New KOREC case study: “The Trimble X9 is life changing”

How a small inheritance, a smart business plan, and one unbeatable piece of survey equipment transformed 23 year old architectural assistant, Will Turner, into the successful founder of ScanPlan, a thriving measured building survey company.

How a small inheritance, a smart business plan, and one unbeatable piece of survey equipment transformed 23 year old architectural assistant, Will Turner, into the successful founder of ScanPlan, a thriving measured building survey company.

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Accurate measured building surveys provide architects with the reliable data they need to make informed design decisions, ensure regulatory compliance, and prevent costly mistakes during construction. However, whilst working as an Architectural Assistant for a high-end firm of London architects, it became evident to Will Turner that the traditional methods being used for these surveys – a handheld measuring device and then a total station – were often falling short. Typically, the measurements would not pick up skew or curvature, insufficient bricks would be counted on the façade or simply, the complexity of a building would turn the survey into a job requiring two people over a couple of days and often require a revisit for anything missed.

Convinced there had to be a more manageable and efficient way to carry out the company’s measured building work, Will’s survey knowledge brought him to London’s GeoBusiness show to review a number of different manufacturer’s 3D Laser Scanners.

Unfamiliar with the comparative features of the different models of scanner, Will’s aim was to find one with a straightforward workflow that would save him time across the whole survey process, not just on site.

After visiting several stands, Will discovered KOREC and the Trimble X Series, which stood out for its advanced functionality, particularly its ease of use and on-site registration feature. This feature would greatly reduce the need for return visits to collect missed data.

Convinced that the Trimble X Series would be the solution to his company’s survey work, Will prepared a business plan for his directors persuading them to contract him for a standard fee to capture the scan data and create drawings for all future company surveys.  This new agreement significantly increased his Assistant salary and ensured the company’s designs were grounded in high-accuracy 2D drawings, supported by a 3D model.

With his business plan accepted, Will used an inheritance from his grandfather and a small loan from his parents to purchase his first Trimble X Series 3D Laser Scanner. In the following months, with guidance and support from KOREC and industry colleagues, he mastered the efficient use of his new scanner and on even the earliest jobs could see the potential earning capacity and ROI from his business plan.

After six productive months of refining his process, Will began seeking additional laser scanning projects outside the company to maximize the value of his investment. Balancing part-time work with his studies, he eventually left his position to start his own venture. In 2021, he founded ScanPlan, a measured surveying business focused on precision and exceptional service and set about establishing his niche in the market.

Determined to keep his X7 in constant use, he targeted companies that needed surveys on smaller projects but offered a couple of extra enticements. As well as supplying the 2D drawings (created by his carefully vetted freelancers) he would also supply the 3D model for cross reference at no extra cost as well as drawing up in the architect’s template which would save them a significant amount of office time and allow them to begin the design process immediately.

After the initial years of building his business and mastering the capabilities of his 3D laser scanner—now upgraded to a Trimble X9 following damage to the X7—Will can reflect on the remarkable growth his company has achieved:

“Immediately after the purchase of my first scanner, I paid off my parent’s loan within 4 months and had covered the system costs in under a year. At no point did I expect to find myself where I am today, undertaking far larger projects, often of six or seven stories high, carrying out topo work as well and continually building my client base through networking, word of mouth and the support of KOREC. KOREC has helped me from the very first day whether that be with technical support or finding a same day replacement for my X7 when it got dropped. Of course, it hasn’t always been plain sailing, especially in the early days, but if things haven’t gone to plan, I’ve always focused on putting them right and today a lot of my customers are repeat business. In the first year I carried out forty projects, in the second year eighty projects and this year, even though we’re only eight months in, we’re already up to ninety!”

On-site registration: Ensuring Will can check that no data has been missed before he leaves the site. This feature is especially useful for complex projects such as a recent survey of Hewkes House, a listed building in Norfolk with many different levels, pitch roofs, low ceilings and listed building features such as architraves, switches and skirting boards. This job was completed on a ten day turnaround with a scan time of 3-4 hours compared to an estimated survey time of two people and 1.5-2 days with a total station.

Scan times: Will rates the speed of the scanner and usually undertakes scans of 50 seconds unless he is using the auto-selection tool when he needs to focus in more detail on an area of special interest or manage scan sizes for easier manipulation.

Trimble T10x Tablet and Perspective software: Intuitive with some great features, especially the ability to turn floor layers on and off for easy checking. The tablet easily handles the 60-70GB files Will regularly exports into AutoCAD or ArchiCAD

Self-levelling: Ideal for fast moving around properties. Having survey grade self-levelling ensures the accuracy of his point cloud and also saves Will time. For example, if you’re undertaking 150 scans in a day you can save an hour of site time, 5 hours a week. 

Auto-calibration: Will is confident that thanks to the auto-calibration before each job, he’s minimising the risk of the scanner not collecting accurate data on important jobs. Smart, self-calibrating scanners like Trimble’s X7 and X9 generate a report as a backup for every job Will does.  

Additionally, he avoids the downtime that can occur with other scanners when you have to send them away for calibration, often abroad, for weeks if not months.

Straight forward workflow:  The X9 workflow couldn’t be more straightforward with the intuitive software. Scans are completed, checked on the Trimble T10x Tablet, exported to ArchiCAD or AutoCAD and drawn up from there.

Backpack: Will travels across London by Tube which makes easy portability of the scanner a must.

KOREC support: Will is quick to say that the early days were not always plain sailing but KOREC’s support was always top notch: “I can’t fault KOREC, I have them on speed dial and everyone is really patient and so quick replying. What’s really nice is how well connected KOREC is whether you talk to sales, technical support, hire or the workshop. They’re all impeccable.”

As ScanPlan moves into its fourth year, Will has had plenty of time to reflect on how much the acquisition of a Trimble X Series scanner changed his life. “I started off as an Architectural Assistant happy to do some laser scans as a sideline with equipment bought out of my own pocket. Today ScanPlan is well established and business keeps on growing. I never thought I’d find myself in this position taking on even bigger projects and so happy with my professional progress, the Trimble X7 and X9 really did change my life!”

If you’re interested in finding out more about th X9 Core or Premium or booking a demo, contact us now by email or call us on 0345 603 1214.