Use the menu on the left for detailed help about the various OTISS features, or click on the topics below for help and guidence for specific questions. Don’t forget the video tutorials below.

How To …

How to register a new Client...

For each of your clients/customers, you create a new ‘Client Estate’ to store information, maps and survey data. Each ‘Client Estate’ is independent of all the others can be customised as required. When you log into OTISS, the first thing you normally do is to select which of you clients you need to deal with, or you can create a new client.

  1. Log into the OTISS website and press the Clients button. Then press the Create Client button which is at the top of the table of existing clients.
  2. Fill in the details on the Register form. All this client information is only seen by yourself and anyone you authorise to view the estate. OTISS will never use or share this information with any 3rd parties.
  3. Select the required Client template (that you previously setup) or select an existing client that had similar requirements. The survey forms will be copied, and can be further customised for the new client – without changing your template.
  4. Press the Register button.
  5. Once created, you then need to create one or more sites and surveys – How to create a new Site and Survey…

How to setup my Client template(s)...

You can create one or more clients and use them as ‘templates’ for future actual clients. These templates store the survey forms customised just as you like them.

  1. Create a client with a suitable name (e.g. ‘Template 1’).
  2. There is no need to create any sites or surveys.
  3. Customise it’s BS5837 and/or TreeSafety Survey Forms to be your ideal ‘standard’ – i.e. customise the field names, picklists of common values, mandatory fields, etc.
  4. Every time you create a new client, the survey forms can be copied from one of these templates.

How to create a new Site and Survey - using online maps...


OTISS lets you divide an estate into several ‘sites‘.  A ‘site’ could be a single house, a park, a field, a groups of fields, a car park – whatever you want it to be. Smaller clients usually only have a single site. Larger estates, housing associations, etc. should be divided into several sites – read more about sites. OTISS provides a set of online road and aerial maps that are sufficiently detailed for many situations – but you can also provide your own maps (see below).

  1. Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  2. Press the Sites button to goto the Sites webpage. This page lists all the sites for the estate.
  3. Press the Add Site button.Site add
  4. The first thing you will be asked is whether you have your own map for this site. Select ‘No – use the online maps‘ and press the Next button.
  5. The Add Site form appears. Enter a name for the site.
  6. For multi-site clients, there are optional sections for Contact and Address information. These are useful when you have different contact names, telephone numbers and address for each site. This information is also available on the mobile survey app when going from site to site.
  7. For larger estates, there are optional sections for Tree Safety Risk Assessment Zones and Site Boundaries. These may not be relevant for all sites – and can always be updated later if required.
  8. At the bottom of the form you are asked whether to create a survey for this site. Select ‘Tree Safety’ or ‘BS5837’ as required.
  9. Press the Save button. OTISS will create the site and survey.
  10. You can now use the mobile survey app to download the survey and start surveying.

How to create a new Site and Survey - using your own map...


OTISS lets you divide an estate into several ‘sites‘. A ‘site’ could be a single house, a park, a field, a groups of fields, a car park – whatever you want it to be. Smaller clients usually only have a single site. Larger estates, housing associations, etc. should be divided into several sites – read more about sites. You can upload one or more maps or site-plans that provide more detailed views than those provided by the OTISS online maps – read more about OTISS Maps.

  1. Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  2. Press the Sites button to goto the Sites webpage. This page lists all the sites for the estate.
  3. Press the Add Site button.Site create
  4. The first thing you will be asked is what type of map you have for this site – read more about OTISS Maps. Select the type and press the Next button. You will be prompted to upload the file(s).
  5. Finally, the Add Site form appears. Enter a name for the site.
  6. For multi-site clients, there are optional sections for Contact and Address information. These are useful when you have different contact names, telephone numbers and address for each site. This information is also available on the mobile survey app when going from site to site.
  7. For larger estates, there are optional sections for Tree Safety Risk Assessment Zones and Site Boundaries. These may not be relevant for all sites – and can always be updated later if required.
  8. At the bottom of the form you are asked whether to create a survey for this site. Select ‘Tree Safety’ or ‘BS5837’ as required.Sites create survey
  9. Press the Save button. OTISS will create the site, map and survey.
  10. You can now use the mobile survey app to download the survey and start surveying.

See our video tutorials below for loading and optionally geo-referencing a PDF site plan.

How to create Site Boundaries...

You can create one or more boundaries for each site. See Site Boundaries for full details.

How to re-survey an existing site...

Sometime after the initial survey, you will want to re-survey the site to see what has changed. This could be a planned annual/biennial survey or an ad-hoc survey after a storm – re-surveys can be done whenever required. It is important to keep an audit trail of surveys, so we create new surveys each time. Read more about surveys.

  1. Goto the Surveys page on the website.
  2. Select the site in question in the Site dropdown box and the table shows all surveys carried out on that site.
  3. Check that all the surveys in the table are in the Closed stage. If necessary, Edit each survey and change it to ‘Closed’. It is recommended that only one survey (of each type) for each site should be ‘Active’, the others should be ‘Closed’. Otherwise it can get confusing!
  4. Select the most recent survey and press the Re-Survey button.
  5. Confirm by pressing the Ok button and the Edit Survey dialog appears for the new survey – update the details as required. Assign the appropriate users to carry out the survey. Press Save.
  6. You can now use the mobile survey app to download the new survey. The app will also download the most recent inspection data for each tree/item from the previous surveys. On the map, all the trees show as ORANGE icons.
  7. As you re-survey each tree, the old data is loaded, which you then change as required, then a new record is created as part of the new survey – with a new inspection date. As you re-survey each tree, the icon changes to GREEN – so you know which ones you have done.
  8. Initially the new survey has no inspections of its own, but this number increases as you re-survey each tree/item.
  9. Finally use the mobile survey app to sync the new data back to the OTISS website where you can check and process the survey data.
  10. Later when all the survey work is done, you can select the survey and press the Complete Survey button to mark it as ‘closed’.

How to add a map to an existing site...

You can create a site (and survey) using the online maps provided by OTISS. If you later receive or purchase a site plan or map, then this can be added to the site. Important, if you have already plotted some trees using the online maps, then you must provide a ‘real’ map (i.e. one with geo-spatial or GPS information). If you only expect to get a PDF or site-plan (i.e. one with no geo-spatial information), then it is best to load this PDF or site plan before starting the survey. Read more about OTISS Maps.

  1. Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  2. Press the Sites button to goto the Sites webpage. This page lists all the sites for the estate.
  3. First we must upload the maps into OTISS.MapLayer create
    1. Press the Maps&Plans button (at the top of the list of sites). The Maps&Plans page lists the maps and site plans that you have loaded for this estate.
    2. Press the Add button. The first thing you will be asked is what type of map you have for this site. See important note above.
    3. Select what type of map you have and press the Next button. You will be prompted to upload the file(s). When the files have been uploaded you can update the map name and info. Press the Save button.
  4. Once the new map have been successfully added above, we must now assign the map to the site(s).
    1. Press the Sites button to goto the Sites webpage. This page lists all the sites for the estate.
    2. Select the required site and press the Edit button. In the “Map & Plan” drop-down field, select the new map. Press Save. You can assign the same map to several sites.
  5. Now we can see the trees plotted on the new map. Press the Maps button to goto the Maps webpage. Select the site, and you should see the new map being displayed on the screen. Read more above using the OTISS Maps page.
  6. You can also the map on the mobile survey app. On the OTISS survey app, press Downloaded Surveys and select the survey. First you must press Sync to download the new map information and then press StartSurvey. The new map should appear.

How to create maps for BS5837  Tree Protection Plans ....

In OTISS we show the standard RPA and average crown radius on our maps. But we also generate a CAD/DXF file, that you import it into your CAD application. In CAD you can see the asymmetric crown radius; carry out detailed changes to the RPA; and add extra details for protective fences and ground cover.

CAD applications are designed to do this work; i.e. laying out drawings in minute detail, total control over all aspects of colour, line tightness, font, text placement, etc. CAD applications have been developed and improved over decades. It seems to be accepted practice to use survey tools to collect the data and then CAD for detailed modifications of the maps – Read More.

How to provide my Client with access to the Tree Surveys...

You can provide your clients with access to the OTISS website. They will see all the same maps, survey data and reports. You can setup your client as a ‘Viewer’ (not allowed to make any changes) or ‘Manager’ (work with you to survey and manage the estate).

  1. There is an annual subscription to pay to allow your clients to access the OTISS website. Goto the costs page to pay the “Client Access” subscriptions. On the Paypal form, please enter the name of the OTISS Client.
  2. The OTISS staff will tell you when the new subscription has been activated. Then you can proceed with the following steps.
  3. Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  4. Click on the Access tab, and then press the Register User button.
  5. Fill in the form to create the client account. Enter their email address and make up an initial password for them. Select what level of Access Level you want to give the client – usually this is ‘Viewer’. Press the Save button to register the new user.
  6. OTISS will immediately send a verification email to the client’s email address. This email will have some instructions for them to follow so that they can verify the account.
  7. Ring/email/tell your client the password that you setup for them.
  8. Your client can now login to OTISS to see all the trees, maps and reports. They can change their own password later if they wish.

At a later point you can change the level of access or remove the user as follows.

  • Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  • Click on the Access tab, and you will see the list of users that have been given access to the estate.
  • Select the user in the table and press the pencil icon to change a user’s access level or press the trash bin icon to remove the user’s access from the estate.

How to let another Arb Consultant or sub contractor help out on a survey - option 1.

You can provide other Arb Consultants access to one of your Clients, so that they can work with you on a survey. If they already have their own OTISS ‘Arb Consultant’ account – then please skip this section and look at option 2 below.

You can provide your colleagues/sub-contractors with access to one of your OTISS Clients. They will see all the same maps, survey data and reports. You can setup your colleague as a ‘Surveyor’ (where you setup the surveys and assign them) or ‘Manager’ (work with you to survey and manage the estate).

  1. There is an annual subscription to pay to allow each colleague to access the OTISS Client. Goto the costs page to pay the “Client Access” subscriptions (yes, its the same subscription to allow the client or your colleagues access). On the Paypal form, please enter the name of the OTISS Client.
  2. The OTISS staff will tell you when the new subscription has been activated. Then you can proceed with the following steps.
  3. Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  4. Click on the Access tab, and then press the Register User button.
  5. Fill in the form to create the client account. Enter their email address and make up an initial password for them. Select what level of Access Level you want to give the client – usually this is ‘Surveyor’. Press the Save button to register the new user.
  6. OTISS will immediately send a verification email to the new user’s email address. This email will have some instructions for them to follow so that they can verify the account.
  7. Ring/email/tell your colleague the password that you setup for them.
  8. Your colleague can now login to OTISS to see all the trees, maps and reports. They can change their own password later if they wish.

At a later point you can change the level of access or remove the user as follows.

  • Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  • Click on the Access tab, and you will see the list of users that have been given access to the estate.
  • Select the user in the table and press the pencil icon to change a user’s access level or press the trash bin icon to remove the user’s access from the estate.

How to let other OTISS Arb Consultants help out on a survey - option 2

You can provide other OTISS Arb Consultants access to one of your Clients so that they can work with you on a survey. Your colleague must already have a separate OTISS ‘Arb Consultant’ account. There are two steps: first you let them access the Client, then you assign them to your survey.

  1. Log into OTISS website, select the required Client.
  2. Press the Client-> Access button. This table shows all the users that can access the Client’s data.
  3. Press the Add User button, enter your colleague’s OTISS login name and select an access level – typically ‘Manager’ (i.e. work with you to survey and manage the estate), or ‘Surveyor’ (i.e. just do the surveys that you assign them).
  4. Then press the Surveys button and edit the ‘active’ survey that you are working on.
  5. On the dialog, see the section Assigned users. Normally only your name is ticked. Tick the new user and press the Save button.
  6. Your colleague can now use their phone/tablet to Check Online and download the new survey. Trees that they add to the survey will be sync’ed to the same site/survey. Each inspection will show who did the survey.
  7. To avoid conflicting tree numbers when two of your are plotting new trees, let one of you start at T001 and the other start at T100 or T500 or something suitable so that you do not over lap numbers as you plot trees.

What happens if I survey too many trees?

All our subscriptions have a limit on the number of trees per client. The limits on the basic BS5837 and TreeSafety modules have been selected so that they should not be a problem for most of your surveys. You can increase the limits at any time for specific clients by puchasing a “Large BS5837 Survey” or “Large Estate” subscription – all details are shown on our What does it cost page.

But when you are on site, you don’t need to worry about these limits or subscriptions. You need to get all the surveying done!

While you are on-site, the survey apps impose no restrictions on the number of trees. So you can survey all you need to do (e.g. 100s of trees) while on-site. This is designed specifically so that you can always get the on-site work done without worrying about any limits.

The restriction only applies when you upload/sync the data – later in the day – back in the office. If there are too many trees, they will not be uploaded. But the data is still on the mobile, so all we have to do is increase the max count (when you pay the Large Survey fee) and the data can be synced completely. Don’t worry, this happens to everyone at some point – we have never lost any data.

How to allow OTISS support staff to view my Client...

All your client and survey data is private to you, and only visible when you login to OTISS or the survey apps. But sometimes the OTISS support staff may need access to one of your clients so that they can help resolve problems or provide help and guidence on the best way to use the OTISS features. Once you provide access, OTISS staff can login to the OTISS website, select your client and see the maps and survey data. At any time you can withdraw this access and possibly re-apply it in the future as required.

  1. Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  2. Click on the Access tab. Press the Support Staff button. Check and confirm the operation.
  3. OTISS staff can now select your client and see the maps and survey data, and can do/see everything that you can do.

At a later point you can remove this privilege as follows.

  • Log into the OTISS website and select the Client,
  • Click on the Access tab, and you will see the list of users that have been given access to the estate.
  • Select the “otiss@intrinsica.co.uk” user in the table and press the Remove User button.

Tutorial Videos …

To get the most out of these tutorials; first sign up for the Free Trial and download the sample surveys onto your phone/tablet. Then, as you view the videos, you can press the pause button and then try things out for yourself on your own survey. Then continue the tutorial at your own pace.

Remember that all our webpages have a Help button, and every screen on the survey apps have a ? icon or Help menu. These provide valuable help and explanations.

Please let us know how what other aspects of OTISS you would like tutorials for.

Overview of how OTISS is used to carry out a survey.

Overview (in three parts) of how Arboricultural Consultants would use OTISS to carry out a TreeSafety or BS5837 survey. Note: there is no voice-over on these videos – just subtitles.

Overview Part 1 – In the office: Setup a new client and customise the survey.

Overview Part 2 – When on-site: use the OTISS survey app to collect data.

Overview Part 3 – Back in the office: look at the data and generate reports.

Loading a PDF site plan.

Loading a CAD drawing.

Geo-referencing a PDF site plan or aerial image.

Position Labels on the map

Printing maps – Downloading PDFs and JPEGs

BS5837 Groups of Trees

A tutorial explaining how to plot groups of trees for a BS 5837 Planning Survey.

BS5837 Measurement and RPA tools

Please note that the Measurement and RPA Tools are only available with the OTISS Premium subscription. The Standard subscription calculates and draws the BSI standard RPA – but does not allow you to modify it.

Using Excel Report Templates for customized reports

Please let us know how what other aspects of OTISS you would like tutorials for.