With all the perceived benefits of drone technology across several industries, there are now more and more companies that seek to integrate drone use into some aspect of their regular operations. This is easier said than done, as there are a lot of logistical, technical, and legal issues to consider before adopting a professional drone program. This can be tough for technology as new and unfamiliar as drones.
For these reasons, a company may consider hiring a drone consulting service. What assistance can such a service provide, and is it worth it for a company to make this investment?
Why get a drone consulting service?
Drones are one of the hottest things in the world of technology right now. The last few years have seen massive improvements in drone technology, simultaneously making them attractive for recreational pilots and useful for professionals and corporations. From advertising to security and survey mapping, the mobility and ease of use of drones have made them attractive alternatives to more old-fashioned methods.
While flying a drone for fun is pretty easy, using one to generate a 3D topographic model or to do a close-up inspection of industrial equipment takes considerable skill. It can be difficult for a company with no prior experience in drone operations to start up a program, as they might not even know which drones to buy for their objectives. This is where a drone consulting service comes in.
A drone consulting service is offered by professional drone companies to firms that want to launch a drone program. These services are offered by companies that typically provide drone training either to individuals or corporations and have experience in designing drone programs. Having such a service onboard can make learning and implementation for a company much easier and faster, allowing a drone program to be launched earlier while avoiding problems that are typical for those who lack experience in the field.
Hiring an expert to take charge of a company’s drone program is also a more reliable way to ensure that the program violates no laws. The legislation regarding drone operations is evolving at a rather rapid pace as the technology advances and that more issues are brought to the forefront. Keeping up with these changes in laws while keeping compliant with the existing ones can seem like a handful. A drone consulting service should know these laws front and back and should be valuable in making sure your drone program does not run into legal problems.
The most important piece of legislation that is relevant to commercial drone use is the FAA’s 14 CFR Part 107. This provides the framework for all types of commercial drone operations, including those of organizations related to the federal government. Part 107 requires that all commercial drone pilots secure a remote pilot certificate or “drone license”. A drone consulting service can also assist in this certification process by training a company’s potential drone pilots.
To sum it all up, taking on a drone consulting service is a worthwhile investment because mistakes can be costly. This is especially true in this field where there is a lot of advanced technology involved. If you want your drone program to have a quick ROI and to achieve your company’s objectives, then taking on a drone consulting service is a prudent decision.
What a drone consulting service can provide
Different companies may offer different services in support of a client’s prospective drone program. However, there are a few essential services that a client should consider non-negotiable. For a drone program launch to be successful, a drone consulting service should assist in the following matters:
Drone program development
Saying that a drone consulting service should help in developing a drone program is a broad stroke of a brush, similar to saying that they should do their job. A good drone program should go through all the phases of launching and execution – from planning the operations to determining which drones to buy and how to train both the drone pilots and the management.
Every good project starts with a good plan. A professional drone company should bring their experience of executing successful drone projects so that they can help a client achieve the same goal.
Implementation strategies
Starting a drone program can be a huge step for any company. They will be either taking on a brand-new process or overhauling their existing processes. We can already see this is in how police departments are using drones to speed up search and rescue, or in farms that have used drones with smart agricultural management systems. Just as with any major change, making the shift to drone-based operations can be difficult for any company.
For any new project, there will always be “roadblocks” to implementation. This can be a limited budget, an unskilled workforce, or existing technologies that are already outdated. There is also the natural human behavior to resist change of any kind- we are creatures of habit, after all. A drone consulting service should be able to identify these roadblocks early and seek ways to address them.
Policy setting and documentation
Policy is a huge part of implementing a program. It serves as the reference to the company and the personnel on the best practices of their future drone operations, thus also the need for good documentation. This will take the form of standard operation manuals, training manuals, flight logs, and maintenance standards for the drones. A drone consulting service should assist in the preparation of all these documents.
Aside from acting as a “guide” for implementation, good program documentation can also be a tool for reporting and updating management about the program’s status. Should changes need to be made over the years, documentation will be able to show what works and what does not. Think of these documents as something that the consulting service leaves behind, even when their engagement has already been ended.
Hardware and software
Choosing the proper hardware and software is one of the most intimidating parts of a drone program. Someone with no experience at all with flying drones probably won’t know the first thing about choosing a drone model based on the objectives of a program.
This is where the expertise of a drone consulting service is truly valuable. Not only can they recommend suitable drone models, but they can also give advice on which accessories to get and how to keep drones so that they are always safe to fly.
More specialized drone applications such as mapping and thermal imaging are very software dependent. Although there are already a lot of third-party software platforms out there for drone applications, a large company may prefer to use software that is compatible with their already-existing systems. Some drone consulting services can offer software customization that will fit with this requirement.
Experience in hardware and software can be some of the most valuable skills that a consulting service can present to a client. Both of these are expensive, but it can be even more costly for a company to make poor hardware and software choices.
Training
Whether it be in preparation for certification or an actual ground school for drone flight, a consulting service should be able to provide expert-level training for any type of drone application. The standards for commercial drone pilots have gotten a lot higher in the last couple of years. It is in the best interest of a client company to have their drone pilots undergo real training to avoid workplace-related accidents.
For clients who want to have their own pilots certified under Part 107, a consulting service can also provide training in preparation for the knowledge test. This is typically a short training that can be done in less than 30 hours. Considering the cost of multiple pilots undergoing paid online training courses, it might even be cheaper to throw in a Part 107 training course in a contract for drone consultation services.
The more crucial skill that drone pilots need to develop is earned through hands-on training. This is how they can apply theories discussed in the classroom and how they can earn the experience and confidence needed to fly drones safely. Training can also be tailor-fit according to a client’s needs, procedures, and safety standards.
The need for training doesn’t just apply to the drone pilots or other people on the ground. The management of a company also needs to be educated about their upcoming drone program as they will be the program’s primary decision-makers and implementers. Since there will be significant capital involved in a drone project, such a program will almost certainly involve discussions and decisions at the highest level of management of any size of a company.
Regulatory assistance
The Part 107 rules that the FAA established back in 2016 may have laid down the groundwork for all legislation related to commercial drone operations, but this does not mean that it is set in stone. As drone technology evolves and the commercial drone industry grows, laws are continuously being reviewed and revised to keep up.
Drone consulting services who have worked with hundreds of clients probably know their way around these laws and can help a client craft policy that agrees with legislation. A consultant can also assist in preparing documents that need to be applied to the FAA, such as a Part 107 waiver application or an application for an FAA COA. With their experience, they should already know the details that the FAA is looking for in such applications, increasing the chances of the client getting what they requested.
Expert advice
Beyond the specifics we’ve listed above, a drone consulting service is valuable in that that they can provide expert advice for just about any aspect of a planned drone program. Depending on the agreement between the client and the service provider, the client may still be able to ask for advice within a prescribed period after the contract has been ended. The eventual goal is for the client to earn enough experience or to eventually build up their own pool of experts such that they no longer need external resources to execute their drone program.
What are the rates for drone consulting services?
Coming up with an estimate for drone consulting services is tough because the scope of one consulting project can vary greatly from one to the other. There are also other factors to consider such as the size and experience of the consulting company, as well as the prevailing market sizes for the region.
As a rule of thumb, drone consulting services generally cost anywhere between $250 to $350 per hour. Not every service contract will adopt a per-hour pricing scheme. For long-term engagement, the client and service provider agreeing to a fixed contract cost is more common with the option to expand for more services.
Final thoughts
Most times, a company venturing into drone-based services may be wading into unknown territory. Despite how popular they have become, drones are still uncommon in professional industries. This means that there is a significant learning curve to using them – not great when you want the drones to take over day-to-day operations.
Hiring the services of a drone consulting company is a great way to shorten the learning process. Such a service will certainly be costly, but the cost is more than justified by the prospect of being able to avoid expensive mistakes. Drones can be a huge competitive advantage for any market. When used right, adopting drone technology may just be the difference that makes a business thrive.
