Ben Kettell, Author at MVIS Ltd

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

Posted on 1st September 2020 at 8:28 am.

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

Posted on 6th August 2020 at 1:18 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Posted on 4th August 2020 at 2:06 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Posted on 31st July 2020 at 1:51 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Posted on 27th July 2020 at 1:44 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Posted on 17th July 2020 at 10:19 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Posted on 16th July 2020 at 2:20 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Posted on 14th July 2020 at 2:27 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

Using ITS Technology for Crowd Control

Posted on 26th June 2020 at 4:25 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

COVID-19 has presented a number of issues for councils and those who manage sites open to the public. 2020 has seen some of the biggest changes to the way we operate as a society in our lifetimes and as a result, our needs changes with them.

Traditionally, portable ITS technology such as Variable Message Signs (VMS) or CCTV have been deployed and used for traffic management and events, offering important information that people need to stay safe.

The use of our technology for crowd control is not a new idea. Indeed, we have always applied our solutions to applications that require the management of pedestrians. A large part of this is found in the events industry, where our portable VMS, CCTV, ANPR and Data Collection solutions have been used with great success. Our products have been tried and tested on some of the biggest events in the country such as the 2012 Olympics, Brighton Pride, V Festival, Silverstone and The Grand National.

However, in the wake of the pandemic, the risks presented in public areas becomes a major concern for everyone. In these areas, we can use our technology for the same applications they were designed for, but with a different focus, helping us live in a world with COVID-19 safely.

Important Notices

One of the key uses of our technology is to communicate.

Our solar powered, portable signs offer a platform to communicate to the public at a time when information is critical. With a range of signs in different sizes, our portable VMS are an ideal solution for public safety information, such as enforcing social distancing, closing roads or buildings, or even establishing lockdown barriers – if it comes to that.

A world with COVID-19 remains unpredictable and one of the biggest issues with that, is the information keeps changing.

No sooner had councils and businesses purchased static signs enforcing a 2m distance policy, the government lowers the policy to 1m, producing waste.

Using a VMS, the message can be changed in seconds without even needing to be on site.

This versatility – along with its portability – offers incredible added-value to the unit.

Another issue we are facing is the abuse of some of the UK’s beauty spots. The heatwave towards the end of June 2020 spelled a disaster for our seasides in Bournemouth, Exmouth and other areas, which were swamped with visitors who brought with them a lot of litter.

By deploying one of our signs in these beauty spots, it serves as a visual reminder for visitors to take their litter home with them.

Wayfinding / Marshalling

With such a huge disruption in the way we move and certain businesses phasing in their reopening, there is a lot of confusion for travelers and shoppers right now.

Portable VMS can be deployed to help clear up this confusion by directing people to the right places, or announcing reopening.

A common application we see in events, our signs deliver a clear message in text or pictograms that can’t be missed.

Queue Management

Our journey time solutions help to combat traffic queues by relaying estimated journey time to the driver so they can plan accordingly, helping to minimise frustration and confusion on our roads.

With the successful use of estimated queue times in the hospitality and events industry as a queue calming measure, we can apply this logic to the use of our signs on the high street, for example.

Our HD Compact VMS offers a solar powered, portable VMS with a small footprint that would apply perfectly to a queuing system, helping keep order in busy retail or service areas.

Surveillance / Enforcement

The Visitor Information & Management System uses an effective combination of our portable, solar powered VMS and CCTV to offer a surveillance / feedback system for site managers. Opening up the ability to monitor their scope of responsibility, site managers can react to issues by updating the sign via browser or our app to remind visitors of the rules, or indeed that they are being watched, for example.

Using these products together in this way helps to bring out the best of both solutions, forming a highly effective site management system that can be operated remotely.

Our latest CCTV solution, developed in partnership with 360 Vision Technology even offers incredible low light capabilities, which may be useful in areas where night time activity becomes a concern.

For more information about our solutions 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 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.

Investment in Training Pays Off as Customer Feedback Pours In

Posted on 26th June 2020 at 9:35 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

A few months ago, we covered a training session that saw one of our Operations and Customer service team members, Mizzy Watson, take part in ‘hands-on’ training out in the field with one of our delivery drivers, Jon Larkins.

In this post, we explore the necessity of this type of training to help our staff understand aspects of everyone’s roles, allowing us all to be more effective as we can understand the risks and complications that occur in that job.

“Mizzy, who started at MVIS towards the end of 2019, works closely with MVIS customers and their requirements. Part of her role is communicating this to the delivery team, organising our delivery drivers over the phone, organising our operations in the field to ensure that units are deployed safely, in the correct location and display the correct messages as per our customers instruction. However, whilst she works with our delivery team on a regular basis, Mizzy is still fairly new to the organisation and in striving for a vertical understanding of our operations, it was decided that she should experience ‘a day in the life’ of one of our delivery drivers.”

Since this training, MVIS and Mizzy in particular, have been receiving more feedback on top of what we already considered to be a good number of positive comments. The feedback, which is due to be published to the website soon, is always a welcome email or phone call for our team. Knowing that we are delivering a service our clients are pleased with is incredibly motivating.

However, this feedback signifies more than just our effectiveness in a customer service setting; it also shows our vertical training model is paying off. With the particular focus on Mizzy in this recent wave of positive comments, we wish her special congratulations and thanks for being a clear asset to the company when dealing with customers.

But it’s not just Mizzy’s work with customers that seems to be pulling in praise. Mizzy was nominated by her work colleagues back in May for June’s Employee of the Month. She was awarded this specifically for : “always being there when she is needed. Work related or not, she is always ready to listen. Helping staff during weekend cover in her own time, contributing to new ideas and owning her strengths, Mizzy is a highly valued team member who brightens up everyone’s day!”

To have such glowing feedback from her peers for her caring nature and actions during the COVID-19 lock down is something truly remarkable and really goes to show that when you equip the right people with the right training, they are given the understanding to contribute in a meaningful and impact way, helping to bring the best out in everyone.

Delivering New Solutions for New Problems

Posted on 25th June 2020 at 1:48 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

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

New Leaf Plant Centre in Dronfield, only a stone’s throw away from our Matlock HQ, reopened back in May but had an understandable number of concerns about keeping customers informed of business critical information.

The VMS-A was advised by MVIS due to the size of New Leaf’s car park. Indeed their site is quite large and could accommodate the footprint of a VMS-A easily, offering a larger screen than our HD Compact, which is the unit we would normally look to for such an application, especially in densely built-up areas where space is limited.

Phil Spencer, Manager at New Leaf commented, “The unit delivers a crisp, clear and concise message to customers which is highly visible and easy to read. It cannot be missed.”

The large space of New Leaf’s car park offered the perfect opportunity to deploy a VMS-A; it’s larger, 4-line, 5 colour display allowed for more complex messages and larger pictograms, further increasing the value of the solution to drivers as well as pedestrians.

The VMS unit helps New Leaf Plant Centre to:

Keep customers well informed, minimising inconvenience & confusion
Keep queues stress free and efficient as possible
Keep staff safe by communicating information to customers

Phil continues, “This sign has been key in delivering our core messages […] MVIS have been invaluable to our re-opening and has clearly reinforced our commitment to the Health & Safety of our staff and customers.”

He adds, “The unit was delivered promptly and set up quickly and efficiently by George with our message pre-loaded by the office and requires no maintenance by ourselves. It even switches on and off on its own. […] We are forever grateful to MVIS for the quality of service, support and quality of the product with its ability to deliver what we wanted every day without fail.”

On behalf of MVIS, our 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 client’s needs, then working with them 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. We are very pleased this sign has proved so useful to New Leaf; their feedback has been very helpful in developing our solutions for the retail market.”

Learn more about this project >

For more information about our solutions or if you would like to know more about how you can use our products to help with social distancing or queue management, 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/Bartco UK joins forces with 360 Vision Technology for road safety technology development

Posted on 24th June 2020 at 11:17 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

UK companies MVIS/Bartco UK and 360 Vision Technology, have joined forces on a technology innovation that sees the integration of 360 Vision’s Invictus CCTV with our Solar IP, giving rise to a whole new intelligent, solar-powered, trailer-based IP video surveillance platform.

Commenting on the initiative and technology partnership, Matt Felce from MVIS/Bartco UK stated: “We have been a market leader in the supply of trailer based variable message sign solutions for many years, and with IP technologies becoming more ‘power efficient’ we saw both the opportunity and gap in the market to further develop our solution to incorporate an IP camera, which delivered unrivalled video quality and IR lighting, whilst being portable and solar powered.

This new product boasts an incredibly clear picture and performs excellently in low light conditions. 360 Vision have delivered a camera that is low in power demands but still offers an HD image, allowing the Research & Development Team at Bartco UK to work on integrating a power source in the form of our Solar IP.

The Invictus HD camera itself offers a fully ruggedized housing, with exceptional build quality. The toughened optical glass window features a wiper and its Pan & Tilt gearbox is ultra-reliable and resilient. The defining feature, however, could be argued to be its integrated high-performance IR lights with intelligent control, which enables its powerful performance in low light conditions.

As a result of the low power demands of this unit, it is able to perform to extended run times, filling a strong market requirement for a CCTV product that is also portable, solar powered and has a much clearer image than seen in previous solutions on the market.

It also allows for an effective integration with our Solar IP, which is a trailer-based solar power source that can provide appropriate technologies the opportunity of portability.

Tony Holloway, Business Development Manager at 360 Vision Technology said: “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with MVIS/Bartco UK on this leading edge, technology development project. The automatic power management capability of our rugged PTZ cameras results in minimal power demand at all times. Couple this with the option for programmable power level IR and white Light illumination, tailoring the solution to the remotest locations, further enhances the camera performance whilst minimising additional power requirements. This really does lend itself to this type of revolutionary, off-grid solution. Technology partnerships like this really do ‘underpin’ and showcase 360 Vision’s flexible product credentials.”

Matt continues: “In order to deliver a solution which really did meet all the requirements, we considered it extremely important for us to work with a UK manufacturer that could both advise and support us through the development process. Whilst currently being deployed in the traffic sector, the current applications for this are far-reaching. What’s more is that under the conditions seen due to COVID-19, this unit fulfils an even bigger market need in the name of high definition surveillance for safety. This really is UK engineering at its best.”

For more information about this unit, 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.

You can contact 360 Vision Technology on 01928 570 000, email: info@360visiontechnology.com, or visit their website at https://www.360visiontechnology.com