The quality of cadastral surveying data has constantly improved since the system was first introduced following the entry into force of the Swiss Civil Code. This is primarily attributable to technological developments and correspondingly formulated legislation, which since 1993 has provided for free choice of method of entering data. As a result of the changes in data quality, a variety of quality standards now exist in Switzerland.

In the early days of cadastral surveying, the details relating to landownership were sketched on the land registry plan (now called «plan for the land register». The information was entered in the land register in writing and depicted graphically on plans – in other words, it existed in analogue form.

With the introduction of digitisation options for entering, saving and processing data, a variety of quality standards have come into being in the course of the past hundred years or so.