduce peripheral tasks — setting up and tearing down the base station, waiting for initialization, re-measurement, revisits, matching photos with coordinates, and confirmation requests from the office — determines the overall work time. Here, for practitioners responsible for implementing, operating, and maintaining RTK, we have narrowed down and organized five concrete measures that genuinely work on site.

Table of Contents

• Why RTK can shorten work time

• Specific Measure 1 Reassess the premise of base stations and prioritize network-based RTK

• Specific measure 2: Design work time windows by anticipating satellite configuration and the on-site environment

• Specific Measure 3: Standardize procedures for initialization and reinitialization

• Specific measure 4 Acquire photos, point clouds, and as-built data simultaneously with RTK coordinates

• Specific measure 5: Use daily inspections and periodic maintenance as operational indicators

• Considerations for implementing RTK to maximize its time-saving effects

Why RTK Can Shorten Work Time

The reason RTK is fast is not simply that it is more accurate. In relative positioning, two or more receivers simultaneously observe four or more satellites, allowing many errors—such as satellite position and clock errors and atmosphere-derived errors—to be reduced by differencing. Moreover, because the RTK method uses carrier phase to determine position in real time, decisions can be made on site. Compared with operations that can only be finalized after post-processing, operations that can be finalized in the field naturally reduce rework.

Furthermore, network RTK is a method that combines satellite data acquired on-site with correction information generated by surrounding reference stations to perform real-time centimeter-class surveying (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)), so users do not need to set up a base station on-site. By eliminating the tasks of setup, leveling, known-point verification, and takedown each time, it is especially effective for short daily jobs and dispersed sites.

On the other hand, RTK can take a long time to initialize or its fixed solution can become unstable in environments where the sky is obscured or where there are many reflections. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan's technical documents also state that in urban and mountainous areas it may not be possible to secure the number of satellites required depending on the time of day, and that poor satellite geometry can lead to degraded positioning accuracy and increased initialization time. Therefore, the key to achieving time savings lies not only in the performance of the equipment but in designing the entire process— which method to choose, when to measure, how to initialize, how to record, and how to inspect.

Specific Measure 1: Reevaluate the assumption of base stations and prioritize network RTK

The first thing to reconsider when introducing RTK is the assumption that "setting up a base station for each site is the norm." Of course, there are sites where having your own base station is effective. However, for tasks such as scattered as‑built checks, daily inspections, maintenance patrols, and current-condition checks within a small area, it is not uncommon to spend more time preparing and dismantling the base station than on the positioning work itself. Network RTK can efficiently perform centimeter-level surveying by receiving corrections from surrounding reference-station networks, so it is faster overall to make this the standard operating mode and treat privately owned base stations as exceptions.

In practice, if you separate projects from the outset into "operations that use network RTK as the standard" and "operations that use an on-site base station when outside communication coverage or when independent management is required," decision-making remains consistent. If you want to shorten work time but start each job at the site by selecting the method, that alone increases the time the person in charge spends deciding. If you decide in advance that inspections that finish quickly and observations of points scattered over wide areas will use network RTK, while mountainous areas with unreliable communications or sites requiring a closed network will use an on-site base station, equipment deployment and personnel allocation become lighter.

Standardizing the mechanism for correction data distribution is also important. NTRIP is a standard application-layer protocol for distributing GNSS data over the Internet, and RTCM has been established as the standard for streaming GNSS data via the Internet. In data-sharing experiments involving the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, private observation stations, and location-information service providers, sharing via Ntrip Server and RTCM was carried out and reported to have succeeded without noticeable delay. Instead of increasing individual settings for each terminal, aligning with standard methods makes it less likely that the training burden will increase when equipment is updated.

Additionally, in areas with unstable communications, an approach that does not rely solely on terrestrial networks is also effective. Michibiki's centimeter-level positioning augmentation service provides augmentation on the order of several centimeters (cm level accuracy, half-inch accuracy), intended for use in surveying and information-based construction. In official demonstrations, accuracy approaching that of existing RTK was confirmed for mobile units in open areas, and the ability to greatly reduce the number of reference points and the volume of communications has been cited as a benefit. Even without assuming a complete replacement, if you design network RTK as the primary system and satellite augmentation as the secondary system, you can reduce the downtime at sites caused by communication outages.

The essence of this concrete measure is not to argue which positioning method is superior. It is about deciding up front, through the design of the correction infrastructure, how much on-site preparation time can be eliminated and how far operations can continue without stopping during communication outages. To get RTK up and running quickly, organizing how corrections are received is more effective than prioritizing receiver performance.

Specific Measure 2: Design work time windows by anticipating satellite geometry and the on-site environment

The time of day when observations are made has a major impact on RTK work efficiency. In the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan's public-survey-related materials, when deciding a work schedule it is required to check not only weather conditions but also, using the latest orbital information, the number of satellites that can be received. This same idea can be used not only for materials aimed at aerial and mobile surveying but also for field operations in general. In other words, schedules should be set based on "when it will be easier to get a Fix" rather than "when you can go."

Especially at building edges in urban areas, beside slopes, and in locations with strong tree overhang, the number of satellites available and their configuration can change at the same point depending on the time. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan's technical explanation also states that in places where the view of the sky is restricted, the required number of satellites may not be obtainable at certain times of day, and that poor satellite geometry can cause initialization to take longer. Many on-site problems where people feel "the Fix is unusually slow today" can be improved considerably by choosing the time of day, even before considering the operator's skill.

An effective countermeasure is to avoid treating sites uniformly and instead plan the workflow by separating open-sky points from difficult points. Observation points in open spaces are easy to process in the afternoon or evening, whereas points with strong reflections or heavy obstructions will finish faster if concentrated in time windows with favorable satellite conditions. Simply ordering tasks—inspecting points along street trees in the morning and performing as-built verification of open areas in the afternoon—can substantially change waiting times. This is not a special technique; it’s merely a matter of changing how the schedule is divided.

Also, using multi-GNSS directly leads to time savings. Manuals and technical documents from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan state that even in locations with a small number of visible satellites, integrating processing of other satellite constellations in addition to GPS increases positioning availability and is expected to improve fix rates. Field demonstrations at construction sites have shown examples where, in urban areas where GPS alone could not achieve positioning due to an insufficient number of satellites, using multi-GNSS increased the number of tracked satellites and enabled positioning. If the receiver supports it, increasing the number of satellite systems is important not only for improving accuracy but also for reducing wait times.

However, simply increasing the number of satellite systems or receiver combinations does not automatically improve things. In a technical commentary by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, it is stated that bias corrections such as IFB and ISB may be necessary when processing between different receiver models or between different satellite systems. Therefore, in actual operations it is important to standardize receiver configurations and settings within the same team as much as possible, and to verify them once on a validation route before adding more systems. If you move to multi-satellite use while equipment configurations remain inconsistent, you will instead spend more time isolating problems.

Furthermore, it is important to identify in advance the points that have many reflection sources. Multipath cannot be easily detected by the rover, and can be caused by trees, buildings, nearby vehicles, metal objects, water surfaces, signs, and so on. Simply marking "sky openness" and "amount of reflections" on a map during the initial site survey will significantly speed up planning for subsequent work. Not relying on people's memories for the difficulty of observation points improves the reproducibility of field operations.

Specific Measure 3 Standardize the procedures for initialization and reinitialization

A significant portion of the time lost at RTK sites is spent hesitating over whether the current solution can be adopted. To eliminate this hesitation, the only option is to standardize initialization and acceptance criteria. In the current guidelines of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, for the RTK method and network RTK method, the observation time is standardized as at least 10 seconds at 1-second intervals, and as the period after obtaining a Fix solution during which at least 10 epochs of data can be acquired; the guidelines also specify the number of satellites to be used, a minimum elevation angle of 15 degrees, and avoiding biased satellite geometry. Rather than having operators rely on intuition and judge “it should be okay soon,” it is faster and safer to incorporate these standards into company procedures.

It's better to fix the initialization location as well. According to the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan's work procedures, initialization of GNSS surveying instruments should be performed at locations where an upward sky view with a minimum elevation angle of 15 degrees can be secured, the required number of satellites can be captured, and radio signals can be received well. Even a corner of the site entrance will do, so if you decide on a fixed point such as "initialize here," workers won't have to make that decision on the spot each time. This prevents losses caused by initializing in an ambiguous location where the Fix does not stabilize and you end up having to redo it.

Conditions for reinitialization also need to be clearly documented. In the public surveying manual for network RTK, it states that reinitialization should be performed at the start of observations or when communications are interrupted, that after reinitialization checks should be made against known points or clearly defined reference pegs, and that an allowable inter-set difference of horizontal 20 mm (0.79 in) and vertical 30 mm (1.18 in) should be standard. On site, it is advisable to prepare an operational checklist that treats correction outages, loss of a Fix solution, sudden rises in RMS, pole overturning, prolonged shielding, etc., as triggers for reinitialization. This alone will eliminate the need to hold a decision meeting every time operations are resumed.

Often overlooked, leveling and pole stability are also matters for saving time. Before work, check the bubble levels on the base station and the rover, and when high accuracy is required, use fixed-height tripods or bipods and keep the low pole properly horizontal during observations. Operations with unstable poles may seem like only a few seconds per point, but they subtly increase waiting times and the need for re-observation across all points. The more frequently a site is used, the greater the benefit of fixed-height poles and simple supports.

For critical points, an operation that intentionally reinitializes and then double-checks is also effective. When high precision is required, the procedure calls for redundant position acquisitions at critical points and, if necessary, moving more than 30 m (98.4 ft), flipping the pole, or forcing a reinitialization and remeasuring under different conditions. It is not necessary to go that far for every point, but applying this at least to control points or representative as-built points that may later require accountability can reduce the time needed for downstream verification.

Specific Measure 4: Acquire photos, point clouds, and as-built data simultaneously with RTK coordinates

At sites where using RTK does not shorten work time, it is often the case that coordinates, photos, notes, and as-built verification are handled separately. This means that, even if measurements can be taken quickly in the field, office work still requires checks like "which point does this photo correspond to?" and "what is the exact location of this anomaly?", and this ultimately consumes time. According to Michibiki's official explanation, acquiring high-precision positional information simultaneously with a camera or laser scanner is expected to enable rapid creation of accurate maps. The value of RTK lies less in the mere acquisition of coordinates than in being able to record georeferenced information in a single pass.

In the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s regulations for mobile surveying, GNSS observation data, camera photos, and laser scan data are to be acquired simultaneously, with a quality check performed immediately after completion and defective sections promptly re-acquired. This approach is not limited to vehicle-mounted surveying or large-scale point clouds. In maintenance operations as well, if inspection photos, simplified point clouds, and current-condition notes are collected tied to RTK coordinates and checked on the spot for completeness, the need for later revisits can be reduced.

Also, in its explanation of the RTK method, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan notes that there are now services that perform positioning calculations in the cloud. In other words, a configuration that separates field data acquisition from in‑office processing already exists as an extension of current practice. If the workflow is changed so that the field records positional data and the office proceeds with verification and sharing on the same day, waiting for inquiries or data handovers is reduced, and the time field staff are tied up is shortened.

What matters in this concrete approach is not trying to integrate everything from the outset. First, choose one task that is easy to revisit—such as photo documentation of anomalies, as-built verification, or checking the volume of material storage—and change only that part to an operation of "capturing coordinates and evidence at once." The time-saving effect of RTK is greatest when it reduces the number of round trips between the field and the office, rather than in the speed of measuring individual points.

Specific Measure 5: Use daily inspections and regular maintenance as operational metrics

To stabilize RTK operations, inspections and maintenance should be treated not as tasks to be done "when time permits" but as core duties for reducing time. Multipath errors are not easily detected by the rover and cannot be adequately modeled in short RT observations; as a result they can cause incorrect integer ambiguity resolution and sometimes produce large errors, particularly in the height component. In other words, even if observations appear to be proceeding smoothly, there is a risk that they will have to be redone later.

Therefore, the guideline recommends working based on reliable known points, monitoring accuracy during operations, checking points with known values before, during, and after sessions, and redundantly acquiring critical points. If you translate this into daily operations, simply standardizing a morning known-point check, a midday recheck, and a closing check before finishing work is sufficient. Increasing inspections may seem to slow things down, but in practice it takes far less time than searching for defective data later.

When using your own base stations, the quality of equipment maintenance directly contributes to time savings. It is recommended to use high-quality geodetic antennas, ground planes, choke-ring antennas, and the like at the reference station to suppress ground reflections and multipath, and level checks of the reference and rover stations are also required before work. Small issues such as loose antenna mounting, misaligned pole bubble levels, intermittent cable faults, and battery degradation only show up on site as a vague “fix is slow.” That is precisely why it is worth eliminating them in advance through monthly inspections.

In practice, tracking inspections and maintenance by operational metrics rather than by feel speeds up improvement. For example, if you check daily or weekly the median time to first fix, the number of reinitializations, the cumulative time of correction outages, the closure error with known control points, the re-survey rate, and the number of missing photo–coordinate linkages, you will be able to see where the real bottlenecks are. The idea of performing process control and accuracy management appropriately at the end of each step is also consistent with the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s operational standards for network RTK.

Approach to Introducing RTK to Maximize Its Time-Saving Benefits

What is most important when introducing RTK is not increasing the number of receivers, but redesigning the workflow. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s network RTK work standards also require that work plans fully consider work methods, major equipment, observation time periods, the operational status of nearby reference stations, observation data, and the flow of calculation and processing, and that inspections for accuracy management be carried out at the end of each stage. In other words, from an official perspective, RTK is not simply equipment introduction but should be used as an operational design that covers planning through quality control.

To succeed with the rollout, it is more realistic not to try to change every site from the start. First, choose one of the tasks—those that are burdensome because of base station setup, those that are prone to being stopped by misreading satellite conditions, or those that involve a lot of matching photos to coordinates—and pilot it; there establish initialization criteria, re-initialization conditions, daily inspections, and recording methods. After that, applying the same operation sheet across sites will also reduce the training workload. Organizations that become faster with RTK are those that minimize exception handling.

When doing so, if you also consider options like LRTK that can handle not only positioning but also acquiring coordinates of photographed subjects, supplementing photos’ location information, and cloud synchronization in an integrated workflow, it becomes easier to extend RTK’s time-saving benefits to on-site record keeping and information sharing.

What RTK can truly reduce is not walking time but the time spent hesitating and backtracking. If you sequentially reassess base station assumptions, design time slots, standardize initialization, integrate location-tagged records, and implement daily inspections and periodic maintenance, reductions in work time—including deployment, operation, and maintenance—will manifest as a realistic outcome.