Ensuring clients always receive a prompt and courteous service for their canopy requirement is central to the business philosophy of GRP Canopies. It is for this reason that we are always looking to improve our service and support as well as continually looking to enhance the design of our canopies and carports. With the rapid pace of technological developments in computer aided design and engineering software the company decided to investigate ways it could utilise such developments to improve its engineering support.
The early part of 2010 seen Mark McLean Engineering Manager and Robin Marlin Technical Director assigned the task of researching potential improvements that could assist both in planning applications and with the companies own installation teams. During 2009 GRP Canopies successfully undertook in excess of 100 planning and building warrant applications on behalf of canopy and carport clients in the UK. With the introduction of new products and the increase in applications for larger projects for school covered teaching areas and commercial canopies a solution was required that could allow engineering drawings and diagrams to be used for manufacture, planning applications and installation teams. Following consultation with the Larbert based Thom Micro Systems the package that was identified as most suitable was Autocad Revit Architectural Suite. When measured against the alternatives the 2010 version, costing in excess of £7000, proved to fulfil all the companies requirements as well as producing clear concise drawings that could easily be understood by clients as well as planners and architects alike.
The addition of the Autocad Revit Architectural Suite into the companies technical support arsenal allows generation of a 3D model of the clients existing structure with their proposed canopy or carport installation superimposed. What's more the model can be generated from photographs rather than physical measurements allowing many projects to proceed without the need for a full and time consuming site survey. Pictures taken by sales teams can be emailed directly to the engineering support team and work can begin immediately to the clients specification. The improvement in accuracy of load and structural calculations provided by the Autocad suite results in calculations being carried out in days rather than relying on third party agencies which would often take weeks.
The company had already been recognised by the LABC partnership scheme on the basis of meeting the necessary criteria, but with the addition of structural drawings and calculations generated by the new software, compliance with building regulations is comprehensively demonstrated therefore streamlining application timescales. Since inception of new procedures utilising the software timescales for carport planning applications have been reduced from up to five weeks to a fortnight.
This has certainly gone down well with customers who once having decided to purchase a new carport or canopy find there is no longer weeks delay while waiting for planning approval. It's also been a hit with the various planning authorities that find the new drawings much easier to evaluate and assess therefore making their job easier.
