Importance of Accreditations and Working Within Frameworks

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MVIS Have always been dedicated to the principles of safety, quality and best practice. Underscored by our focus on training, our team are consistently training and looking for ways to improve on areas of skills levels and qualifications.

In the face of the global pandemic, we have been working hard in the background to ensure that we have the right accreditations to guide this dedication and focus, helping us to maintain our industry leading reputation in the rental supply of solar powered intelligent transport systems.

One of the motivations behind this is the understanding of the importance of accreditations to MVIS. Not only does it help us on our unending mission to improve, but holding the right accreditations are required to work with some of our biggest clients.

One of the most important of these is our ISO accreditations. MVIS hold ISO accreditations in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018), issued by global certification body NQA and subject to annual audits. 

ISO accreditations enforce the practise of and adherence to respected business standards that help organisations perform better in a wide range of aspects. Together, the ISO accreditations furnish us with a full IMS (integrated management system), bringing our systems and processes into one complete framework.

For MVIS and Bartco UK, the standards of quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015) and health & safety (45001:2018) are of vital importance to our business, making adherence to this framework a must.

One of the other accreditations we have earned recently is Gold Status with Constructionline, which offers a platform for thousands of buyers in the construction industry to quickly find suppliers amongst a pool of high quality members that they can engage with confidently.

Constructionline creates an ethos of trust and quality amongst its community by validating all members and achieving Gold status isn’t easy. Gold membership requires further validation checks using an enhanced prequalification questionnaire that goes beyond those involved in silver.

Our credentials were assessed for a wide range of aspects, including environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence and anti-bribery and corruption policies.

Working to the requirements Constructionline Gold Status demands ensures that we are working to the best standards possible in these areas, giving our customers confidence as well as helping to keep our team and the general public safe.

We have also achieved Gold status in the Supply Chain Sustainability School, a platform that offers businesses extensive and accredited training around various sustainability, offsite, digital, procurement, lean and management topics relevant to the business environment.

Achieving Gold status is done through completing or using a number of training workshops, networking events and e-learning modules across the company to ensure that the skills taught within the programmes are taken on by companies and filtered throughout the business.

The policies and systems affected by the work we have done with the Supply Chain Sustainability School will, in turn, affect the whole organisation by helping us towards our goal of a more sustainability focussed business, with the added benefits of cost savings, reinforcing our reputation and increased safety for our team, our customers and the general public.

This year, we have also re-certified again with Achilles BuildingConfidence registration, having been certified for over 2 years now.

Achilles Building Confidence is a UK construction industry accreditation and risk management scheme that aims to help organisations identify, assess, qualify, and monitor suppliers throughout the supply chain, reducing operating costs.

A standardised pre-qualification questionnaire streamlines the procurement process and manages risk. Achilles enables communities of buyers and suppliers to build better business relationships through a more open, trusting and proactive approach. Sharing knowledge, standards and best practice leads to buyers and suppliers sharing success.

Achilles BuildingConfidence helps us to accentuate our commitment to these essential aspects of our business.

 As a responsible business operating in a modern world, our focus of attention also extends to digital. Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective, Government backed framework that helps us protect our organisation against a whole range of the most common cyber-attacks.

Working to this framework gives us peace of mind that our defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber-attacks because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

It also gives our customers confidence that their data is handled according to best practices against common cyber-attacks, meaning they can hire with us without concern.

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director commented, “Accreditations change the way we operate at an organisational level that affects how we approach things, both as a company and as individuals. The frameworks we work to underpin a lot of what we do here at MVIS and Bartco UK and ensures that we are doing our best when it comes to aspects of safety, service and quality.”

Anne continues, “It assures our customers too. Earning the accreditations we have is testament to our commitment to our customers. Clients come to us knowing that we do not compromise on safety, quality or customer care and that we can adapt in an ever-changing world.”

Celebrating 2 years of Sean!

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In order to progress and continue to provide MVIS customers with the highest quality products and services within the industry, the company always looks for ways it can develop.

Since MVIS’s establishment in 2012, an external marketing company was used to provide MVIS with marketing strategies and build the companies online reputation. At the time it was perfect for the size of the company,  however in recent years the product catalogue has expanded and the hire fleet was grown, meaning a more hands-on approach was needed to reach current and potential customer’s online and branch into a more modern approach of being an independent company.

In 2019 MVIS’s then general Manager, Anne Ashman, decided to move away from using an external marketing agency and bring a new department into the rapidly growing company. Feeling the need to have someone internal portraying the company out to the market that knew MVIS inside out, she felt this could only ever be achieved by working within the organisation.

This led to the formation of the Marketing Department and employing Sean Brown as the Marketing Manager. With 8 years of experience in marketing, Sean was the perfect candidate to update and rebrand the external presence of MVIS, in his two years the company has seen a complete update of the marketing strategy, working closely with Anne and working in areas that an agency couldn’t have done, especially through the pandemic where a keen eye for adaptability whilst retaining sustainability was needed.

Taking on this role was going to be a large task for anybody. Sean’s vast knowledge in website design and SEO, let him easily take control of services that had previously been outsourced which meant that there was full engagement with current, new and potential clients in the fast-moving industry’s the company works in.

Sean`s tasks do not just include the upkeep of the marketing strategies but also include the training of his team, Tillie and  Ben. These last few years, Sean has passed on his knowledge and provided training sessions to them both.

Tillie said “Sean is amazing to work with; he likes to ensure that everything is done to the highest standard, implementing this in the marketing department has made Ben and I conscious of the work we do and the importance of a strong marketing department.”

Anne Ashman Commercial & Operations Director said “We want to say a big thank you for the effort that Sean has put into building the companies branding and reputation over the last two years, especially during the Covid pandemic, with daily changes coming from the government in 2020.  Every member of our team here at MVIS are what makes us stand out from the rest as we understand the importance of a strong, reliable task force when it comes to providing the UK with the highest quality products and solutions in the Intelligent Transport Business”.

MVIS Supports The 2021 Sparkle Walk

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It’s been another difficult year so far for charities who, for the first quarter at least, were still dealing with the impacts that social distancing was having on their ability to organise fundraisers.

During this difficult year, MVIS and Bartco UK have been supporting Ashgate Hospicecare with a range of fundraisers organised by ourselves as well offering our signs to help them promote events and important messages to the local area.

In recent months, as the UK has reopened again, fund raising events are back better than ever! The most recent event held by Ashgate was the annual 2021 Sparkle Walk, that saw 1500 people take to the streets of Chesterfield and walk in support of Ashgate. Whilst the amount raised is yet to be determined, it is sure to be substantial.

Our original 5-colour Bartco VMS-A has been of particular benefit to Ashgate Hospicecare, who have used several units to help promote events to the public throughout the year. However, with the Sparkle Walk, it’s different. Due to the scale of the annual Sparkle Walk, several main roads around the area are required to close.

4 of our VMS-A units were deployed 1 week prior to and during the road closures to give drivers warning, which due to how central these roads are to the local area, was an important thing to do.

Doing this offered a safer and potentially a more effective traffic control method due to our VMS-A’s LED lights and adjustable display mast, meaning it can be positioned perfectly for maximum exposure.

So far this year, the value of support MVIS has provided Ashgate Hospicecare through our signs has been £8,071 including delivery!

As Christmas approaches, we are working on exciting fundraising ideas that will contribute to the figure we have raised so far this year, adding to the Bake Off we will be concluding soon as well as the Car boot sale and the 17 mile High Peak Trail Walk completed by our UK Group Commercial and Operations Director, Anne Ashman earlier in the year. 

Celebrating 2 years of Mizzy!

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Celebrating staff retention and staff achievements is something that here at MVIS we are incredibly proud to be able to do. All of our team hold an integral part in maintaining our high standards and services, and being the leading VMS provider UK wide, we believe that it is our team that make us stand out from the rest within the industry.

In 2019 we decided to take on a new member of the Operations department to help our then Assistant Operations Manager, Dom Bridge, with his increased workload as our fleet grew to over 500 units and new builds were being developed in our Matlock HQ  in order to ensure that we were able to keep our market leading title, across the whole of the UK.

Mizzy came to us in August 2019 for an interview and it was decided that she was going to be a perfect addition to the team. With experience in customer relations and fast learning attributes, she was able to build and develop relationships with new and existing customers. Her confidence and charismatic personality has seen Mizzy being complimented and praised by customers and her team alike and which has made her a valued member our incredible work force.

We would like to say a big thankyou to Mizzy for the hard work that she has put into developing herself into her role over the last two years. We couldn’t hope for a better team here at MVIS, the commitment and dedication to each department is never over looked.

Celebrating 5 Years of Tillie!

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Back in February this year, we celebrated the 21st birthday of one of our team members, Tillie Woolliscroft. This month marks 5 years since Tillie has been with MVIS and we thought there was no better opportunity to review her progress since turning 21!

In February, we shone a spotlight on Tillie’s professional progress her time with us. Since then, she has gone on to achieve even more, not just for the company, but also for her own development.

Tillie began working at MVIS as an apprentice back in 2016 aged only 16, working under the supervision of Dom Bridge as a Customer Service and Operations apprentice.

During this time, Tillie also took on the role of bringing our more creative campaigns to life, particularly those around Christmas time. It was her affinity for these creative tasks that gave then General Manager, now Commercial and Operations Director at MVIS, Anne Ashman the idea to transition Tillie into a role that made more use of these skills. Whilst Tillie’s customer service skills were impeccable, it was understood that her professional development would be better channeled in a role that brought her artistic flair to the surface in a more ‘hands-on’ way.

As a result, it was decided in late 2019 that Tillie would transition into the newly formed Marketing department as Marketing Assistant, working under the guidance and training of Marketing Manager, Sean Brown.

Tillie’s professional development has taken a high priority internally in order to better utilise the obvious creative talent she has. This has involved approaching her development in several different ways, including CDP academic training, personal study and on the job experience.

Since February, Tillie has taken her development to the next level, by enrolling onto a Digital Marketing Level 3 Apprenticeship course as well as progressing along the Adobe training program she started earlier in the year.

Through her consistent commitment to her work, Tillie has developed an entirely new skills set that makes the most out of her talents in a way that her previous role only facilitated in a limited capacity.

Working in a marketing role has allowed Tillie to expand her knowledge and experience of marketing disciplines such as web design, SEO, social media and even copy writing, making her a versatile member of staff and a skilled marketer.

Sean comments, “It is so rewarding seeing Tillie develop. Even since February I have seen a huge improvement on her already fantastic grounding in her skills. The more time goes on, the more proficient Tillie becomes. I’m excited to seeing what the future holds as she develops her skills further.”

Anne Ashman adds, “In the 5 years Tillie has worked with us, I have seen her grow from a timid youngster into a strong and independent woman who has achieved so much. We are all so proud to have Tillie as part of the MVIS family.”

Everyone at MVIS congratulates Tillie on this amazing milestone as we look forward to the next one!

Focus on MVIS / Bartco UK Group Management Team

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In the 9 years MVIS have been serving the UK’s messaging needs, we have grown as a company, expanding our team to better accommodate demand for our products and services. The MVIS management team are no exception and has seen new team members join the ranks in recent years.

Long standing management team members also continue to train and upskill, understanding that as the business and economy changes, so too should employees so everyone can continue to uphold standards of safety and quality in every area of the business.

In this post, we take a look at the MVIS management team and what they bring to the company at a time when it is at its biggest.

Anne Ashman – UK Group Commercial and Operations Director

Anne Ashman has been with the company since it started as Colour Mobile VMS back in 2011. Originally starting with us as Office Manager, Anne has climbed in the ranks over the years to her current position of UK Group Commercial and Operations Director, overseeing both UK companies and the teams within them as well as serving as a member of the executive management team, representing the UK companies and their staff to the owners of the group companies.

As the central nexus for the MVIS and Bartco UK machines, Anne’s quick thinking and problem-solving skills are a valuable asset for the companies as a whole and her leadership skills have always been an asset when it comes to leading her team and especially stepping up as a leader during the pandemic.

Throughout Anne’s time with MVIS and Bartco UK, she has been responsible for writing and implementing the strategies, policies and procedures, along with recruiting all the staff in the teams that have led the companies to such success over the years. Anne’s dedication to ‘best practise’ also oversees the quality the team delivers to our customers, with her ‘pet hate’ being bad service, Anne often pulls the team up if she feels we are not giving the best service we can as a company.

Anne also places a huge priority on the physical and mental safety of her teams, resulting in a very focused approach to training and qualifications. If our teams are not trained properly, it can cost lives – and not just their lives.

If the incorrect information, for example, is displayed on one of our traffic signs, or if the information is presented in a way that is not compliant with legal frameworks, it could result in a highly dangerous outcome for our team and the wider public.

Anne takes these potential consequences very seriously and understands that this responsibility can’t be matched with a ‘catch all’ or lazy approach to training.

By supporting the development of staff in the way that we do, Anne also offers them a level of job satisfaction that keeps employees with the companies long term and creates consistency for the benefit of customers, stakeholders and the staff themselves.

Graeme Lee – Sales Director

Graeme Lee started back in 2012 after the Olympics project when the company had a minimal customer database.

Since then, Graeme has worked hard to ensure the company’s growth. Being a major player in getting MVIS and Bartco UK to where it is now, he has recently been promoted to Sales Director in recognition of his work. As Sales Director, Graeme is required to manage the new sales team, ensuring that they are working to their best and the company is utilising each person’s skillset.

During his time with the company, Graeme has attended trade shows and built strong relationships through customer visits and contact. He has single-handedly built a large customer database and made traction with all the major tier 1 contracts, which clearly shows in our Major Projects Timeline.

Graeme is not only well liked and trusted within the company, but also within the industry. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge of over 15+ years of working within the rental and sales highways and TM industry.

Dom Bridge – Operations Manager

Dom Bridge started with MVIS in 2013 as an admin apprentice and over the years has completed several courses, including his CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Having been involved in as much delivery planning for events, major projects, high speed works and TM has equipped Dom with a solid knowledge of how the organisation works and how things are supposed to be done.

Dom’s reliability, attention to detail, organisation skills and unshakeable attitude really does make him exceptional in the role of Operations Manager.

Nothing is too much trouble for him, and he will always find a solution for our customer’s enquiries. His peers all speak highly of him and he really is Anne’s right-hand person, working with her on the ISO systems since they were achieved and making sure all staff work to the processes in place.

Mark Ashbee – London Depot Manager

 

Mark Ashbee joined us in 2015 and has since used his hard-working attributes in helping lead our southern depot to success by enforcing his strong work ethic within his team and always offering a hand, no matter how large the task.

Mark’s main job roles include; delivering, servicing and collecting our portable VMS units along with helping on sales innovation depot visits. Over the past 6 years we have been often credited for Mark’s polite and attentive attitude towards our customers and other staff members.

Mark’s attitude and eagerness in the field is what comes to mind when thinking about MVIS growth and expansion. He embodies the MVIS ethos in his work and there is no one more fitting than Mark for the role of London Depot Manager. Ensuring the smooth running of a depot is a big task but Mark has never failed to keep MVIS rising above our competitors.

Sean Brown – Marketing Manager

Sean Brown started with the group back in late 2019 to help build the companies’ in-house marketing department after years of agency management.

Since starting, Sean has taken on a wide range of responsibilities and implemented new systems, policies and upgrades relevant to our marketing and sales departments. Sean is also responsible for the development of the marketing team to ensure that we have strong marketing skills in-house.

With over 8 years marketing management experience and specialising in marketing infrastructure, he has a spectrum of skills useful to the company that previously weren’t honed in-house, allowing MVIS and Bartco UK to be more creative, responsive and dynamic than ever.

Sean has also taken a leading role in our Lead Generation operations over the past year. As demand for our products and services changed during the pandemic, Sean was on-hand to not only produce the material for new products, but also re-brand existing products with relevant selling points and benefits to better accommodate the new applications for our technology.

Tom Hooton – Research and Development Manager

Joining Bartco UK in 2014, Tom Hooton has both grown within the company and helped the company grow, being instrumental in ground-breaking changes to our ITS solutions that have helped to drive the company forward. Whether it’s developing new products and solutions or find ways to improve our existing units with our warehouse team, we know that Tom is there to pass on his knowledge and experience to all departments, having time and patience for his co-workers.

Beginning his journey with us as Delivery and Maintenance Support, Tom has continuously developed within his role over the past 7 years, most recently taking on a Level 5 Apprenticeship in Management to accompany his role as Research and Development Manager, which he was promoted to from Technical Supervisor earlier in the year.

His initiative, determination and ability to think outside of the box has seen Tom develop his knowledge in using CAD software and with this has developed new, bespoke solutions. Tom also holds on-site cards such as his CSCS and Highways England Passport and he has a hands-on approach when it comes to understanding all of our units.

Being with us for 7 years shows Tom’s dedication to his role here with us. Monitoring the industry for the newest innovations, gaps in the market and other opportunities, he ensures that he is aware of the latest technologies so that we can stay cutting edge, competitive and of course, helpful to our customers. 

Lightweight & Portable: HD Compact VMS transforming work zone safety

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A ground-breaking development. A true first. Pioneering for the sector.

All statements that can be made about the MVIS HD Compact VMS. With work zone safety of paramount importance, the MVIS team developed this minimal footprint, extremely lightweight VMS unit that first saw action on our road network in 2016.

In keeping with the company ethos, the initial unit has been further developed, refined and improved, with the HD Compact v2 showcasing the very latest in work zone safety capability.

MVIS’ HD Compact was the first of its kind, designed for use within work zones in order to improve safety and to communicate information to the public.

The unit’s small footprint and adjustable height makes it highly versatile. Additionally, the display content can be updated remotely. With hidden cabling, the unit is secured against vandalism or accidental damage and benefits from the data collection radar integrated in all of MVIS’ signs.

The unit itself weighs below 10kg, making it perfect for fast deployment and manoeuvrability on site. Extremely portable, the manoeuvrability aspect of the HD Compact is unrivalled, with no other unit providing the same level of adaptability – even in rapidly changing circumstances.

Additionally, the HD Compact v2 can be installed on existing street furniture, as well on its own battery box and post – further versatility for this industry leading innovation.

Adaptability

Not stopping with its level of adaptability physically, the nature of the entire functionality makes this the most versatile unit on the market.

Power can be provided via mains, battery or solar, and the capability of the HD Compact v2 means deployment of this lightweight unit is equally as effective as either a temporary or permanent solution on urban highways and roads, or within larger highways schemes for on-site safety messaging.

The smaller footprint of the unit makes it the perfect choice for limited space schemes and environments, bringing safety on site to roadworkers due to limited encroachment into workspace.

Versatility in Messaging

The display messaging of the unit continues to deliver in terms of rapid response, as well as versatility. Controlled from the MVIS WebStudio, displays can be instantly changed via browser or mobile device according to requirements surrounding the unit. Furthermore, whether it’s safety messaging, speed alerts or general public notifications – the HD Compact v2 ticks all the boxes.

The LED display continues to showcase MVIS’ dedication to sustainability and the display offers both red and white colours for messaging.

Cost Effectiveness

Fully equipped with radar and data collection capability, the HD Compact v2 is an incredible low-cost alternative to many data collection solutions on the market, offering a data source for the analysis of traffic trends and enabling greater intelligence for planning projects of all kinds.

Anne’s 75 Mile walk over 3 days

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Over the past few months, our UK Group Commercial and Operations Director, Anne Ashman has been hard at work training for a 75 mile walk with the National Forest which will be completed over 3 days including camping in order to raise awareness and funds for three charities close to her heart. These charities are:

National Arboretum Memorial Company

DMRC Benevolent Fund

National Forest Company

Raising money for charity isn’t something new to Anne. In 2017 she and our newly appointed Research and Development Manager, Tom Hooton took part in running 100 miles for Sands, a charity dedicated to supporting those affected by stillbirth and neonatal death and together raised over £5000 for this incredible charity.

Since then, Anne has organised multiple ways in both giving back to the community as well as fundraising for local charities within MVIS such as a carboot that we were able to raise over £300 and are currently holding a 4 week company `bake off` all for Ashgate hospice care.

Anne has written on her fundraising page “To finish at the Arboretum will be amazing. Being brought up having had a grandad who fought in WW2 and the sacrifices that were made to give us the freedom we have, also the freedom I have discovered this last year out walking in the beautiful scenery makes me want to give something to the 3 charities”.

Understanding the importance of mental health and how fitness can have a huge impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, here at MVIS and Bartco UK we encourage a healthy lifestyle and have activities in place to try and get each of the team involved in taking advantage of the opportunities that we offer. In 2019 we entered our staff in a Corporate Sports Day local to our Matlock HQ and have since held activities such as our monthly litter pick and sponsored works for charities. As well as physical activity, we provide our team with fruit, this fruit is free to all of our staff and we encourage them to take advantage. With Anne taking part in this challenge she has inspired the team to increase their own fitness goals and work towards leading healthier lifestyles.

Anne`s dedication towards her charity work has seen her maintaining a strict schedule of continuous training, even when she went on a two-week vacation she was taking long trails each morning to maintain her fitness and motivation.

If you would like to donate towards Anne`s challenge and support these 3 charities, then please follow the link below. Good Luck Anne and bring on the next challenge!

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AnneAshman1/2 

 

Solar IP – The Multi-Functional Power Bank

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The Solar IP has a reputation for being a highly useful and versatile unit that brings portability to integrated technology. However, it is often a surprising point for our customers just how versatile this product is, as they see it through the lens of the product they are interested in. The Solar IP offers simple integration for all sorts of technologies that they may not have even considered.

 

Solar IP with CCTV

CCTV / Surveillance Technologies

As one of the more common integrations with our Solar IP, this unit brings traditionally fixed CCTV technologies to portable, temporary applications. The scope of this is vast, with all the surveillance technologies available in today’s world, the Solar IP is a lifeline to those who require such technologies to operate in non-fixed, portable applications.

This is especially important these days, where technology is helping to solve new and emerging issues that surveillance and CCTV technologies are being applied to, such as new security concerns in a modern world or even COVID.

 

ANPR

As law enforcement is expected to keep up with the pace of criminality, technology is increasingly being employed to help solve problems such as stretched work forces, how to disrupt criminality on a mass scale and how to save money.

Applying ANPR to our Solar IP could help with these issues, allowing law enforcement to apply portable ANPR technology to a given area without having to be present, as they do with handheld or vehicle integrated solutions. This not only frees up officers in man hours, but also allows them to station ANPR solutions in a variety of different locations that law enforcement vehicles may not be able to get to.

On a wider level, as when applied to CCTV technologies, the Solar IP opens up new applications to help solve emerging problems in the world of today, making it a highly versatile and powerful unit.

Another industry that uses ANPR is the parking industry, who use the technology to monitor car parks where payment is required or there is a maximum stay duration. In such an application, it allows parking companies to better protect car parks, get the charge they are owed and enforce stay durations for locations such as supermarket car parks.

By making this portable, it allows the companies to better cater to events or temporary applications, preventing the need for permanent installations as well as allowing for easy product demonstrations.

 

Data / Sensors

Our ability to detect and measure aspects of our environment has been increasing drastically in recent years, generating data that we can use to improve society. Technologies such as traffic data solutions or environmental sensors provide us with unique safety insights that have only become possible in the past few decades – and things are only getting better.

As these new sensors improve in accuracy and capability, attention turns to how to apply them, with a power supply being a major concern over how we can make the most out of them. Our Solar IP allows many of these technologies a chance at portability, allowing such sensors to be located at more strategically considered areas.

Bespoke Solutions

Along with existing and common technologies, as the Solar IP serves as an industrial sized power bank, we can also enable the integration of bespoke technologies that allows fixed solutions to be portable.

It’s for this reason that the Solar IP isn’t just a solar powered, trailer-based power bank, it stands as an embodiment of our commitments to serving and accommodating our customers. It also stands as an invitation to businesses to consider their own technology’s limitations, and how the Solar IP could expand uses or applications, especially in today’s world, where we are relying on new technologies to help battle new challenges as a society.

For more information about our Solar IP and how it can be adapted to integrate with your technology, please contact us via our contact form.

Alternatively, you can email us via sales@m-vis.co.uk.

 

10 years of working with Intelligent Transport Systems

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Anne Ashman, our Commercial & Operations Director is celebrating 10 years of working with us on the 5th September. We have spoken to Anne and asked her to look back on her time with the now group companies and how she has seen MVIS go from a start-up company with only 8 x Original Bartco 5 colour VMS in the fleet to the UK’s leading portable Intelligent Transport System Hire Company, having multiple new products and over 600 units in the hire fleet, plus the sale of multiple units through Bartco UK and supporting them through delivering top quality platinum service.

When Anne started with the then named company, “Colour Mobile VMS” back in 2011 as the office manager, the dream was to win the Olympic Games Lane Project in 2012 in London. This seemed an impossible task for the company with only 3 staff and only 8 units in the hire fleet. Jump forward 1 year, and the company had not only won and delivered the Olympic project, it had almost 200 units in the hire fleet, a new name, a new sales manager in Graeme Lee and a new product called the ‘2012 platform’, better known now as the Solar IP.

anne ashmanWithin 1 year of starting, Anne had been instrumental in the planning and shipping of the units from our now sister company Bartco AU, who manufactured the products for the 2012 Olympics, getting the units into the country in a very tight turn around window, often having to speak to shipping agents, customs and dealing with Forex companies to get the best exchange rates, this was no small task. On the back of this, Anne got promoted to Office and Finance Manager for the newly formed MVIS Ltd ITS Hire company.

Anne comments “after the Olympics was when the real work really started, having almost 200 signs with no established customer base was a very difficult time. We had units stuck in the yard, no hire system in place, a new sales manager and still only a team of 5 people”.

This did not deter Anne, in true ‘Anne fashion’ she rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in. Her day often included accounts work, chasing for payments, raising invoices, payroll, sales quoting, sales lead generation, marketing, web studio programming of the signs, getting units ready for hire, logistics of delivering, customer service, writing and implementing the much needed policies, procedures and processes, company first aider, even delivering the signs sometimes, generally the role was very all rounded at this stage with limited staff.

In 2013, when the then MD Tony Price left the company and Pat Musgrave become the new MD, Anne was promoted to General Manager. In the short two years of her employment, she had shown that she could easily manage the company and was the right person to take on the role, working with Pat and Graeme, to move it to the next level.

Since 2013 when Pat and Anne became the senior management team the company has not looked back, it has gone from strength to strength. In 2014 Bartco UK was formed to manufacture and sell ITS products in the UK, this also came under Anne’s watchful eye.

Since starting in 2011 Anne has seen the company go from 3 employees, Anne being the only original member left, to 22 staff across the 2 UK group companies, of which 20 Anne has recruited, these 22 staff make up everything that MVIS and Bartco UK are, with Anne’s passion, history and strive for perfection the team all buy in to this and give the best service to the company’s now large customer base.

During her 10 years with the group companies Anne has gained 3 ISO standards across the UK companies, she commented, “When I took this task on single headedly in 2014, as there was nobody else to do it, I really didn’t know what I had got myself into, I had a very quick learning curve and with a lot of extra hours worked I soon got in to the flow and gained the first 2 standards and implemented them across all areas of the business. Once Dom started to assist, it made getting the 3rd standard easier with two of us working on it. Since then, we have gone on to get many more accreditations and none have been as difficult, as we now know exactly what is needed, most recently working on our FORS Bronze accreditation together”.

Anne strongly believes in the personal development of herself and her team, often mentoring the apprentices and ensuring all new starters get the right training they need.  She has completed an OU Business Management Degree, gained a level 5 HR qualification, IOSH Managing Safely, Directors Development Program and most recently PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner qualifications whilst running the group companies, amongst other qualifications she has.

Anne continues, “Doing a degree and making sure my 3 children and husband had the best life and opportunities I have had, due to my work at MVIS, has just been the cherry on top of the cake. When I started here 10 years ago, I was so ambitious but really didn’t know if this new start-up company was going to help me realise my ambitions. Looking back, there are too many highlights to mention. But there was my degree, a very proud moment when I picked up my certificate in front of my family after 7 years of studying, trips to our sister company in Australia, trade shows across the UK and Europe, being involved in the 2012 Olympics, winning most of the major High Speed schemes across the UK in the last 10 years and having the opportunity to build and work with a fantastic workforce, I think I can say my ambitions have been more than realised. Every day here at MVIS and Bartco UK is different and I wouldn’t have it any other way, overseeing all areas of the business really does keep me on my toes and I love it”.

As a company, a group of employees and as individuals, we all wish to congratulate Anne on this very important milestone. Anne is the first member of staff to reach 10 years’ service in our group’s history and she is also the longest serving employee, marking not just a significant occasion for Anne, but also for the organisation in general and we are all looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us.

 

 

Alternative uses for Portable VMS

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With over 9 years in the industry, we have seen many uses for our portable original 5-colour Bartco VMS units.

There has never been a time that has challenged and pushed our sign’s capability more than during the pandemic and as a result, we wanted to take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the more interesting uses of our signs that we have seen outside of the traditional applications.

Stadiums / Arenas

A core use of our signs is to communicate with high numbers of people at any one time. However, what information is being displayed and under what circumstances this communication takes place is extremely versatile, being able to accommodate a wide range of locations.

One application we have seen an increasing need for our signs is in Football arenas and Stadiums, who have been relying on our units to help convey a wide range of information, from match scores to helping to fight homophobia.

Using a portable VMS at a stadium ensures maximum exposure of your message and it allows venues without an integrated electronic scoreboard to use one that can be moved to the best location.

Likewise, for larger stadiums where there may be blind spots on a pre-installed display, our VMS offers an innovative, portable scoreboard that can be updated quickly and easily when the message needs to change. This was especially useful during the pandemic when audiences were more dispersed than usual due to social distancing.

Retail

We have seen some amazingly innovative uses of our signs in the retail industry recently, helping with practical and safety issues such as social distancing, queue management and informing customers of the store’s COVID policy before they enter the premises.

This was mainly applicable to the specific parts of the retail industry who were permitted to stay open in the height of the pandemic. They were required to ensure that the nation were not only keeping their fridges full, but also shopping safely for the benefit of everyone.

Phil Spencer, manager at New Leaf Plant Centre in Dronfield commented, “The unit and support from MVIS has been invaluable to our re-opening and has clearly reinforced our commitment to the Health & Safety of our staff and customers. […] It has given reassurance to all that they are dealing with a professional and caring company.”

Public Spaces

Along with basic communication, our signs are also adept at influencing behaviour. This can be done for a multitude of reasons but traditionally our VMS have been used to encourage drivers to travel at slower speeds or drive more carefully – usual traffic management applications.

During the significant social change of the pandemic however, new behaviours began to emerge, from dangerous rule breaking to anti-social actions such as littering in the few public spaces we were allowed to visit during lockdown, like at national and country parks.

Using our portable VMS in conjunction with our portable CCTV, site managers of public spaces were able to implement a VMS – CCTV feedback solution that could not only monitor the situation on the ground without requiring a physical presence, but could also use the VMS to feedback messages to visitors to help stop or even encourage certain behaviours.

Looking further afield than national or country parks, many public spaces around the UK saw the unique benefits of our signs for much needed crowd control and public information.

Whilst our signs are traditionally used for wayfinding and crowd control applications for some of the largest events in the UK, it is unprecedented for a national requirement to be this critical and widespread- using our signs to help control a global pandemic is certainly a diversion from the ‘traditional’.

Deploying our VMS on high streets and city centres gave the displayed messages maximum exposure, helping to spread important safety information at a very important time.

Security

In the same way that our signs have been used to influence behaviour in public spaces, they can also be used to do the same in not-so-public spaces.

Protecting private property with our combined VMS / CCTV unit grants site managers visibility on a desired location along with a highly visual deterrent to warn trespassers away and that they are on camera.

For a security company, this option may be preferable to many other solutions they would traditionally go for and it may even be a suitable alternative to manned security options.

If you would like to learn more about our Variable Message Signs for your application, please contact us via our contact form. Alternatively, you can call us on 01629 580 570 to speak to one of our friendly team, or you can email us via sales@m-vis.co.uk.

MVIS Raises the Standards on Intelligent Transport Systems Quality

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Over the years that we have been supporting the national road system with our solutions, we have built up a strong reputation within the industry especially when it comes to issues of safety, service and quality.

MVIS are well known for having brought the world’s first original five-colour Bartco portable VMS units to the UK, as well as developing the UK’s first smaller portable VMS, giving rise to a whole new product in the market at the same time as pioneering a new client-focused Research and Development process. 

In response to market demand, MVIS worked with sister company, Bartco UK to develop this product further which paved the way for a solar powered unit of this size, marking the HD Company V.2 as one of our newest innovations.

Being at the forefront of innovation in our industry, we place questions of quality very high in our considerations. As part of our commitment to quality, we have several accreditations and memberships with organisations that underscores our continuous mission to improve our standards.

Possibly the most crucial of these accreditations are our ISO certifications in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018), which were re-certified earlier in the year.

Issued by global certification body NQA, ISO accreditations enforce the practise of and adherence to respected business standards that help organisations perform better in a wide range of aspects.

Together, the three ISO accreditations furnish us with a full IMS (integrated management system), bringing our systems and processes into one complete framework.

Another ‘stamp of approval’ in terms of quality that we have earned recently is Gold Status in the Constructionline programme, which offers a platform for thousands of buyers in the construction industry that enforces an ethos of trust and quality amongst its members.

Validating all members, the Constructionline platform is used by buyers to quickly find suppliers that will enable them to complete a whole range of projects in the industry by providing them with a pool of high quality suppliers that they can engage with confidently.

We have also recently re-certified with Achilles BuildingConfidence registration, having been certified for over 2 years now. Achilles Building Confidence is a UK construction industry accreditation and risk management scheme that aims to help organisations identify, assess, qualify, and monitor suppliers throughout the supply chain, reducing operating costs.

A standardised pre-qualification questionnaire streamlines the procurement process and manages risk. 

Achilles enables communities of buyers and suppliers to build better business relationships through a more open, trusting and proactive approach. Sharing knowledge, standards and best practice leads to buyers and suppliers sharing success.

Achilles BuildingConfidence helps us to accentuate our commitment to these essential aspects of our business.

When it comes to quality, we don’t just stop at service and product. We also highly prioritise the quality of our general business operations and in today’s economy, part of that includes how we work digitally also.

Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective Government backed scheme that helps us protect our organisation against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks.

Certification gives us peace of mind that our defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

It also gives our customers piece of mind that their data is handled according to best practices against common cyber attacks, meaning they can hire with us confidently.

Graeme Lee, Sales Director at MVIS commented, “The importance of quality is emphasised at every level of our business, from the management where quality focus is driven, right through to the office and workshop teams. Working to the benchmarks that our ISOs and other memberships set before us ensures that we are working to the best standards possible. Clients come to us knowing that we do not compromise on quality, safety and customer care, which is what underpins our Platinum Service Promise.”

For more information about MVIS, please contact us via our contact form. Alternatively, you can email us via sales@m-vis.co.uk.

 

Mobile Visual Information Systems

01629 580 570

MVIS, Units 6-8, Brookfield Way, Brookfield Industrial Estate, Tansley, Matlock, Derbyshire. DE4 5ND

© 2022. Company registered in England No. 8130402 - Registered Office: Units 6-8, Brookfield Way, Brookfield Industrial Estate, Tansley, Matlock, Derbyshire. DE4 5ND