Ben Kettell, Author at MVIS Ltd

Solving Safety Issues With Radar Integration

Posted on 31st August 2022 at 3:20 pm.

When our Variable Message Signs (VMS) are integrated with radar, their functionality is expanded across a range of applications. The VMS-A, VMS-C and HD Compact VMS can all be integrated with radar to increase their capabilities whilst still maintaining all the fantastic features of our standard VMS.

All our VMS discreetly houses a data collection radar which can collect vehicle logs on speed, time and date. Data as a commodity has always been important for identifying trends and risks and the VMS-A offers this as standard. Better yet, all of our VMS are solar powered and highly portable, which makes them the ideal solution for data collection.

Data that has been collected is uploaded to our server every hour, ready to be downloaded at any time by the user via a web-based portal. If there are any issues, our outstanding 24/7 customer support is there to assist you in any way they can.

Combining data collection and VMS into one unit offers a multi-functional solution that can help collect valuable data at the same time as communicating important messages. These messages, such as speed alerts and responsive information, can be communicated to drivers in relation to their behaviour. This will then be used to positively influence driver behaviours and decisions. To encourage drivers to continue driving safely, a VMS with radar can also display a message or pictogram thanking drivers who are adhering to the set speed limit.

So, when used in conjunction with radar, a VMS can display:

A message
A message and the motorist’s speed
The motorist’s speed only
The motorist’s speed only and a ‘too high’ or ‘too fast’ warning

There are lots of great benefits to Radar Activated VMS, such as the capability to detect speed and use the VMS-A’s messaging power for Specific Speed Messaging, where messages can be overridden with a speed roundel if a vehicle exceeds the set speed limit. When the unit detects the speed of an approaching vehicle, it alerts the driver of their speed and advises them to slow down if necessary.

It isn’t just our VMS that can integrate radar, though. The IVD Radar integrates our Solar IP with the AGD 343 Highways Monitoring Radar to create portability and dramatically enhance road safety, capability and efficiency. This solution uses proven radar and measurement techniques to track and measure the speed, length, and direction of individual targets.

If you would like to find out more about how our products with integrated radar can benefit you, please get in touch with our Sales team on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk.

MVIS Helps Belper Pride Run Smoothly

Posted on 22nd August 2022 at 10:19 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

On Saturday 6th August, we supported and supplied several units free of charge for this year’s Belper Pride. As well as receiving some fantastic feedback from The Pride in Belper Team, they have also written us a blog post about how our signs helped with managing the event.

Pride in Belper returned to the town this summer, for the first time since its inaugural event in 2019. Although activities still took place online in 2020 and 2021, it wasn’t the same as everyone coming together in person to celebrate the town’s diversity and inclusivity with a parade around the town centre.

Three years ago, it was felt the parade (or ‘Strutt’ as we call it in Belper – after the local millowners) wasn’t long enough, so this time we wanted it to take to the main roads. Once, in the days of Belper’s carnival parades, road closures, long processions and a town centre grinding to a halt for an hour or so was an annual event – expected, accepted and, by many, embraced.

But the carnivals disappeared in the 1990s, so it’s been a long time since road closures, on the scale we had planned, have been seen in the town. Unless we could reach out and warn the multitude of motorists before the day, it could become a fractious and difficult day – not the inclusive celebration it needed to be.

The offer of three portable Variable Message Signs (VMS) from MVIS Ltd not only resolved those worries, but in being the first tangible signs of what was coming to the town the following weekend, they also brought a real sense of anticipation and an acceptance from the public. Acceptance that this would be a professional event – something that could be embraced and would work smoothly despite taking out some of the main streets of a busy town on a Saturday lunchtime.

The portable VMS signs weren’t huge but positioned strategically across the town, they were well-noticed, eye-catching and the perfect way of telling people not only about the expected traffic disruption but also why it was happening – a chance for people to avoid the area by car but instead come to the town centre and join in.

How fantastic that we were able to have rolling information – and that we had colours too, perfect for a Pride-themed rainbow illustration to accompany that information. They were much remarked on in the days leading up to the event, and well recognised as useful, professional tools for ensuring that Pride in Belper ran so smoothly.

Without a doubt, the VMS ensured that the all-important Strutt around the town was an absolute highlight for the town this year. It was a joyful event with very little drama on the roads because people knew what was happening and engaged with the signage before the day.

So, thank you, MVIS Ltd, for sponsoring us in this way, and helping to ensure that Pride in Belper was such an important, emotional and successful day for 11,000 people. You made such a difference, and we love you for it.

The Pride in Belper Team

No Hidden Fees When You Hire With MVIS

Posted on 18th August 2022 at 10:48 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

The MVIS approach is to consistently offer our clients the best service possible. This has allowed us to build up a reputation in the industry for providing excellent service to all customers on all projects, no matter the size or customer.

That’s why we’re proud to boast that when you hire with MVIS, there are no hidden nasty fees. In fact, deployment, advice, consultation and all the other added value that we offer as part of our platinum level service are included in the cost.

But what added value do we offer exactly?

One of the ways we look to offer added value for our customers is by taking the time and effort to learn about the different industries we work with in order to gain a greater understanding of their needs. This then helps us to continue our mission in looking for more ways to add value. Unlike some of our competitors, our expertise is specialised in our core solutions rather than diluted across many different types of products.

We are always consistently developing our units to make sure that customers are getting much more for their money than just a standard VMS. We do this by integrating other technologies with our signs in order to enhance what they are capable of. An example of this would be the integrated data collection radar, which comes as standard with all our VMS and offers a low-cost alternative to many data collection solutions on the market.

When it comes to innovation, we don’t just work with our customers to develop new products and solutions. Over the years, we have brought numerous innovations to the industry like the Solar IP, which offers a trailer-based solar powered platform designed for integration with other technology. We have also worked with a range of specialists in their respective fields to bring portable, solar powered innovations to the market such as ANPR and CCTV.

Although we specialise in portable solar powered ITS solutions, we never lose sight of the fact that we are a service-based company. Each member of our staff is committed to providing outstanding customer service and support with zero exceptions. We’re so confident about the service we provide that we are proud to offer customers our ‘Platinum Service Promise’. This outlines our commitment to delivering a ‘Platinum’ level service for a ‘Bronze’ level price.

Our Quality & Service Promise serves to outline what we consider to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights all the additional aspects of our service that sets us apart from other VMS and ITS suppliers.

We also have a wealth of tools in place that helps us monitor different aspects of our units out in the field, all from our head office in Matlock. Thanks to our national coverage, we can quickly dispatch a team from the nearest of our strategically placed depots to investigate a problem. We even include battery changes, repairs and replacements if needed into the service promise that we offer our clients.

Going above and beyond what is expected from us is what we do here at MVIS. So, get in contact with our friendly Sales team at sales@m-vis.co.uk or on 01629 580570 to make sure that your ITS technology will be taken care of by the experts.

Proud to be Supporting Pride & Inclusivity

Posted on 8th August 2022 at 4:21 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

Promoting an open, inclusive and fair company culture is extremely important to us here at MVIS. That’s why we’re proud to have supported and supplied several units free of charge for this year’s Belper Pride, which took place on Saturday 6th August. Supplying and deploying our VMS helped provide messaging of road closures and other important information to enable the event to run safely and smoothly.

Around 11,000 people are said to have attended Belper Pride, a number which has doubled in size in the past two years. The first Belper Pride was only in 2019, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the following two years sadly had to be held online.

We also had a member of the MVIS team, Clair Tranter who works in Customer Relations, volunteer for this year’s Belper Pride to help with the running of it and make it a great event after a 3 year wait. Several of our other staff have also volunteered for other causes in the past, such as local charities that we support like Ashgate Hospice. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, we take pride in our community outreach efforts, which have regularly seen us offer our products, time and financial support to a range of community causes that are close to our hearts.

Clair is proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community and is our FIR Ambassador here at MVIS. FIR Ambassadors aim to promote a culture of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect within the organisation where they work in. They are expected to embody the principles of FIR: work collaboratively, whilst stepping in to take action, challenge behaviours and positively impact workplace culture. Having an FIR Ambassador as part of our team further shows our commitment to an open and inclusive workplace.

That same weekend, we also supplied and installed a number of our VMS-As and VMS-Cs for Brighton Pride. Firmly established as the UK’s most popular international Pride Festival, Brighton Pride attracts a diverse audience of around 1,000,000 people from across the globe. Due to the size of the event and the fact it’s spread out over a city, the MVIS team had to work around the clock in order for all the units to be set up on time.

Brighton Pride’s ethos is to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion which perfectly aligns with our morals as a company. We’re extremely proud to have worked with them for this year’s Pride celebrations in order to progress towards the goal of eliminating all forms of discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities.

MVIS Delivers Gold at the London 2012 Olympics

Posted on 4th August 2022 at 9:26 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Our journey as a company began in June 2012 with the London Olympics, which required 177 mobile variable message signs (VMS) to be deployed and managed throughout London. Shortly after this in August 2012 came the Paralympics of a similar scale, forcing MVIS into delivering the platinum level service that we are known for today.

Transport for London (TfL) required the temporary deployment of an extensive network of VMS to be positioned along the Olympic Route Network, in order to provide clear and distinguishable route instructions to road users and help athletes get to their destination in a timely manner.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games presented TfL with the challenge of creating a road traffic system that would facilitate not only the seamlessly smooth running of both events but also the efficient flow of non-event traffic. TfL appointed MVIS to supply, install and support an incredible 177 signs in what was believed to be the largest single deployment of solar powered mobile VMS in the world at the time.

With the help of our sister company and manufacturer Bartco, all 177 units were able to be built and deployed onto the streets of London ready for the start of the games. Taking on a project of this size so early on in our lifespan was not without its challenges, though. A 10,000 mile supply chain length, weather problems, port closures, flight delays and customs issues all had to be overcome in order for the signs to get into the UK on time.

Since then, we have only expanded and grown from strength to strength. This has resulted in MVIS becoming a trusted asset in the industry with a focus on the values of efficiency, excellent service and trust with our customers.

In 2012, we had a fleet of only 8 x Bartco 5 colour VMS and now boast the UK’s largest fleet of over 600 VMS that have been built and maintained by our staff. Better yet, we are still working in multiple large schemes across the UK for happy clients who choose MVIS to deliver.

To find out more about our work on other projects, see our major projects timeline.

Celebrating 10 Years of Graeme Lee

Posted on 2nd August 2022 at 10:29 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

This week we’re celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Graeme Lee, our Sales Director. Graeme is now the second member of the MVIS team to reach a 10 year tenure after Anne Ashman celebrated her 10 year anniversary last year.

Graeme joined MVIS in 2012 having already worked in the highways industry in sales. His existing knowledge and experience quickly saw him forming relationships with clients that have continued to develop over the last 10 years. Graeme’s loyalty and dedication to the company has led him to become our Sales Director, where he oversees the Sales department with Customer Relations Officer, Juliette Wright.

Highly skilled in sales, networking and maintaining relationships, Graeme is well respected within the industry and is often seen as the face of MVIS to clients and customers. During his time at MVIS, Graeme has amassed a number of career achievements that have formed a crucial part of our success and growth.

With years of vital experience in producing high-value tender submissions and working with high-profile customers from many different industries, Graeme has become an incredibly valued member of the team and a crucial component of our operations.

Anne Ashman, UK Group Operations and Commerical Director comments, “We are all very pleased to be celebrating Graeme’s 10 year work anniversary this week. It’s been a pleasure working with Graeme over the last ten years. Graeme’s commitment and loyalty to the company is greatly appreciated and we are extremely lucky to have him as part of our team. Everyone at MVIS and Bartco UK thanks Graeme for his service and we look forward to many more years of him working with us.”

Graeme Lee comments, “I am very proud to have reached a 10 year milestone here at MVIS. I started working in this industry over 15 years ago when it was the early days for portable VMS in the UK. In the time that I’ve been here, the industry has changed substantially but the “can do” mentality at MVIS has not changed. Every member of staff is crucial, and they are all prepared to go the extra mile.”

What Does Platinum Level Service Mean to You?

Posted on 27th July 2022 at 1:10 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

Over the last 12 years, MVIS has built an outstanding reputation across the highways sector for providing excellent service to its customers on all projects.

No matter the size or customer, MVIS adopts the ‘no task is too small’ approach on its mission to deliver a level of service it can only define as ‘platinum’.

MVIS has always valued its customers and has built some excellent long-standing relationships on the back of its commitment to service as well as its products. To showcase this commitment, MVIS proudly launched its ‘Platinum Service Promise’ campaign back in 2021. A promise they have kept to this very day.

The MVIS Platinum service promise delivers:

‘Platinum Level Service for Bronze Level Prices’

The MVIS quality & service document serves to outline what the company considers to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights just how special its services are.

MVIS has always held fantastic relationships with its clients, and the company regularly receives positive feedback and comments crediting it for one of the aspects listed in the quality & service document.

Each time a customer approaches MVIS with enthusiastic comments about its service, MVIS see this not just as an opportunity to celebrate its collective achievement, but also to reinforce this standard of service within the team. Reinforcing standards in moments of praise makes gives it special emphasis and reinforces a message from a positive position rather than trying to react to a negative one. This aids with staff feeling appreciated, delivers job satisfaction and rewards their hard work.

We spoke to a number of MVIS employees about their view on what platinum service is, and how it fits into their own specific roles.

We asked, “What does Platinum Level Service mean to you?”

Anne Ashman – Group Commercial and Operations Director said:

“The Platinum Service Promise is a symbol of our commitment to service and customers. We have thought long and hard about a way we can demonstrate this, culminating in this promise to clients to always give them our very best. We are incredibly proud of our service record and the positive comments we receive from our customers.”

Anne continued:

“With that said, it’s vital that we never lose sight of the importance of continuous improvement. Our Platinum Service Promise works in conjunction with our customer’s comments and internal audits to keep us on our toes, make us accountable and give us an opportunity to work on areas that may need another look. Having this trusting relationship with our customers allows us to consistently cater to their needs so we don’t miss anything as their needs evolve.”

Jon Larkins, Delivery Supervisor for the North added:

“We know the moment we leave HQ that we are representing MVIS – and therefore carry an expected standard with us. That standard being platinum. Whether it’s the quality of our maintenance work, right through to how we interact with other contractors on site or the passing public – nothing short of outstanding will do.”

With Anne and Jon both well established as part of the MVIS team, serving 10 and 5 years respectively, what’s expected is ingrained in their day-to-day operations.

For a perspective from those not so experienced, a more newcomer perspective is offered by Clair Tranter and Mia Maycock, both in MVIS’ Customer Relations team. Both recent recruits, Clair and Mia explained to us how the bar was set upon joining the company, and what platinum service means to them.

Clair told us:

“I was left in no doubt throughout the recruitment process with MVIS that ‘client centric’ is absolutely the ethos here. Our customers and the service we provide them comes above all. We do what we can, every day to assist their operations and provide something that’s unrivalled when it comes to service.”

April added:

“It was actually one of the main reasons that the role appealed to me. Working in customer relations, there has to be a passion for service, so coming into a company that places customer satisfaction above all was a great fit. It’s very clear to me how MVIS has garnered such a strong reputation when it comes to its levels of service, as everyone in the business knows it’s priority number one. Now I’m looking forward to playing my part in delivering that platinum promise myself.”

The 5 Benefits of Radar Activated VMS

Posted on 25th July 2022 at 1:00 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

The highly versatile VMS-A is used across various industries such as highways, construction, events, airports and ports. A VMS-A (variable message sign) with radar expands upon its functionality across a range of applications and provides many great additional benefits. Furthermore, it still includes all the features of our standard VMS-A.

The five benefits of a radar activated VMS-A:

Speed Specific Messaging – a default message can be set on the sign, for example, “Please drive carefully through road works”. If a vehicle exceeds the set speed, the message can be overridden with a speed roundel.

Speed detection – the signs can be set to display the speed of approaching vehicles, alerting drivers of their speed and advising them to slow down.

A simple thank you message – as well as informing oncoming vehicles if they are exceeding the speed limit, it can also display a message or pictogram thanking drivers who are adhering to the set speed limit. This will encourage them to continue to drive safely.

Data collection – the radar can also provide vehicle logs, recording time, date and speed of vehicles.

Environmentally friendly – All our VMS are solar powered and use low-power consuming LEDs, making the VMS-A an environmentally friendly choice. There’s also an option to show a message only when a vehicle is detected, which further reduces power consumption.

If you would like to find out more about how the VMS-A with radar could work for your next project, please get in touch with our Sales team on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk.

Supporting Sparkle Night Walk 2022

Posted on 18th July 2022 at 2:57 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

On Saturday 9th July, thousands from North Derbyshire and the surrounding areas came together to walk 10km and raise vital funds for Ashgate Hospice in the Sparkle Night Walk 2022.

Ashgate Hospice is a local charity based in Chesterfield that we have worked with and supported extensively in recent years. They provide end-of-life care, free of charge to patients with a life-limiting illness and their families across North Derbyshire. They rely on the generosity of our community and businesses like us to raise millions of pounds each year to help fund their specialist and brilliant care.

Last year, we supported the 2021 Sparkle Walk and we are proud to have done the same this year by deploying our signs in the lead-up to the event and on the night. Due to the scale of the annual Sparkle Walk, several main roads around the area are required to close so it is important to provide warnings in advance to help reduce risk.

In the last financial year, we raised an amazing £13,733.38 for Ashgate Hospice by sponsoring their High Peak Trail Walk, as well as other fundraising initiatives like an office bake off and their Treecycle initiative, in which several of our staff volunteered to help collect Christmas trees.

Whilst the amount raised for this year’s Sparkle Walk is yet to be determined, it is believed to be in the region of around £200,000. Every penny raised will go towards their care and helping nurses be there for families throughout Derbyshire who desperately need them.

Rachel Broughton from Ashgate Hospice comments, “I’d like to thank MVIS for providing the road signs on the night and in the lead up to the event. You helped us not only put on an enjoyable and safe event but also saved us money which can now be redirected to help our nurses to provide their crucial care through all hours of the day and night to patients and their loved ones and for this, we are incredibly grateful.”

New Marketing Manager Welcomed by MVIS

Posted on 12th July 2022 at 1:54 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

As a small team, it is always sad when a member of staff departs but with a new employee comes new skills and fresh ideas. Last week, we celebrated our 10th anniversary and also a new face in our in-house Marketing Department.

We’re delighted to announce that Ben Kettell has joined us as our new Marketing Manager. Ben is an experienced marketeer and Marketing Manager in addition to having expert skills in graphic design. He will be working alongside Alex Handley, our Marketing Executive who has recently been promoted from Marketing Assistant and Ben Ashman, our Data Assistant. Together, they will continue to grow and improve our marketing channels.

Prior to working in the hospitality industry as Marketing Manager for two of Derby’s most established businesses, Ben has worked in marketing for a number of respectable B2B and B2C companies in the travel and retail industry.

Ben is now in his second week at MVIS and is starting to get to grips with an exciting new industry and our wide range of products and solutions. Outside of work, Ben is a passionate Derby County supporter and regularly attends home and away matches.

Ben Kettell comments, “I am delighted to join the MVIS team. Their enthusiasm for their work and expertise is unrivalled I can’t wait to get stuck in. I look forward to sharing ideas and working with the entire workforce to grow MVIS in new and exciting sectors along with building on the strong foundations already in place.”

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director comments, “Ben really impressed us in the interview process and I have no doubt that he will be a great addition to our Marketing Department and the MVIS team. He brings with him a solid set of marketing and creative skills that will help to expand and improve our current marketing infrastructure.”

Compact Solar IP Brings New Solutions to Urban Works

Posted on 31st May 2022 at 10:13 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Recent years have seen the development of our Compact Solar IP, a solar powered ‘compact’ base that can be integrated with other technology to power it and make it portable.

The base was first developed for our HD Compact VMS, the smallest solar powered variable message sign in our range and a pioneering solution for the industry. Since the HD Compact’s launch, we have developed more technologies with the compact base, giving rise to a whole new solution that offers many of the benefits that our full sized Solar IP does, serving as an industrial portable solar power bank – only smaller.

The small footprint of the Compact Solar IP allows it to be deployed in locations where the Solar IP can’t be, primarily in locations where space may be limited, such as for urban works. As a result, the solutions developed alongside the Compact Solar IP have been with these customers in mind, making technologies portable for urban workers that help increase safety.

HD Compact VMS

The first of our solutions to use the Compact Solar IP was the HD Compact VMS, which began to feature this base in 2020 on its second version after nearly 4 years of development, bringing it in line with our other solar powered VMS units and allowing us to offer a fully solar powered VMS range in different sizes.

As a solution, the HD Compact offers the industry a lightweight, portable, solar powered message sign that features a dual colour (red and white) display.

Its small footprint and adjustable height make it highly versatile, especially considering the display content can be updated remotely via our web-based portal or mobile app.

With hidden cabling, this unit is secured against vandalism or accidental damage and benefits from the data collection radar integrated in all our signs.

Compact CCTV

A more recent development, the Compact CCTV integrates the Compact Solar IP with wire-free CCTV offering increased portability and a reduced footprint compared to other solutions.

This outdoor surveillance camera boasts an ultra-wide viewing angle of 355° pan & 140° tilt and connects through Vodafone 4G. Offering 1080p HD at 15 frames per second and a 6x Digital Zoom, this camera performs well for a range of applications, made even more impressive by the 10m Night Vision range.

Its PIR (passive infrared) detection distance is up to 10m too and when combined with the 90° Horizontal PIR detecting angle, this camera is a highly capable solution for security, monitoring work zones and anything else that requires an outdoor HD camera.

This unit is especially useful for urban works, as the full-sized Solar IP can often have a footprint too large for urban work sites, limiting its use in such projects. The Compact CCTV has been developed to address this limitation, allowing site managers to still have eyes on the ground even when there is limited space.

Compact Environmental Sensor

Another recent solution we have developed is our Compact Environmental Sensor, which integrates the Compact Solar IP with an ITS Environmental Sensor, offering clients the ability to monitor the external environment and produce a wide range of air pollution data that can be used to inform and direct on issues of air pollution safety.

This solution is a low-cost system that offers the ability to build a high-density ambient air quality monitoring network that records data in real-time. Perfect for temporary applications, this solution offers a very low cost alternative to static Air Quality monitoring stations and allows clients to cover more space, quickly and cost effectively.

This product’s bespoke hardware is manufactured in the UK and uses the latest generation of electrochemical sensor technology and LoRaWAN communication to collect and record real-time data onto its secure online dashboard.

For more information about our Compact Solar IP or if you would like to know more about how you can use our products to help with your project, please contact us via our contact form.

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