What Is Swept Path Analysis
In simple terms, swept path analysis calculates how much room a vehicle needs to drive and manoeuvre into different positions. This is highly useful when designing the layout of construction sites and industrial premises and ensuring that emergency services can access and use new junction layouts. In this article, we look at swept path analysis in more detail with some examples of how it can be beneficial.
Specialist software
In the past, swept path analysis was calculated by hand through complex drawings and diagrams. Since then, specialised software has been developed to speed up this process and make it more accurate. The software can plot out the movements of a vehicle around a planned building or road structure and turn it into animations that bring the vision to life. The animations can show the path of different-sized vehicles interacting with each other and any points that could be risky in terms of a collision. These animations are ideal for demonstrating to stakeholders how vehicles will operate in the location and if there are any issues that need to be addressed before the construction work begins.
Situations where swept path analysis is required
There are many different reasons why businesses need to conduct swept path analysis as part of the design process. Listed below are a few examples of where swept path analysis is needed and how it can be critical.
Designing an airport
Airports are complex structures with many different vehicles, aircraft and people needing to use the same space. There must be clearly defined paths that give vehicles and aircraft enough space to manoeuvre without causing a collision or getting in the path of pedestrians on the runway. Without a properly formulated detailed plan and enough space, issues can occur, not only with potential accidents but also potential confusion and delays to flights. If planes aren’t given enough runway to take off or land, a disaster can occur, and many lives could be lost; therefore, swept path analysis is a critical part of designing an airport. However, this isn’t the only planning analysis done to ensure the safety of workers and passengers; there are many other tools used to create an efficient and safe airport.
New road design
When roads get busier, there is often a need to update the design of the road or junction to help manage the flow of traffic. As part of this update, swept path analysis must be conducted to ensure emergency vehicles and large trucks can safely use the new road design without any issues. Changing a junction to a roundabout sounds simple and can help ease traffic congestion, but if the turning circle is too small for a large fire truck, then the roundabout won’t be sufficient and could block vital emergency services from accessing a fire. By creating a swept plan analysis before construction starts, costly mistakes can be avoided.
Hospital design
Ease of vehicle access is critical for hospitals, short delays that prevent ambulances from gaining access to the emergency department can cost lives. Swept path analysis is used to understand the space needed for ambulance drivers to maximise efficiency and reduce the time patients spend getting into the hospital. One-way systems are often used for accidents and emergencies to remove the risk of collision. Ambulances need to travel at high speeds to help patients survive; swept path analysis can take into consideration not only the manoeuvres that the vehicles undertake but also the speed at which they do these manoeuvres. More space needs to be allocated to vehicles travelling at high speeds.
Swept path analysis is a critical part of designing any new building or road layout that will be used by vehicles. The process is usually quick and cost-effective when dedicated software is utilised. Conducting this analysis during the design stages can avoid mistakes within construction that might cost thousands or even millions of pounds to put right. The software is intelligent and can map out many different situations and manoeuvres that specific vehicles might need to do as part of general driving and in extreme circumstances. It can also account for different weather and road conditions that impact the vehicle's ability to manoeuvre.
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What Is Car Sourcing, and How Does It Work?
Looking for your next car can be time-consuming, especially if you have something very specific in mind. Many people don’t have the time to go searching for a car themselves, or they might not have the knowledge to choose a car that’s going to be reliable and won’t need repairs. Car sourcing services can help with these issues. In this article, we look at everything you need to know about car sourcing.
What is car sourcing?
Car sourcing is basically when someone pays a company or a person to find a car for them based on the information and budget they provide. The client will often get their new car delivered to their door without needing to do any of the hard work that’s involved with sourcing the perfect vehicle. This service comes at a cost which can vary depending on what the car sourcer charges.
Car sourcing saves time
One of the most common reasons why people pay for car sourcing is to save time. If you’re working a full-time job and balancing family life, it can be difficult to find the time to look for a new vehicle to suit your needs. If you have the money to pay someone to do this for you, then the time you save can be spent doing things with your family or focusing on your work. For many people, this time is highly valuable, so they’re happy to pay for someone to take care of other tasks to give them more time for the important things.
Car sourcers are experts
There are so many things to consider when buying a new car; you need to think about the features of the car, the mileage, the history, and the condition and check that there is no outstanding finance on the vehicle. These are just a few of the things you need to ask about when buying a car. In addition, when buying a car you’ll need to haggle to get the best price. Haggling can only be done properly when you fully understand the issues with the car and the worth of other similar vehicles. Many people don’t know this much about cars and, as a result, pay more money or don’t get the best car for their budget. Car sourcers are experts that have vast knowledge about the car industry and what to look for when buying a new car. This expertise is highly valuable, especially if you’re investing and looking at super car sales. Many people are happy to spend that little bit extra to get the reassurance that their car has been chosen by an expert car sourcer.
Rare vehicles
Some cars are rare, and when they come onto the market, you need to act quickly in order to buy them. Most people don’t have the time to react quickly or search all over the world for rare vehicles. When you employ a car sourcer they will take on this task for you, visiting different locations to find the vehicle you are looking for, even if it is very rare. This will remove all of the hassle and stress of trying to locate your perfect car. You just need to sit back and wait for the car sourcer to be in touch to let you know they’ve found a suitable vehicle.
Specification and budget
When working with a car sourcer you will have the opportunity to tell them what you’re looking for in terms of specification and your budget allowance. Car sourcers will stick to this brief when searching for appropriate vehicles. They may also get into contact with you if they find something similar that doesn’t quite match the brief; this can be valuable as you might find you prefer the car they’ve chosen for you.
Extra fees
The main disadvantage of working with a car sourcer is the additional costs you’ll need to pay them to find a suitable vehicle. Many motorists may want to spend that extra money on buying a higher-quality car. Others won’t be as concerned about the money and will be happy to pay for the time and experience of a knowledgeable car sourcer.
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Preparing A Rental Property - An Essential Checklist
Landlords are responsible for ensuring their properties are clean, safe and in good condition before handing the keys over to a new tenant. That said, preparing to let a property can be an overwhelming task - not every tenant prioritises the cleanliness and maintenance of their rental property. In fact, a recent survey discovered that 73% of residential landlords claim their properties are left in a poor condition after tenants leave. Here are some common issues many landlords face and how to rectify them for your next tenancy.
Book An End Of Tenancy Clean
Although your previous tenants may have done a reasonably good job at cleaning once they'd moved their belongings, many landlords still choose to book an end-of-tenancy clean. Much more thorough than a simple spring cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning is a deep clean that involves disinfecting, stain-removing and carpet cleaning. If your previous tenants had pets, it may also be worth requesting an anti-allergy clean to clear the area of embedded pet hair and dander that could exacerbate health concerns for future tenants.
Redecorate
Many landlords allow their tenants to redecorate within reason, provided they return the property to its original blank canvas upon moving - this may include painting, wallpapering and replacing hardware like light fixtures and door handles. The level of creative freedom tenants are allowed varies from landlord to letting agent; however, most will request a property be returned to magnolia, cream, and similar shades once the fixed-term tenancy ends. That said, not every rental tenant is an expert decorator, and you may wish to hire contractors to carry out more complex tasks like replastering and fitting carpets.
Conduct Necessary Repairs
No tenant wants to move into a property that requires maintenance. A home should be fully functional in terms of electrical wiring, ventilation, plumbing and structural integrity. Everything from dripping taps to persistent damp should be thoroughly assessed and rectified before the start of the next tenancy. Once your new tenant moves in, they should report any further problems in due time - failure to do so may result in deposit deductions.
Replace Furniture If Necessary
If a rental property is furnished, some items may require repairs or replacements. Renting a fully furnished property is less expensive and may appeal to short-term tenants, students and working professionals moving to an area indefinitely. Offering a furnished rental property comes with risks - furniture is easily damaged, stained, and, in some extreme cases, stolen. Furthermore, low-quality furniture won't last long, so you may need to invest in robust, durable furniture items to save on ongoing replacement costs.
Electrical Safety Checks
Landlords are responsible for ensuring that their properties meet the legal requirements in terms of electrical safety. Every landlord should procure a valid landlord electrical safety certificate per property owned. Landlords should also get an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every five years to identify damage, defects and non-compliances with the current BS 7671 requirements. An ECIR will also recommend the remedial work required to rectify any electrical issues, which must ensue within the following 28 days.
You can read more about electrical safety standards here.
Electrical Performance Certificate
An Electrical Performance Certificate (EPC) outlines vital information regarding a property's energy use. It categorises energy efficiency on a scale of A-G, with A being the most efficient and G being the least, although the average for England and Wales is band D. Failure to procure a valid EPC could result in repercussions from the Local Authority Building Control department and a fine of between £500 and £5,000. Once purchased for as little as £60, an EPC is valid for ten years.
Fire And Gas Safety
By law, landlords are responsible for arranging annual gas safety checks to be carried out on all gas appliances and flues by a CORGI-approved tradesperson. You will then receive a Landlord Gas Safety Record, a copy of which should be supplied to new tenants at the start of their tenancy.
Under The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, all landlords must ensure that at least one functional smoke detector per storey is installed and one carbon monoxide detector per room with a fuel-burning appliance such as a stove or space heater.
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How to Protect a Will From Challenges
Even when all the necessary steps have been taken to ensure a will is prepared correctly, it doesn’t stop family members from challenging the will. This is especially true when the deceased has left key family members out of their will. In this article, we take a look at a few things that can be done to protect a will from being challenged.
Testamentary capacity
Mental capacity is a common reason why a will is challenged. This is when it is thought that the person creating the will did not have the mental capacity at the time of writing, which therefore makes the will invalid. To prevent this from happening, you can use a medical professional to confirm you have testamentary capacity and there is no issue that impacts your ability to create a valid will. This is especially important if you have been diagnosed with any issues or illnesses that might make others question your mental capacity.
Destroy all old wills
If you have a previous will and have decided to change where your estate is distributed, it's important that you destroy all original documents and copies of your old will. Even if your new will has a later date, it's still an important step to destroy old documents. If someone has been taken out of your new will, they might try and use the old will to challenge and make a claim for part of your estate. Contact any solicitors that have copies or originals of old wills and make sure they destroy them or collect them yourself so you can ensure they are destroyed.
Undue influence
If anyone believes that someone pressured you into making a will, it could be a reason to challenge the legitimacy of the document. When making a will, you should do all of the work yourself, including making the appointment and attending the appointment. This will ensure no one can be accused of pressuring you into writing the will.
Store a will safely
Challenges can easily be made if a will can’t be found after the person has died. Storing a will in a safe place can prevent these attempts to gain ancestry probate. It is critical that the original version of the will is safe; a copy can be challenged based on the assumption that the original was destroyed and revoked before death. Storing your will with your solicitor is one option to ensure it is kept safe. Alternatively, you can choose to store it yourself at home in a safe location. You should make sure that you inform your executors of the location of the original copy of the will to avoid issues. Copies can be useful, but they can cause problems if the original document can’t be found.
Use a professional
Creating a will yourself is a much cheaper and more convenient way to make a will. However, unless you’re a professional in the field, you won’t know the intricacies of the law and how to ensure your will can’t be easily challenged. The cost to use a professional is worth it so you can rest in the knowledge that your assets will be going to the people you care about most when you pass away. Don’t choose the first or cheapest professional you come across, do some research to ensure that the company you choose has a good reputation and experience in writing wills.
Update your will
Wills are often written and forgotten about until they’re needed. This could mean when you pass, your will is out of date and doesn’t take into account your recent marriage, additional grandchildren or any disputes with your previous partner. Keep your will in mind when anything major happens in your life, as you may need to update it to reflect the new circumstances. Keeping a copy at home and reviewing it annually is a good way to ensure you’re still happy with everything that currently stands. If you change your mind on any points, make sure you speak to the professional that prepared your will as soon as possible so you can update it to reflect your new wishes. Deaths, marriages, births and disputes are often reasons why you may need to change your will.
Find out more information about Wills and trusts: how to plan your finances for when you’re gone
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The Most Important Investments You Can Make For Your Business Development
Growing businesses are in a unique position to shape their own futures because they are at the forefront of the market and have to be able to react to changes that will influence the direction of their growth and development. Any business that is undergoing a significant period of change will need to be able to take fluctuations in the market into account and will need to be able to react to these changes in a way that they can leverage and turn into a business advantage.
The ability to have greater control over the business and the direction things are going in means that a company is able to engineer its own path, and when this is done correctly it can translate into increased profits, a better reputation, and a more respected voice within the sector. This all sounds well and good, but the ability to shape your business will come at a cost.
It is no great secret that growing and developing a business can take significant investment in terms of time and financial resources. There are so many different aspects involved with the process that the costs can soon start adding up, making it a source of stress within the company. Even the largest most financially responsible business will need to draw the line somewhere and take stock of their spend.
By reviewing the individual areas that are being worked on and assessing the effectiveness of the spend it is possible for a business to save money while still seeing success in the most important areas of improvement. It will never be possible to negate these investments completely because they are often at the heart of any business growth, but it is possible to make your investments work harder for your business. These are some of the most important areas to invest in for business growth and development in 2023.
Professional development of staff
Your staff are your biggest and most important asset. The better trained they are and the more you are able to invest in their ongoing development from a professional perspective the better. That’s not to say that you need to plough thousands into training every member of staff in every aspect of your business, just that the right training for the right people can give your business an edge.
Corporate training in Singapore that gives your staff the chance to meet personal career development goals and makes them a more valuable member of the team not only gives them better job satisfaction, it also makes your team more resilient and highly skilled. Many employers make the mistake of not investing in their staff enough or at all, and then find themselves losing their most valued members. Don’t make this mistake and instead, cultivate an office culture that values upskilling and focuses on making the team more specialised and highly trained.
Marketing strategies
Any business needs a good marketing strategy in order to succeed in 2023. If your business is not already taking its marketing seriously then now is the time to start doing so because it is something that should be considered as a long term investment strategy. Most forms of marketing that bring the biggest returns are not things that will give you results overnight. Instead, the best and most sustainable marketing strategies take place over the course of months and years, focusing on building a solid reputation and a loyal customer base that brings in return business.
These days, many companies fall into the trap of thinking that paid ads on search engines and social media channels will be enough to bring in the revenue and build strong relationships but this simply isn’t true. Paid advertising may bring clicks to your website, but without a solid foundation in place the clicks are unlikely to convert into sales at any great rate.
While staff training and a robust marketing strategy are two of the most important and universally beneficial investments you can make into your business, they are far from the only ones. It is good to review your investments periodically, preferably at least quarterly, and use data you’ve collected to assess what is really working and where investments should be prioritised.