MVIS / Bartco UK receives a record number of Award Submissions

With the 2020 award season facing major disruption due to COVID-19, MVIS have not taken this as a sign to slow down. This year so far has presented numerous challenges to not only MVIS, but the entire economy. It truly is times such as these that allow adaptable and forward-thinking businesses to shine.

In spite of this horrific climate for business, MVIS have remained strong and operational, and have not let the undeniable handbrake to the economy hold us back.

With this in mind, it makes sense that MVIS and Bartco UK have been submitted as finalists for a number of awards with the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce. Getting through to the finals in these awards represents a wider commitment to the areas that the categories address, most of which are highly important to our business.

Bartco UK – Innovation in Manufacturing Award

MVIS / Bartco UK – Commitment to People Development Award

MVIS – Environmental Impact Award

These awards all cover areas we hold highly important to our business operations as an organisation, with our submission as finalists demonstrating just how highly we prioritise them.

Bartco UK’s submission as Innovation in Manufacturing Award finalists recognises our commitment to developing our manufacturing processes, ensuring that we are consistently improving our numerous product and process innovations for the benefit of our customers and the safety of our staff.

The shared submission with MVIS and Bartco UK as finalists in the Commitment to People Development Award is a highly appropriate submission for our organisation, recognising our continued commitment to the development, training and safety of our team. This wouldn’t be the first time we have been recognised for our commitment to our team.  Receiving national recognition for our investment in people in 2018, Learning Unlimited awarded the group a place on the shortlist for their Investment in Apprentices awards.

What’s more is that at this event, George Sheldon, one of Bartco UK’s Apprentice Technicians, was named as a finalist in the Advanced Apprentice of the Year category and MVIS’ then Operations and Customer Service Apprentice, Tillie Wooliscroft, was announced as the winner in the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year category.

Submission as finalists in this award with the Chamber of Commerce is a very welcome acknowledgment for the focus we give to the development of our team. This gives us an immense level of pride, especially with the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, who’s recognition in this way brings with it a worthy stamp of approval for our contributions to the skills pool in our local area.

Last but certainly not least is the MVIS finalist submission for the Environmental Impact Award, which compliments and recognises our corporate social responsibility to the environment.

Replicated in virtually every business decision we make, MVIS have an on-going commitment to the environment that we take very seriously. With our products being, by their very nature, highly environmentally friendly by running on solar power, many businesses would stop there in their duty to the environment.

Not MVIS, however.

We have a number of initiatives currently in place and in planning phase that will help to lessen or offset our carbon emissions and impact on the environment. Submission as finalists for this award helps to recognise that these initiatives are making a difference, only spurring us on in our never-ending commitment to the environment.

All these awards brought together are well complemented by our ISO accreditations in Quality (9001:2015), Environmental Management (14001:2015), and Health & Safety (45001:2018), with each award tipping its hat to at least one of these accreditations. So, it comes of little surprise that it was these awards that have seen us recognised as finalists.

Check back later in the year for the results of these Awards, which will be announced at the Gala Dinner Events and are currently scheduled to take place in early December.


MVIS Welcomes New Accounts Officer

As a small team, we always find new employees to be a very welcome addition to our group. Finding the right person for the job is a crucial task not just in terms of skill level but also their approach to work, making talent ID an often long and difficult task for us.

The effort is worth it however, with MVIS building a fantastic team over the years as the company has matured, resulting in a workforce that has grown with the company in more ways than just in numbers.

MVIS are proud to welcome Chris Steel to the team as Accounts Officer, coming to us in July 2020, right in the heart of the COVID-19 lockdown. Despite starting MVIS under most unusual circumstance, Chris hit the ground running, bringing with him 5 years of accounting experience along with a driven and independent attitude.

It’s this attitude that MVIS believes brings the true ‘X-factor’ in our team. Years of experience and skills is only as useful as how driven the employee is. With this in mind, we take extra care in our recruitment process to ensure that prospective new staff members have that ‘X-factor’, irrespective of their skill set. This ensures that no one just ‘walks’ into our company based on experience alone, which would be an easier but riskier approach to recruitment – one that many businesses opt for in the name of simplicity.

Whilst Chris is joining us at an unusual time in the world, it is quite an exciting time for the company. Chris joins us at a time of marked expansion – a time that we are looking to new horizons to maintain the incredible growth we have seen to date. As Accounts Officer, Chris oversees the accounts operations of the company, managing the day to day posting of the accounts, updating purchase and sales invoices, processing and submitting VAT returns and managing all banking operations.

Anne Ashman, Commercial and Operations Director at MVIS comments “We take recruitment very seriously and don’t let just anyone into our business. After a rather unconventional recruitment process due to COVID-19, Chris stepped up to the plate. He performed exceptionally in the interview and was the best applicant for this role. We are proud to welcome Chris to the team and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve with the great team we are growing here at MVIS.”


MVIS Succeed with Achilles Audit

Last year, we were proud to announce that we had been awarded with Achilles BuildingConfidence registration. 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.

For MVIS, registration with Achilles last year cemented our commitment to both quality and safety, building on the work we have done with our ISO accreditations in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018), together furnishing us with a full IMS (integrated management system), integrating our systems and processes into one complete framework.

Bringing in Achilles BuildingConfidence registration alongside this helps us to accentuate our commitment to these essential aspects of our business. Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director commented, “Last year, we were really proud to achieve registration with Achilles. We did this to help demonstrate to our current and potential customers that we work in a Quality, H&S and Environmental focused manner. This year underscores this even more so, with the changing nature of the economy, it is more important than ever to ensure that we are keeping standards up.”

Anne adds, “We are really proud to have succeeded with this year’s Achilles audit, retaining our membership and allowing us to keep it next to our other accreditations as testament to the fact that we practice what we preach when it comes to standards, service and quality.”

Our Achilles BuildingConfidence membership takes its place next to the multitude of reasons to choose MVIS, that not only confirms our commitment to these aspects, but it all together helps to set us apart from a typical ITS supplier.

With award winning customer service, national coverage and a portfolio containing some of the highest profile projects in the UK, it is little wonder why MVIS boast the most experienced and best trained workforce in the industry. We ensure that our workforce are given the skills and hands-on training to deliver nothing short of excellence, meaning that is what you can expect from us.


Promoting from Within

During these uncertain times, we can easily get trapped with all the bad news in the world. Perhaps now more than ever, we need to focus on the good news, and look to celebrate successes and wins wherever possible. With this in mind, it brings MVIS Ltd and Bartco UK Group MD, Pat Musgrave much pride to announce some exciting staff promotions this year. He comments, “a lot of businesses currently are going through a period of uncertainty, but MVIS have continued to sail the waters at a steady pace, ensuring all staff stayed employed and were not furloughed. This was led by the MVIS and Bartco UK management team”.

Despite the immense challenges faced this year, MVIS has managed to keep its hire fleet utilisation at a steady rate. Bartco UK has not only won sales in this climate, but has also served as a case study on adaptability and safety, keeping all staff working with new safety measures in place and nurturing mental wellbeing. With this amazing dedication overseen and managed by the MVIS and Bartco UK management team, Pat has promoted key members of the team as a thank you for their long-term service and loyalty to the company.


Anne Ashman, who has been with the companies since their start has been promoted from UK Group General Manager to UK Group Commercial and Operations Director. 

Anne has been part of the ‘global group companies’ executive team since 2015, working closely with the directors and her colleagues in Australia on a weekly and monthly basis.  She has worked with Pat since the incorporation of MVIS in 2012 and then Bartco UK in 2013, previously joining Colour Mobile VMS originally in 2011 as office manager, moving over to MVIS, as office and finance manager, when it was formed for the Olympic project in 2012.

Her quick thinking makes her a great problem solver and helps her to come up with new ideas that along with her organisation skills makes sure the business strategies are implemented all the way through both the UK companies and the group.  She has been a major implementor of both MVIS and Bartco UK’s success from the very start, leading her qualified teams for the last 8 years and especially stepping up to the challenge of the last 6 months during the pandemic.  During her time with the company she has written and implemented all the policies and processes that the UK work to, ensuring the best of service for our customers, implemented and gained certification for an integrated ISO management system and recruited and trained the majority of the staff, which MVIS and Bartco UK consider to be the best trained in the portable ITS industry at present. 

She has also herself took on further training, gaining her Open University Business Management Degree last year, her HR qualification in 2018, ITOPS in 2019, even completing a Directors Development program during the lockdown, to name but a few, she is keen on making sure not only does she have the necessary skills and knowledge to keep making the UK companies move forward, but that her whole team do to, to ensure the UK companies growth in an ever changing market place.

Anne will continue to oversee both UK companies and lead the teams, whilst continue working with the executive team to work on global business strategies and ideas for the whole group.


Graeme Lee who has been with the company since 2012 as Sales Manager has been promoted to Sales Director.

Graeme started with the company when it was in its very early days and only had a minimal customer database after the 2012 Olympics.  Since then he has worked tirelessly with Pat and Anne ensuring the company growth and has been a major player in getting the company to where it is now as the UK market leader in the hire of ITS.  During his time with the company, he has attended trade shows and built relationships through customer visits, single handedly building a large customer database and made traction with all the major tier 1 contracts, which clearly shows in our Major Projects Time Line.

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.  With his new promotion, Graeme will work closer with Anne to build the reputation of the companies and strategies to keep growing both MVIS and Bartco UK alike. He will also be working closely with our marketing team to make sure the strategies align with the market’s needs. Part of his new role will be to also work with the new sales manager we are bringing on board to ensure they have the knowledge of the industry and also work with them to bring in new business in new markets.


The last promotion and by far not the least is Dominic Bridge, who has been promoted to the company’s Operations Manager.

Dom started with MVIS back in 2013, almost a year to the date after Graeme.  He started as an admin apprentice and over the 7 years has completed several courses to recently earn his CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Dom has been the voice and organiser behind most of the delivery phone calls for the last 7 years, been involved in all the planning for the delivery to events, major projects, highspeed works and TM requirements. During his time with the company he has gained a wealth of knowledge and is the main trainer for other staff on the companies’ IT systems. 

He’s regularly the fall back for all staff with any IT issues and was the main person for implementing the way the company worked on the IT systems during the lockdown back in March when all the office staff and managers moved to home working.

Dom’s reliability, eye to detail, organization skills and non-fazed 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 customers enquires.  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.

Dom has also recently qualified as a fleet manager, his new promotion will see him looking after all the company vehicles and give him the opportunity to work closer with his team in deliveries on a more strategic basis, looking at cost savings and also reducing our environmental impact in this area.


Pat comments, “when you identify talent within the workplace, you do everything you can to encourage the people to grow and stay.  Business really is about relationships, but that starts with the people we employ. Get the right people and they will grow your business for you! Here at MVIS and Bartco UK we really have a great team.  Part of keeping that team is to give them new challenges and let them flourish, but equally give them the recognition they deserve.”

He adds, “All three people here have been with the companies a long time, Anne 9 years, Graeme 8 and Dom 7, so as a company we want to keep this wealth of knowledge and thank them for their dedication to date”.

 


Reflection on lockdown brings adaptability of products and people to the fore

The last 4 months have thrown up challenges that we can all concede we probably never thought we’d face. Individuals, families and businesses have all had to make adjustments and sacrifices in order to stay safe, well, and survive.

As we look back on the unprecedented nature of 2020 so far, and with a gradual return to normality seemingly now upon all of us, it’s great time to look back and see what we’ve learned.

Adaptability is Key

Leading ITS solutions provider MVIS has been on this journey of self-reflection, and highlights adaptability as perhaps the key factor to thriving as a business throughout the challenging lockdown period.

It’s probably not unfair to say there isn’t an individual in the entire nation who hasn’t been dealt some sort of challenge with adaptability over the last 4 months.

Adaptable People

MVIS acted quickly to keep Britain moving by making a virtually immediate jump to home working for all office staff as soon as it was advised to do so by the government.

Management acted quickly to keep their people safe, and the excellent MVIS team were forced to adapt to home-based offices whilst still delivering quality and service to a client base.

Staff meetings were moved to virtual hangouts via Microsoft Teams, and the delivery team were forced to adapt to new protocols to keep themselves, and their clients safe whilst out on site..

The ability to do this quickly and with a ‘can do’ attitude has left the company firstly in no doubt that they have the right team in place, but secondly, in a position to now further adapt to new requirements in terms of what their solutions can provide.

Adaptable Products – Delivering New Solutions for New Problems

As the COVID-19 lockdown eased, retail stores throughout the country faced new challenges, one of the most important being the ability to communicate vital information to customers quickly and easily.

In recent months, MVIS have been working with the retail industry to develop ways they can apply their technology to solving these new challenges, helping to clear up the confusion that customers were facing as more businesses were granted permission to open their doors once again.

MVIS VMS-C Unit deployed at Amazon in Doncaster
 
From Global to Local

The solutions for retail are all encompassing, with one of the world’s largest companies and biggest brands utilising MVIS units. Indeed, worldwide phenomenon Amazon has deployed 2 x MVIS VMS-C used at its distribution centre in Doncaster to give staff and visitors up to date information on site rules.

Additionally, 2 x VMS-A are being used at Middlebrook Shopping Centre in Bolton to direct customers around the site and advise of any changes to the layout due to Covid-19.

At the other end of the size spectrum, New Leaf Plant Centre in Dronfield, only a stone’s throw away from MVIS’ Matlock HQ reopened back in May but had an understandable number of concerns about keeping customers informed of critical information.

The VMS-A was advised and deployed by MVIS due to the size of New Leaf’s car park. The VMS-A is renowned for its impressive screen size: footprint ratio and is often deployed where units with a larger footprint cannot be.

With a rather large car park to display messages to and parking space at a premium, the VMS-A was the unit of choice over the smaller screened HD Compact due to its increased display size.

The MVIS VMS units are helping the aforementioned businesses to keep their staff and customers well informed, as well as keeping processes and practices from site deliveries to payment queues as efficient and stress free as possible.

Major shopping centres such as Middlebrook in Bolton are utilising MVIS units

MVIS Marketing Manager, Sean Brown said:

“It’s always great seeing new uses for our technology and the cornerstone of this is found in us having a good understanding of the needs of our client, regardless of whether it’s a huge global corporate entity such as Amazon, or a smaller local business such as New Leaf.

“Once we establish needs, it’s then working with our client on ways we can apply our solutions to them specifically.

“Building the relationships that allows us to understand these needs is where this starts. As we explore new industries, we are eager to highlight that we are not just in the business of ITS rental, but rather the business of relationships and service.”


Source: highwaysindustry.com


How ITS Technology can help the Airport Industry post COVID-19

As an industry we have worked with in the past, we are taking steps to help airports around the UK return to some degree of normal. With the country reopening, most areas that are open to the public require some kind of COVID-19 provision to best serve the safety of the public, and airports, as the gatekeepers of international travel, perhaps have one of the biggest responsibilities of all.

MVIS offer products that can help airports handle the challenges they are facing during this time. What’s more is that our portable products help with these issues whilst being environmentally friendly, offering additional benefits that bring a wealth of extra value and in some cases, these benefits can even be a primary feature.

Variable Message Signs

MVIS offer a range of variable message signs (VMS) in different sizes, depending on the application. For directing foot traffic, our latest HD Compact VMS is ideal for inside and outside. With its small footprint, it can be placed in busy areas without taking up too much space and can allow airport site managers to control queues and communicate easily to visitors.

The larger VMS-C also has a history of being used for directing foot traffic, with a strong record in crowd control across some of the biggest events in the UK. Being used for marshalling, way finding and information, our units are great for keeping people informed.

Our VMS have the capability to display text or pictograms and can be updated remotely via web browser or mobile app, allowing you to stay responsive to shifting needs, as the situation and message changes during this uncertain time.

Since all our VMS were built for traffic management, these units excel in traffic management applications. The mid-sized VMS-A, for example, is perfect for directing drivers on roads with speeds of up to 50mph and can be deployed in locations leading up to the airport to help control on-coming traffic. They can also be especially effective in car parks to communicate information to people before they enter the airport.

All our VMS also come with an integrated data collection radar. This offers you access to a solar powered historical portable traffic data source, allowing for analysis of traffic trends. This multi-functional solution can gather valuable data whilst getting vital messages across. This will help airports gather intelligence about the traffic they are having to deal with, to identify hot spots and risks, allowing them to make informed decisions that may impact safety and order.

Solar Intelligent Platform – ANPR / CCTV

The Solar Intelligent Platform (IP) is a highly innovative, trailer-based solar powered ‘power bank’, that allows for the flexible combination of technologies, granting them portability and solar power. This has led to a number of innovations in the market such as portable ANPR and CCTV, which are great solutions for airport car parks and offer a means of revenue generation and increased security, which may be especially important during the pandemic.

When used in conjunction with a VMS, our CCTV can also be used as part of a feedback solution that can monitor areas of risk. By updating the message on the VMS manually via browser or mobile app to respond to situations as they occur, site managers can help to deal with issues quickly without being on site.

For more information about how our products can be used in airports under COVID-19 conditions, or if you would like to know more about how you can use our products to help with crowd control, social distancing or queue management, please 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.


Returning to the office safely with COVID-19

During the lockdown caused by COVID-19, the office staff at MVIS / Bartco UK have been working from home, but as the UK begins to get moving again, we have been hard at work in putting together ways that we can operate from the office, but with the ever present threat of infection being the main consideration in our minds. There are a number of a departments within our organisation that have always required a degree of on-site presence, from the manufacturing team with Bartco UK to the delivery team for MVIS; it has been important for our team to be trained in, educated in and actively practicing measures that will help keep  them safe and reduce the spread of the virus.

Some of the infection control measures we have implemented have been extremely strict, putting intense demands on our team on top of already demanding roles, especially regarding health and safety. However, it is this aptitude towards skills development and adherence to compliance that has worked to our teams’ advantage, allowing them to learn the new skills they need to operate safely whilst already being mindful of health and safety. These measures include-

  • Disinfection of all collected units on arrival
  • Limited delivery / service vehicle sharing with mandatory masks if sharing
  • Mandatory disinfection of all surfaces touched & shared facilities
  • Hand sanitising stations located throughout the buildings
  • Perspex screens dividing workstations
  • Daily temperature readings
  • A complete layout change to the building, including repositioned desks and relocation of marketing office and doors to control the flow and direction of foot traffic
  • VMS deployed in strategic locations for safety information or no access
  • All external doors & windows left open when people are in the building
  • Withdrawal of shared utensils and pots
  • Table and canopy built outside to allow for socially distanced meetings across departments
  • Repainted the workshop floor to mark out personal working ‘bays’ stationed 2m apart
  • Second workshop set up in our storage facility, Unit 19, to allow for social distancing
  • New ‘snap cabin’ recreational area for the workshop team, further segregating the use of shared facilities
  • Personal headsets for phones rather than using the handsets
  • Daily Microsoft Teams meetings updates
  • Visitor entry restrictions marked by VMS
  • Placement of workplace safety signage to remind employees to wash and sanitise hands
  • Weekly risk assessments of all areas to ensure we adhere to the ever-changing rules of COVID

The layout change is not small; it’s been a major renovation project to our office that has involved blocking old entrances off and making news ones to better facilitate the safe flow of people from one section of the building to another.

Our office’s new layout has seen the building divided into territorial ‘pods’, separating departments and ensuring that the staff who are required to share a space do not come into potentially infectious contact with any more people than is required.

In establishing set entrances, exits and pass through routes for each pod, we can limit our areas of concern to shared facilities such as toilets. Outside each pod we have installed hand sanitising stations that staff must use when moving from one pod to the other and masks must be worn by all staff when outside of their pod.

In line with the government guidelines, we recently began to phase in some of our office staff who wanted to come back in as the lockdown measures ease. To allow this to happen safely, we require each member of staff to take a temperature test daily when they enter the building. This helps both the company and our employees take early steps in the event that any of our team are displaying a fever, and by taking these measurements daily, we have comparable and consistent data that would help to identify a fever, or unusual personal temperature as soon as it presents.

These constant reminders scattered through the office, the drastic change to our work place layout and the steps we are having to take as individuals serve as a system that not only help keep our team safe, but also help them feel safe, allowing them to still work productively without unnecessary anxiety.

As you can see, the office now features new, higher desks with ergonomic stools and mats placed under for foot comfort. We took the opportunity during the renovation to make sure that workspaces helped to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, and these stools help to correct posture and improve our employee’s standing health.

Every member of staff has been well equipped too. Upon return to work after lockdown, everyone has been given protective visors, masks, a packet of antibacterial wipes and another bottle of hand sanitiser. The desk layout within the pods have been positioned to ensure maximum efficiency between departments that require any form of interaction.

Critically, however, we are not forcing anyone into the office who is not required to be, minimising the number of people that are sharing the facilities and space, therefore minimising the risk. Indeed, those who have come back either wanted to or were required to by their role. With the measures the company has taken, we can accommodate these members of staff in the building by taking the measures that are required to be COVID compliant.

The effect of this gives our team a ‘no pressure’ approach to the situation that lets them to take control of their own health, both mental and physical, allowing them to return to work in the office when they feel comfortable.

These measures would not have been possible without the use of systems such as Microsoft Teams. Teams allows our staff to maintain a strong level of communication by using online video chat to conduct our normal business discussions.

In order to allow us to use Teams in this way, some of our staff had to undergo training, which was a fairly routine procedure for MVIS and Bartco UK staff, who take part in training regularly as a vital factor in staff progression. 

As training underpins our approach to our staff and our business, so too it underpins our approach to COVID-19. Our employee’s aptitude for development has been a big advantage for helping to keep the company operating smoothly and to keep Britain moving, and most importantly of all, helping to keep themselves and others safe.

 

 


A company culture and a dedicated workforce starts at talent ID

All companies are chasing that elusive great culture. That intangible ethos that sets the tone of what’s expected within a business from all employees, from the MD to the apprentices, and the work ethic to deliver on those expectations.

MVIS and Bartco UK prides itself on culture, and their employees adopt the company principles every day.

As employees develop with the company, they experience new things that can spark an interest, demonstrate a particular skill or just show a new level of responsibility. As a result of being so well trained, their staff are extremely strong assets and like anything in business, they need to be distributed in a way that is going to get the most out of them.

But what makes the company workforce so capable and committed?

We spoke to General Manager Anne Ashman about the process of identifying talent, skillsets, and creating the culture for employees to thrive.

HI: Firstly and rather broadly Anne, what do you look for in an employee? 

AA: “It’s more about the actual person for us, their work ethic and attitude.

“At MVIS and Bartco UK it is vital to be highly adaptable, and extremely organised.

“We are also an extremely close team, so anyone who comes onboard needs to fit in with the MVIS/Bartco ‘family culture’. That, above all else is perhaps the most important point. Skills can be learned, but attitude cannot.

“We have a very strong training program in place, so we have no doubts we can upskill an individual with the right personal qualities.

“I personally place the greatest emphasis on delivering the best customer service, so anyone who joins our team needs to understand and buy into that that is what we are working diligently to deliver.

HI: How would you say you identify talent, whether that’s at an interview, careers fayre or apprenticeship application? Then further talent ID once a rookie is in the door?

“I can often get a good feel from a CV and the way it is written if a person is going to be a good fit for us, but I use a scoring system to make sure it is fair. The best then get an interview.

“I also tend to invite the best two in for a trial to see if they are right for us, and also if we as a company are
right for them – it’s a two-way exchange.

“We take a lot of apprentices on, train them and retain them. Most of these apprentices come following work experience with us, so they quite naturally ask about a job. We actually have a waiting list at the moment of past work experience students who want a position at MVIS & Bartco UK!

“If we could offer them all a position we would, one of my values is growth and education for young people in the workplace, as I think the ‘youth of today’ often get a bad reputation and subsequently get some less appealing positions

“We have found that if you take the time, you can mould them into what a company needs – we have seen this first hand so many times with our staff as Dom (Assistant Operations Manager), Tillie (Marketing Assistant) and Rebecca (Purchasing Supervisor) are all prime examples of this.”

Promoting from within

HI: With so many examples of apprentices climbing the company hierarchy, when do you know the time is right to take an employee to their next step? And how do you identify the right fit?

AA: “If a new role is needed, or someone higher up the chain leaves and we feel we have the skillset within, we look to take that route rather than recruit externally. Someone who already understands our methods and values, that we know we can trust to perform are in a prime position.

“I am very much about constantly evaluating a person’s skills, seeing how they develop and grow, and as a result – if they then need a new challenge.

“Part of our employee review process includes asking all staff what their values are in both life, and the workplace so we obtain regular, current insight into what makes our people tick. Once we know this, we can see what they want to achieve – and can work with them to achieve it.

Tim has ascended through the company on the back of his attitude and skillset

“As just one example, Tim, our Workshop Supervisor started with the company as a delivery driver. I recognised he had other skills, skills that we needed in our workshop. So, I asked him to move roles to become a technician,

“At first, he was unsure, but when I went through the role with him and what the future opportunities were, he moved roles enthusiastically. Last year, Tim was promoted to Workshop Supervisor, as I had identified that Tom, who was the incumbent supervisor of the workshop, had developed a skillset that had grown through the training the company had given him and I needed him to move in to a more technical role,

“This left the workshop supervisor role available, and Tim was the exact person we needed as the other staff in this area all look up to Tim as a leader. He sets a great example.

“Tim’s progression is exactly the type of story that makes us take the approach of ‘Why always bring in new people when you can promote from within if you have the right person?’

“As we say, skills can be learned, but attitude often cannot.”

Find the role that suits your employee: Tillie Wooliscroft

Anne told us:

“Tillie worked as operations admin when she came on board at 16 as one of our apprentices, however it was very clear to me her talents laid elsewhere.

“I very quickly saw how creative she was, so when I decided to step away from our former marketing agency and bring marketing in-house, Tillie was the first person I asked to come in to the new department and further her skillset under Sean, our now Marketing Manager.

“I hate to see talent wasted and Tillie’s really was wasted in operations, the work she produces, and her artistic eye is amazing.”

Tillie pictured here with Sean, Marketing Manager

HI: How do you decide who to promote?

AA: “We identify the staff who have the most to give and crave a new, or greater challenge. Some of our staff thrive on responsibility and have high aspirations. As they are so outward with their ambitions, we’re always aware of the people who are chomping at the bit to further their careers with us.

“We also have staff who are very happy in their current roles and don’t particularly vocalise that they want a new challenge. Yet, their opportunities for further training and progression is never blocked by the more vocal employees. Regular reviews about aspirations ensure we know where our staff see their futures, and therefore we know who wants to be in the mix when an opportunity becomes available.

“A company is only as good as the talent it employs, and we believe that if you want to deliver a quality service and product you need quality staff, this comes from firstly identifying a quality person, and then allowing them to grow personally by upskilling them, allowing them to have an opinion and voice that counts. That’s our ‘family’ approach, and our people know that they all matter.”


Source: highwaysindustry.com


VMS could be key to ensuring social safety with queue management solutions

Social distancing and safety – where are we heading? We know things cannot simply just ‘go back to normal’ but at some point, we really want our normality back.

As the world continues to develop and mould best practice beyond the impact of Covid-19, social and public safety now comes to the fore perhaps more than it ever has before.

As we evolve with COVID-19 in our lives, our use of technology evolves with it, offering new and helpful ways to not only combat the virus, but also offering new ways we can live with it.

When we change our lives to accommodate the situation, how do we continue to keep people safe?

MVIS: Utilising VMS

As has been seen at major events across the UK, variable message signs can play a significant role in enhancing public safety. From crowd control information to vital emergency messages, rapid delivery of key information enhances the ability to spread the word.

MVIS have been working hard with a wide range of industries, including the retail sector, to develop new products using their technology in order to help with the effort, establishing ground-breaking solutions for problems that didn’t exist in such scale only a few months ago.

MVIS’ VMS units ease of deployment, coupled with the rapid ability to programme and change messages can greatly aid important information delivered publicly, and as a result, increase public awareness and safety.

MVIS has provided units for the London 2012 Olympics to name just one of many other events that involved densely populated areas and arenas.

As protocols develop following the impact of Covid-19, MVIS’ VMS solutions have a number of safety boosting applications.

Testing Centres: VMS Information System for Traffic Queue Control, Information and Data Collection

The MVIS Testing Centre Queue Management Solution has been developed to assist with managing and marshalling an increased level of traffic at the UK’s COVID-19 Testing Centres.

Key Benefits of the system include:

  • Providing estimated wait times – already proven in traffic management and the events industry
  • Reduce the need for as many physically present marshals, keeping people safer
  • Direct public, visitors and staff clearly and easily using tried and tested traffic management solutions
  • Products are solar powered and easy to update remotely via a web-based platform
  • 24/7 support available to assist with placement, deployment and VMS message screen content
Marshalling & Traffic Queue Control

Variable Message Signs (VMS) can be strategically deployed to marshal queuing traffic management requirements.

MVIS units provide the ability to update estimated wait times remotely via phone or PC application in a matter of seconds, enabling prime responsiveness to peaks in demand.

Using VMS to display estimated wait times for queues is a tried and tested calming measure on the road network, at events and in the hospitality industry. The reduction of human to human interface is key in boosting public safety for the foreseeable future.

Data Collection: Inform future operations, help with planning, and highlight areas of risk.

Using the discreetly integrated data collection radar, you can use MVIS VMS units to collect and report on trends regarding:

  • Speed
  • Dates
  • Times
  • Levels of traffic

Data uploads to MVIS servers every hour and can be downloaded by users at any time.

 

Outside your vehicle: VMS Information System for Queue Management & Crowd Control

The MVIS Social Distancing Queue Management Solution has been developed in response to COVID-19 and the social distancing measures that have had to be taken by the UK.

Whilst developed with the struggles the retail industry is facing in mind, this solution can be applied to anywhere
there may be need for queues under emergency or social distancing conditions.

Key Benefits

  • Providing estimated wait times – already proven in traffic management and the events industry
  • Communicate important information to customers fast and remotely in unprecedented times
  • 24/7 support available to assist with placement, deployment and VMS message screen content
 
The question: How?
Indoors: HD Compact Variable Message Signs

Highly portable HD Compact VMS are strategically deployed alongside the queue to inform customers of estimated queue wait times and the store’s social distancing policy.

 
Outdoors: VMS-A

The solar powered VMS-A is placed near the car park or the car park entrance, alerting drivers and customers of new opening times and other important information.

Alert waiting customers when it is their turn to avoid issues with click & collect systems.

We spoke with Anne Ashman, MVIS General Manager about these solutions that can provide key boosts to public safety.

Anne told us:

“We’ve developed a number of solutions that can be deployed and implemented both in and outdoors, across a number of sectors and environments to benefit both vehicle users and individuals outside of vehicles.

“Certainly, for the foreseeable future, social distancing safety protocols are going nowhere, and we must all be extremely vigilant and thorough. The more detailed information delivered within society without the requirement for human interaction can only be of benefit to public health.”


Source: highwaysindustry.com


Diligent approach and focus on training means High speed skillset is no fluke

Since MVIS Ltd was incorporated in 2012 with only 177 portable VMS units, the company’s product range has grown and developed into a mixture of over 600 portable VMS and CCTV units in the current hire fleet.

The company has also gained a reputation for being the industry leader due to the high level of service delivered by its staff when supplying Intelligent Transport Systems on the UK High-Speed Network.

The team – efficiency is key

Astonishingly, MVIS delivers their operation nationally with a relatively modest sized team. Thirteen employees- yes, just thirteen- make up the team, meaning efficiency is undoubtedly the name of the game.

Dedication to service shines through, and MVIS places their commitment to customer service above all else. ‘Service is our business’ proudly sits as the opening line on MVIS’ own ‘About us’ website page – something instilled into every employee when they come through the door.

Training

To ensure every employee is delivering the standards of service expected each day, MVIS invests heavily in staff training and development.

Their versatile team are fully trained in Health & Safety, and as hiab and slinger signallers for delivery, installation and removal. Depending on their role on site, the MVIS workforce are also always present with the appropriate and relevant CSCS card and health and safety training.

MVIS encourages and steers their team to get involved with continual improvement through training, toolbox talks and using the ISO system.

The accreditations together furnish MVIS with a full integrated management system, bringing systems and processes into one complete framework.

This increases workforce knowledge and understanding which, in turn, raises the bar in the level of safety, job satisfaction and service they provide.

As a result, MVIS has one of the industry’s most highly trained workforces. It’s a happy, skilled team, delivering to satisfied clients.  

High Speed Expertise

In the high-speed environment, MVIS has collated an impressive portfolio of major schemes over the last 8 years.

With such a high level of experience, as well as an innate focus on training, development and improvement, the company shows no sign of resting on their laurels when it comes to providing their range of solutions across high speed schemes of work.

Caption: Clear growth and valuable expertise gained can be seen on MVIS major projects timeline

Such is MVIS’ progression in the high-speed arena, the company now regularly collaborates with contractors on their schemes of work to consult and advise on how many units are required for a project, as well as where they should be located for maximum benefit to the road user.

Anne Ashman, MVIS General Manager spoke to us about MVIS’ development in the high-speed sector as well as some of the keys to that growth:

“We have a three-pronged approach if we break it down simply…” Anne begins.

“The first aspect is that from a company perspective, we see it as virtually our obligation to provide our staff with any and every opportunity to upskill, learn, develop personally and continually have the ability to acquire new skills and ideas.”

“Secondly, our team and their attitude are vital. Our people embracing opportunities provided, wanting to develop, understanding our ethos and why we do the things we do. Our team buying in to what we aim to achieve and doing the necessary work with the necessary attitude is the vital second component to our company being able to deliver at such a high standard.”

“This is why staff retention is one of the things I value incredibly highly, our team makes the company.”

“Third and finally, our products and the continuous desire to see how we can improve upon them. That translates from the attitude of our team with the energy and standards they set for our product quality. We don’t stand still and ‘that’ll do’ isn’t in our vocabulary.”


Source: highwaysindustry.com


Dom Bridge Levels Up with Diploma in Management and Leadership

Dom Bridge has been with MVIS since 2013, starting as an apprentice in recent years progressing to Assistant Operations Manager. Dom’s record of achievements during his years at MVIS are vast and growing, from completing his apprenticeship, to taking an instrumental role in helping the company recertify for our ISO accreditations in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018).

Now overseeing our deliveries and transportserving as a key member of staff within the company, Dom’s achievements just keep on coming, having achieved his OCR Level 3 Certificate of Professional Competence for Transport Managers (Road Haulage) in September 2019 and recently his CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership

This course offers a more extensive qualification in equivalence to a foundation degree, giving students a “broader knowledge of middle management skills while focusing on the specific leadership areas” appropriate to their workplace.

To achieve this Diploma, Dom was required to complete 7 dissertations about-

  • Personal development
  • Information-based decision making
  • Managing teams
  • Financial management
  • Project management
  • Managing performance/HR
  • Operational plans

He was also required to complete a L5 Knowledge test and create a 15-minute presentation that he was required to deliver to a panel of CMI assessors. On top of all this, over the duration of the course, Dom had to gather a 2-year portfolio of evidence and maintain a 2-year CPD log.

Dom’s achievement is the latest amongst a line not just from him personally, but from the MVIS team, who continue to improve on what it means to be ‘experts’.

This doesn’t just make MVIS great to work with from a client’s point of view, but it also makes MVIS a great place to work for its employees. The wider effect this management approach has on morale and loyalty is measurably positive, with MVIS boasting incredible staff retention rates.

Dom comments, “I was supported by Anne [Ashman] throughout the Diploma, especially when it came to HR, financial controls and operations. Knowing that your manager supports you makes development a rewarding and encouraging process. It’s great to learn professional skills in the context of my role here at MVIS.”

Anne adds, “Customer service makes up a huge part of our business and we take it as seriously as our clients do. Continuing professional development ensures that our team are trained and experienced so our service always lives up to our reputation.”

Anne continues, “We are very proud of Dom for having completed his Level 5 Diploma. It marks a significant achievement for both him and MVIS as we support the ongoing development of our team. We’re already talking about what’s next!”


MVIS Major Projects Timeline

Since our beginnings in 2012, MVIS have been dedicated to delivering a premium service, working with Highways England, local authorities, events, hospitality and even retail. By working on successful and effective projects over many years, we have carved out a reputation of expertise and excellence with our clients.

The trust we are given is not taken lightly – customer service is at the very core of our ethos, which ensures that we live up to our reputation. We are incredibly proud of our service record, which serves as a portfolio demonstrating not just competency, but expertise.  As a result, we are regularly called upon to undertake site visits to plan the number of units for major high-speed schemes, as well as where they should be deployed for maximum efficiency.

We are also very well positioned in that we have the largest fleet of VMS in the UK, making us ideal suppliers for large projects. In this sense, not only are we able to deliver the units for such projects, but we also offer the premium, hassle-free service to go with it. It is also this reason that we are able to handle multiple major projects at any given time, such as our involvement with Corridor Orange.

This is why our clients trust us.

Our timeline begins in June 2012 with the Olympics, which required 177 VMS to be deployed and managed in the city of London. Shortly following this in August 2012 was the Paralympics of equivalent scale, forcing MVIS into the need for platinum service right from the start.

Since then, we have only expanded, growing our fleet size by over 200% and to this day, we are still delivering multiple large schemes across the UK for happy clients who choose MVIS for our excellent service. 

You can find out more information on our Case Studies page to see our products and solutions in action. 

Alternatively, please call the MVIS team on 01629 580 570 or email us to speak to a member of our team.

Download Full 2021 Major Projects PDF


Major Projects 2012 – 2021

M23 J10

6x VMS | Aug 18 – Oct 20

A56 Chester Road

2x VMS | Dec 15 – Mar 19

M25 / M1

1x VMS | Dec 15 – Sept 18

Mersey Tunnels

4x VMS | Feb 16 – Mar 16

Area 12 Taper

20x VMS | Sept 16 – May 18

M6 J22

7x CCTV | Oct 16 – Feb 17

M4 J10

2x CCTV | Oct 16 – May 18

A14 IDT

36x VMS, 1x CCTV | Oct 16 – May 20

M62 J10-J12

16x VMS | Jul 18 – Jan 21

M6 J13-J15

11x VMS | Jul 18 – Pres

M20 J3-J25

5x VMS | Aug 18 – July 20

Paralympics

150x VMS | June 12 – Aug 12

A14 EBB

4x VMS, 8x Solar IP | Nov 18 – Feb 19

M27

39x VMS | Jan 19 – Pres

M50

11x CCTV | Feb 19 – Aug 20

M20

47x VMS, 12x CCTV, 30x ANPR | Feb 19 – Mar 20

M26

30x VMS, 3x CCTV | Feb 19 – Mar 20

Manston

18x VMS | Feb 19 – Mar 20

M62 ALR

34x VMS | Mar 20 – Jan 21

M23 ALR

34x VMS | Mar 20 – Oct 20

M20 ALR

20x VMS | Mar 20 – July 20

A19

5x VMS, 5x CCTV | May 20 – Pres

M62 J4/J5

4x CCTV | Jul 15 – Nov 15

Olympics

177x VMS | June 12 – Aug 12

M5/M4

6x VMS | Aug 12 – Aug 13

M275 Tipner

2x VMS | Jan 13 – Mar 14

M3 J2-4A

1x HD Radar / Solar IP | Aug 13 – Nov 13

Hammersmith Flyover

9x VMS | Dec 13 – Aug 15

M6 J20-21

10x CCTV | Feb 14 – May 14

M6 J31A

2x VMS | Jul 14 – Jan 15

M60 MSM J31A

14x VMS | Aug 14 – Jan 18

A55

5x VMS | Sept 14 – Apr 15

M56

2x VMS | Nov 14 – Apr 15

M3

10x VMS | Nov 14 – Dec 17

M53 J12

9x CCTV | Feb 15 – Aug 15

M4 J12-14

12x CCTV | Mar 15 – Aug 15

M56 Safelane

4x VMS | Mar 15 – Mar 15

M1 J39-42 Corridor Orange

46x VMS | Jun 15 – Sept 16

M1 J28-J36 Corridor Orange

59x VMS | Jun 15 – Sept 15

M1 J15-19 Corridor Orange

40x VMS | Jun 15 – Oct 15

M20 Operation Tap

8x CCTV | Aug 15 – Feb 17

Dartford

13x VMS | Nov 14 – Apr 15

Wales

11x VMS | Apr 20 – Pres 

A14 Ipswitch

12x SIP, 12x VMS | Jan 21 – Pres

A11 Thetford

40x SIP. 2x VMS | Jan 21 – Pres

Cannock Chase District Council

12x VMS | Dec 20 – Pres

Oxford City Council

8x VMS | Dec 20 – Pres

A63 Hull

8x CCTV, 2x VMS | Dec 20 – Pres

Bolton

17x VMS | Sept 20 – Pres

Windy Harbour A585

6x VMS | Jan 21 – Pres

Dartford / M25

8x VMS | Dec 20 – Pres

Folkestone & Hythe District Council

6x VMS | Jan 21 – Pres

M1 J33 / J35

9x VMS | Feb 21 – Pres

A47 Postwick

14x SIP CCTV | Jun 21 – Pres