Data sessions: distributed capture of details, not just photos

Not every credential workflow starts with a camera. Sometimes the bottleneck is collecting the right information — emergency contacts, department assignments, dietary requirements, licence numbers — from people who are spread across locations and schedules.

CaptrID’s data sessions apply the same distributed capture model to information collection.

The problem with spreadsheets and forms

Most organisations collect field data via one of three approaches:

1. Shared spreadsheets — multiple people editing the same file, overwriting each other’s work, no approval step
2. Online forms — data lands in a separate system, needs to be matched back to the roster manually
3. Printed forms — someone has to type it all in later

All three share the same issue: there’s no structured review step. Data goes straight from collection to your system with no quality check, no approval, and no audit trail.

How data sessions work

A data session is structured like a photo session, but for field data:

1. Define what you need — configure the fields to collect (text, dropdown, date, email, number)
2. Load your roster — the people whose data you need, imported from your master list
3. Assign capturers — staff who will collect or verify the information on-site
4. Capture in the field — capturers enter or update data on their mobile device, person by person
5. Review and approve — admins review submissions, approve or send back for correction
6. Sync to master — approved data flows back to your master roster via changeset review

The capturer sees a focused form for each person — only the fields they need to collect, with validation rules built in. Required fields are enforced. Dropdown options keep data consistent.

Field-level control

You decide exactly what capturers can see and edit:

• Show to capturer — some fields are visible for context but not editable (name, ID number)
• Capturer can edit — fields the capturer needs to fill in or update
• Required — fields that must be completed before submission

This means you can send a capturer out to verify emergency contacts without giving them access to edit salary data or medical records in the same session.

Works offline

Like photo sessions, data sessions work offline. Capturers can collect information in locations with no connectivity — remote sites, basements, community halls — and sync when they’re back online. Each submission is queued with conflict detection built in.

The review step matters

The difference between a data session and a Google Form is the review step. Every submission goes through approval before it touches your master data. An admin sees what was entered, compares it to what was there before, and approves or requests a correction.

This is particularly important for compliance-sensitive data. You have a clear audit trail of who collected what, when it was reviewed, and who approved it.

Combine with photo sessions

Data and photo sessions work together. Run a photo session for annual ID photos, then follow up with a data session to collect updated emergency contacts — all tracked against the same roster.

Or combine them: configure a session to capture both a photo and field data in one visit. The capturer photographs the person, fills in the required fields, and moves on.

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CaptrID handles photos and data in the same platform. Learn about data collection or start a free trial.