Survey Consulting Services for Orange County, California

Orange County Partnered with MNC to Support the Modernization of Digital Survey Plan Checking

Aerial view of Orange County neighborhoods and commercial buildings with mountains in the distance at sunset

See How MNC Advanced Orange County's Digital Plan Review

MNC delivered automated GIS and validation solutions, reducing timelines and ensuring accurate parcel management.

Project Overview

From 2018 to 2023, MNC (Martin Newby Consulting Ltd.) provided consulting services to Orange County Public Works in California, supporting the County’s efforts to modernize its survey plan review and land records management processes. The County Surveyor manages thousands of survey-related records and required a more efficient, accurate method to support parcel creation and validation based on written Metes and Bounds (M&B) descriptions.

MNC played a key role in supporting the County’s transition from manual workflows to automated digital plan checking systems, helping streamline operations and reduce approval timelines.

Challenge

Orange County’s existing survey review process relied heavily on manual data entry and interpretation, introducing the potential for human error and inefficiencies.

GIS mapping interface with a custom tool that links parcel data to a metes and bounds PDF document.

Key Limitations Included

Manually Intensive

A manual-intensive parcel validation process based on M&B descriptions.

System Interoperability

A need for system interoperability between AutoCAD (AUTODESK) and ArcGIS (Esri) environments.

Automation

A lack of automation tools to validate digital submissions ahead of formal review.

Internal Capacity

Limited internal capacity to develop technical workflows or applications.

The Solution

MNC delivered specialized GIS and feature manipulation consulting services tailored to the County’s modernization goals.

Parcel Checker app login screen and dashboard showing GIS map validation, project summary, and dimension line check reports.

Key Steps in the Solution:

Consulting and Strategic Recommendations

Delivered best practice requirements for online survey plan submissions.
Advised on integration of FME and ArcGIS Data Interoperability tools for format validation and translation between AutoCAD and ArcGIS environments.

Technical Implementation and Support

Developed custom scripts and extensions to enhance existing FME/ArcGIS Data Interoperability functionality
Provided on-demand technical support and training for County personnel managing new workflows

For more background Orange County innovations, see:

Parcel Checker Application Development

MNC, as the primary contractor for the project with Orange County, partnered with Silvacom CS to develop the Parcel Checker tool, a cloud-based application that enables surveyors to validate plans prior to submission.

Simplified the approval process through automated file checks.
Enabled users to identify and resolve issues before formal review.
Supported faster, more accurate submissions using an intuitive interface.

The Results

MNC’s consulting services and collaboration with Silvacom CS delivered tangible improvements in efficiency, data accuracy, and user satisfaction.

Parcel Checker website showing GIS validation dashboards for submitting plans to Orange County Public Works.

Key benefits included:

Reduced time and costs associated with survey plan approval.

Fewer rejections due to pre-submission file validation.

Increased automation and standardization across plan review workflows.

Enhanced capacity for staff through ongoing training and process improvements.

Automated

VALIDATION REPLACING MANUAL PLAN CHECKING WORKFLOWS

Enhanced User Experience

PROCESSING TIME FOR SURVEY AND PARCEL SUBMISSIONS

Improved

ACCURACY AND CONSISTENCY THROUGH STANDARDIZED VALIDATION RULES

About MNC

The Cadastral and Parcel Mapping Experts

MNC is a trusted leader in cadastral and parcel management with 25+ years of experience delivering GeoAI-ready datasets, modernizing parcel fabrics, and automating GIS workflows. As an Esri Gold and Cornerstone Partner with Parcel Management and State and Local Government Specialties, MNC provides scalable advanced GIS, ArcGIS Pro, FME automation, MicroStation, AutoCAD and cloud-ready geospatial systems that improve data quality and support government land administration modernization across Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean.

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