Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do the three products interact?

A. Survey Commander edits and uploads surveys to CommandCentral via Internet. Command Central releases surveys to Field Scouts. Field Scout collects data remotely and uploads data to Command Central via Internet. Users logging into Command Central can view data in real-time and can monitor individual performance of interviewers. Survey Commander downloads consolidated data file from Command Central via Internet.

Q. What is the process of conducting a project using AcWire's system?

A. The complete process is as follows:

  • Write your survey using Survey Commander and upload to Command Central
  • AcWire configures and ships Field Scout-ready PDAs to your field staff locations
  • Your field staff downloads survey into Field Scout, collects data, regularly transmitting data to Command Central
  • You log into Command Central with your web browser and monitor interviewers and view real-time data
  • You download consolidated data file into SurveyCommander where you filter and analyze your data

Q. What kind of support does AcWire provide?

A. Business hours and after-business hours  phone, pager, and email support. Your project is our project.

Q. Do I need to be a programmer?

A. No! Programming a survey simply consists of writing survey text and assigning properties to the text such that it takes the form of an interactive survey. All of this is done via a Windows-based software application.

Q. How does my field staff get trained?

A. Training takes about 15 minutes. This can be done either:

  • Through our interactive demo
  • With our training manual
  • By an AcWire support person

Q. What kind of data can I collect with Field Scout?

A. Any kind of field data, including:

  • Multiple choice questions
  • Short text entries
  • Voice-recorded comments
  • Barcode scans
  • Electronic signatures
  • Magnetic stripes
  • RFID
  • Digital images

Q. How can I analyze data in Survey Commander?

A. You can view, filter, and graph any data point collect with your Field Scouts. You can also export the data into ASCII format, for use in other software packages, including SPSS and Excel.

Q. How is each part of the solution priced?

A. The pricing structure for our products are as follows:

  • SurveyCommander is priced as a software license with regular maintenance fees
  • CommandCentral is priced as data usage fees and regular support fees
  • FieldScout is priced as hardware purchase, software license, and regular field support fees