A Decade of Driving Innovation

As a company that clocked up a decade in business this year, MVIS has come a long way since its inception in 2012.

One of the constants across the company’s journey is its attitude towards innovation; never resting on its laurels and continually investing in its research & development programme to continue to better itself for the benefit of its customers.

So, just what does ‘innovation’ mean to the business?

“It means we are constantly moving our products forward and fulfilling required gaps in the market with our bespoke products and R&D department,” says Graeme Lee, the company’s Sales Director.

MVIS exists in a world of technology, and as a result, innovation has to be a major part of the company’s remit, or its products and software runs the risk of stagnation.

“That’s just not something we’re willing to accept.” Graeme continued. “We place great pride and great emphasis on being at the forefront of technologies within our field, and it’s a stance that hasn’t wavered across the last 10 years.”

MVIS’ very own web studio system was the company’s first major innovation success and was the single biggest reason for the company being successful in its 2012 Olympic Games contract in its first year of operating. A standout innovative feature at the time, was MVIS’ grouping facility – the capability of programming multiple signs with the same message at the click of a button from a web-based system, whilst other software programming systems for VMS were still having to dial in remotely and could only program one sign at a time. The innovation won the day.

‘How crucial is R&D into innovation?’ we asked Graeme. He explained:

“It’s the cog that keeps innovation alive, without our R&D team we wouldn’t be able to look at new ideas or produce the bespoke items our customers often request. When it comes to being successful, we know it’s a combination of multiple things working efficiently and effectively, but it could be argued that R&D for innovation is the most important factor in what we do. Technology is ever evolving; the industry is always changing, and customers are always looking for something that saves them time or cost in the long run – so we see it as our duty to invest the time into servicing that constant customer need.”

And is there an internal standard procedure for getting a new idea off the ground at MVIS?

“Yes, each idea has to go through a strategic process where we collect lots of information before the new idea even goes into development, I suppose you could attribute this to being the ‘research’ from both the R&D team and other departments within the company. Before a product idea gets signed off for development, we will know what testing procedures are needed to make it compliant to present standards, how long a prototype will take, what sort of software is required, and a budget will be allocated to the project along with a timeline.”

Looking back on the last 10 years, we asked Graeme to give us his opinion on his top four most significant MVIS innovations within the decade the company has been in business. After a few moments of pondering, Graeme told us:

“Firstly, our Web studio. As already mentioned, it really helped put the company on the map in 2012 and showed that even in our infancy as a company, we were an innovative, well-prepared business with high capability.

“Next, the 5 Colour VMS. We were the first in the UK to bring it to market and had to educate the marketplace on the quality of having colour and the visual pictogram aspect the signs could give – rather than just amber text signs.

Solar IP

“The Solar IP platform is number 3. Again, we were the first to bring this product to market and the first company enabling a solar-powered platform to go out onto the network with multiple functions. This meant eradicating stopping schemes to lay cables to a power source for a short-term need of CCTV, ANPR and traffic data counting radars. Thus, saving money and also reducing the risk of injury to staff due to the short deployment time and bodies not required on the network for any longer than necessary.

“The fourth would have to be our HD Compact unit. It has a tiny footprint, ideal for compounds and is used as part of our works Egress system. Again, both products were the first to market. It is interesting when we look back to see how many products we were first to the market with. It’s something we’re really proud of and we have to credit our R&D team immensely for their consistency and innovative thinking.”

It’s clear to see that innovation is no fluke. Time, effort and investment go into becoming a company known for innovative thinking and as a result, innovative products. As MVIS enters its second decade of operations, one thing that will never change is its embedded ethos of innovation and a commitment to constant improvement for its customer base.


Source: HighwaysIndustry.com


Adding Value With Quality Service

Over the last decade, we have built an outstanding reputation across the highways sector for providing excellent service to our customers on all projects. However, the quality service that we offer applies to all the sectors that we work with, not just highways. In fact, one of the ways we look to offer added value for our customers is by taking the time and effort to learn about all the industries we work with.

Prioritising the added value that we can offer in our service has always been important to us. Although we specialise in portable solar powered ITS solutions, we never lose sight of the fact that we are ultimately a service-based company. Unlike our competitors, we don’t dilute our service and our expertise means that your ITS and portable VMS are being supplied by the experts. 

We take pride in offering our customers the MVIS ‘Platinum Service Promise’,  with the aim of delivering a ‘Platinum’ level service for a ‘Bronze’ level price. Our Quality Service Promise outlines our commitment to what we consider to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights all the additional aspects that set us apart from other suppliers. We regularly receive feedback and testimonials that are attributed to a lot of the features mentioned in this document. This allows us to improve on what we offer even more and has also helped us to build excellent long-standing relationships with our customers. 

When you hire with MVIS, unit monitoring and maintenance are included in the cost along with deployment, advice, consultation and all the other added value that we offer. We even include battery changes, repairs and replacements into the service promise that we offer our clients. If there ever is an issue, our strategically placed depots across the UK mean that our highly trained team can respond to a problem quickly, whether on site or in the office. 

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director commented, “We offer an excellent and experienced service from a team that is highly trained and always willing to go the extra mile. Our impressive range of additional aspects that are listed in our Quality & Service promise helps to distinguish us from a typical VMS supplier.” 

Exceeding expectations and delivering the best service possible 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 is taken care of by the experts. You won’t get better service anywhere else. 


10 years of sustainability: What supporting ‘green’ means to our team

MVIS has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and is constantly searching for ways to reduce its environmental footprint. MVIS’ products are designed to be energy efficient, and the company encourages its employees to operate with sustainability in mind.

MVIS are proud to be an environmentally responsible company and continue to work hard to protect the environment. A proud member of Greener Highways, as well as the Carbon Club, MVIS puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to sustainability.

With such a focus and a passion embedded in the company’s entire existence, we spoke with some of the MVIS team about their own views and interpretations of what it means to be truly sustainable.

Anne Ashman, Group Commercial and Operations Director told us:

“As a business, we’ve made great strides over the last decade in the sustainability realm. It’s been clear there’s been a major shift over the last few years towards sustainability at the forefront of thinking, and that’s absolutely fantastic – but it’s not a recent thing for us.

“To me, sustainability is an ever present that evolves, and an area that requires constant attention and R&D to see what further steps can be taken to reduce our carbon footprint. Recently we made the switch from product sheets to QR codes that showcase the same information when at events and exhibitions. It’s about consistent, sustained improvement.”

MVIS has had a keen eye on a sustainable future since its inception in 2012.

Sales Manager Graeme Lee, who recently celebrated his own 10-year anniversary with MVIS commented:

“To me, sustainability is at the heart of the business – the products. Our range is all solar powered, making the most of a sustainable energy source that charges and re-charges the batteries on our units.

“This, in addition to our delivery model, where we are able to deliver multiple units on one journey significantly reduces drive time and therefore, our emissions. Carbon footprint is something we’re very conscious of so this delivery model has been a significant step forward in reducing our output.”

Jon Larkins, North Delivery Supervisor said:

“There is a human factor to our sustainability policy, as our units require less maintenance and battery changes due to their solar powered nature. This means less visits to site for our operatives, and less ventures into harms way on what can be a very dangerous road network. As someone who delivers and maintains our units, this sustainable safety benefit to our workforce is something that means a great deal to me.”

MVIS’ environmental sensor measures data analysing air quality in a bid for better environmental health

Tom Hooton, Research & Development Manager also told us:

“Sustainability to me is showcased through the fact that MVIS also chooses local suppliers wherever possible. In sourcing local services and products, not only is our carbon footprint reduced, but there’s economic sustainability in bringing repeat business to the local area.

Major components of our products, such as our trailers, are sourced from a local business, and wider servicing of work vehicles is also conducted locally.”

The job is never done

It’s clear that as a business, MVIS not only places huge emphasis on a sustainable future in a variety of areas, but also doesn’t rest on its laurels and believe the job is ever truly done.

Anne concluded:

“We’re still working hard in Research & Development to look at ways we further our sustainable stance and actions. We have a fantastic team and one that is fully behind the company’s ethos of all things sustainable – from further product development, right down to watering the plants and looking after the beehouse at our offices.”



Solving Safety Issues With Radar Integration

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

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

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.


What Does Platinum Level Service Mean to You?

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.”


MVIS Achieve Constructionline Platinum

MVIS is not a company to back down from a challenge. As a responsible supplier to the industry, we have always prioritised quality, safety and good business practices, which is underscored by our membership and accreditations with various awarding bodies.

Last year, we were awarded Gold Status in the Constructionline programme, which offers a platform for thousands of buyers in the construction industry that enforces an ethos of trust and quality amongst its members.

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

This year, we are proud to announce that we have recently been awarded with Platinum Status following a successful audit from Constructionline that assessed all relevant management systems and processes. The audit demonstrated that we are following their procedures and that there are adequate controls in place.

Platinum is the top level of membership within Constructionline, reassuring customers that we adhere to best practice. Our processes and policies were assessed on environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence and anti-bribery and corruption policies.

Whilst achieving Platinum Status may seem like a high climb for many, for us, it was very achievable, having been already developing these areas for other certifications and of course, our ISO accreditations.

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director comments, “Achieving Constructionline Platinum Status is a great accomplishment for us, adding to a long list of accreditations and memberships that help to promote and enforce our commitment to safety, quality and customer service. Constructionline Platinum was a logical next step from Gold, recognising the effort and care that has gone into adhering to Constructionline practices.”

Anne continues, “I am very proud of the whole team for all the work that goes into achieving something like this. Whilst this is a time we should celebrate our success, it’s important that we never lose sight of our continuing mission to improve.” 


The Importance of Having the Correct Certifications

Working on any site brings a host of responsibilities to site managers and workers to ensure that they are working safely and responsibly. This is especially true of road construction and in order to keep these standards of safety high, certain projects require stringent policies and training to be adhered to, along with the right qualifications and accreditations to boot.

High speed projects, such as those for National Highways and Tier 1 contractors are an example of such projects, many of them being high profile and affecting a lot of people, from the workers themselves to drivers using the national road network. Because of this, organisations who are required to service these sites are all required to hold the right certifications, which may include CSCS cards or first aid training.

Without having these certifications, workers, delivery drivers and those deploying solutions to the site will not even be permitted entry onto it. This could cause a serious issue for a project, which are often set to strict deadlines and require our solutions for uncompromising safety reasons.

For example, portable VMS could be crucial for a project to help warn drivers that works are being conducted, to give advanced warning of the disruption to the road network, to inform on journey time delays or even to communicate a new speed limit in force. A project that requires portable VMS for one of these reasons may have to be put on hold if the delivery technicians deploying the units don’t have the correct certifications to be permitted on site to deliver them.

Aside from the safety implications during works being conducted, without VMS, there may also be safety concerns in the lead up to a project.

VMS are one of the first things that need to be on site for many projects, displaying safety messages with advanced notification of disruption before work begins. If signs have not been deployed in time because the delivery team have not been permitted entry onto the site, it may cause frustration or confusion amongst drivers when the works do start, which could be potentially dangerous.

And it’s not just a lack of VMS that could cause issues. Many of our solar powered ITS trailer-based solutions are deployed for planning and safety applications in high-speed applications.

For example, our Solar IP unit with integrated HD Data Collection Radar allows site managers to measure and analyse traffic flow, equipping them with the data needed for planning what other safety measures are required when the works go ahead. Likewise, our Solar IP integrated with Low Light CCTV allows site managers to have eyes on the ground at all times, even during the night, offering increased protection and accountability to workers when the project starts.

Without these solutions in place, worker and driver safety may be highly compromised. This could cause a ripple effect along the whole project, which may not be able to even start until the correct solutions have been delivered, costing more time, money and most importantly, leaving roads unsafe for drivers for longer than needed.

Here at MVIS, we understand this all too well. Having worked with the likes of National Highways and Tier 1 contractors for over a decade, we have gained a wealth of invaluable experience that helps us to understand better than most the importance of having the correct certifications and training. Not only this, but we also hold safety as one of our core principals, building it into every aspect of our business operations and consideration.

 

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director comments, “The idea of sending a team to a site without the correct certifications is unthinkable for us. MVIS hold one of the best reputations in the industry for high-speed work and this is especially true when it comes to safety.”

However, it doesn’t just stop there. Our Platinum Service Promise outlines what we consider to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights just how special our services are. Our sterling reputation exceeds beyond high-speed works, having been providing excellent service to customers on all kinds of projects, no matter the size or customer for many years.

We apply the strictest levels of safety to not only high-speed works, but also urban works, events and any other job we work on, for the safety of our own team, our customers and the general public.

This is why you can trust MVIS to deliver every time.


Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

We know that mental health has been one of the biggest causes of death in the construction and highways industries for many years now. In 2020, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) published a report that showed 26% of respondents had considered taking their own lives in the previous year. The report also showed that high percentages of respondents suffered with issues such as depression, stress, anxiety and fatigue.

Following the pandemic and the far-reaching consequences of multiple lockdowns in the UK, we are also now facing a cost-of-living crisis that is impacting everyone in one way or another.

As an employer, we are required now more than ever to turn our attention to mental health. For MVIS and Bartco UK, mental health has always been of high importance. We have taken a number of steps over the years to safeguard the wellbeing and mental health of our team. Working in an industry that suffers with high suicide rates, it is of vital importance that we stay one step ahead when it comes to mental health.

One of the more recent developments we have introduced was the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), an anonymous advice and support service offered by Peninsula.

Peninsula’s EAP service offers our team a well-rounded approach to good mental health and wellbeing. The EAP helps our team overcome their toughest life challenges and deliver their best every day. It includes 24/7 telephone advice, face-to-face counselling and a suite of online and mobile tools to help staff stay happy and healthy.

According to Peninsula, an EAP can “reduce mental health related absence levels by as much as 45% and improve productivity by as much as 8%.” But more importantly, “it helps protect your staff.”

We also offer staff access to 3 qualified mental health first aiders, 2 female and 1 male. Our mental health first aiders are Rebecca Prince Bartco UK’s Purchasing & Stock Control Supervisor, Jon Larkins, North Delivery Supervisor the UK Group Commercial and Operations Director for both MVIS and Bartco UK, Anne Ashman.

This diverse offering allows our team to pick the mental health first aider they feel most comfortable speaking with, meaning that they are more likely to talk openly and honestly about their concerns.

Anne comments, “The mental health of our team is one of our top priorities. In recent years, mental health has started to become a hot topic for businesses as everyone starts to realise how important it is. Here at MVIS and Bartco UK, we have been working with our staff for a long time now on ways we can best safeguard their well-being and mental health, equipping us with the solid support system we have in place today.”

Anne continues, “But just because we have a good support system in place, it doesn’t mean the job is done. Our focus on mental health remains a priority for us, as we continue to overcome new challenges to mental health that may arise. Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 is the perfect opportunity to lead by example and showcase the measures we have taken for our team.”


Specialist Expertise Helps Keep Britain Moving

Regularly working with National Highways, Tier 1 Contractors and Local Authorities, MVIS are a trusted name when it comes to the delivery of ITS solutions across the UK.

As we continue to deliver for clients of all kinds, we have been building on our strong reputation in the industry for customer service and expertise. Due to our focus on portable VMS and specific ITS solutions, our expertise is specialised in our core solutions rather than diluted across many different types of products, like some of our competitors.

This allows us to offer a premium level service for silver level rates and we don’t just cater to big customers. As market leaders, we supply all customers, from high profile schemes to small scale events and basic messaging deployments, we deliver the same level of customer service to all of our customers, no matter how big they are or how big the order is.

Our services don’t just stop at deployment too. Our expertise is often relied upon by customers for consulting purposes regarding how many units are needed, how to best utilise their added-value features and how to provide maximum efficiency for traffic management goals such as traffic flow and safety.

Safety as a concept is of vital importance to us at every step of the company, from our processes and policies to our operations and service – indeed, we have had no reportable incidents of injury in our 9-year history.

This approach is reinforced with a number of accreditations and memberships, leaving no doubt with our clients about what they’re getting when they hire with MVIS. Amongst these include FORS Bronze, Achilles BuildingConfidence membership, Constructionline Gold and ISO accreditations in ISO45001: Occupational Health & Safety, ISO9001: Quality Management Systems and ISO14001: Environmental Management Systems, which come together to make an Integrated Management System (IMS), bringing our systems and processes into one complete framework.

It’s not enough just preaching the importance of safety to our team, however. In order for them to work in a safe environment, everyone needs the relevant skills and training to contribute to this. MVIS provide training for all staff, ensuring that each member of the team is trained and certified in all relevant aspects for everyone to do their job safely, which not only ensures their own safety, but the safety of those around them and for some members of the team, the safety of the general public too.

Internally, we have a programme of Health and Safety training that is ongoing for every operative, in addition to any external training that may be needed for specific projects or for a specific role. For example, all MVIS team members required on-site are CSCS qualified.  

In keeping with our ISO, our responsibilities extend to the environment too. We maintain strong sustainable policies that ensures our carbon footprint is minimised and still reducing as time goes on. A great example of this is our membership with Forest Carbon and their Carbon Club, which allows organisations and businesses an opportunity to address their carbon footprint in a long lasting and effective way.

Purchasing ‘carbon credits’ allows Forest Carbon to plant trees and create new woodlands in the UK on our behalf, which will sequester greenhouse gases from the atmosphere in the years to come.

To make the most of this fantastic opportunity, we are committing to the initiative fully by buying extra credits and planting more trees for any long-term contracts our customers place with us. This has a very powerful effect as time goes on, allowing both MVIS and our customers to help the environment now and in the future, as well as helping to restore habitats for wildlife that is local to the plant sites, increasing biodiversity, protecting against floods and improving river ecosystems.

But it’s perhaps our product offering that has the biggest impact. Offering a suite of solar powered products has an obvious environmental benefit, but when these products are used for applications with an environmental goal, the units become much more than safety solutions.

A recent development, for example, is the ITS Integrated Environmental Sensor, which can be integrated with any of our products and offers clients the ability to monitor and report on air quality. The implications of this on the environment could be huge; the first step in helping to combat levels of pollution is identifying the extent of the pollution. Our ITS Integrated Environmental Sensor allows all our ITS units to work together to serve as a low cost, multi-functional air quality network that passively generates such data whilst serving another safety function.

Together, these aspects contribute to an already strong reputation in the industry for being the best at what we do, and this is only being confirmed with each project that we are trusted with.

As our Major Projects portfolio has increased since our beginnings with the Olympics in 2012, we are repeatedly reminded of the importance of expertise and how vital it is that we remain industry leading specialists in the delivery of solar powered, portable VMS and ITS solutions.


Improving Our Team with Cross-Departmental Training

Over the years, MVIS has championed the importance of ensuring not just a well-trained team, but also a team that understands each other. Every job is different, requiring different skills and perspectives to be done correctly, so in order to enable our team to understand what their colleague’s day to day jobs entail, we operate a cross-departmental training scheme that gives team members experience working with their colleagues in other departments.

We have already seen the positive impact this can make amongst customers, but this strategy is ideal for improving a number of aspects, not just our overall customer service.


Safety

Training our team up with the knowledge and understanding of what their colleagues are required to do, it allows us to better safeguard each other. A great example of this is the relationship between our customer relations team and our delivery technicians.

Cross-departmental training sessions are essential for these departments as it allows the customer relations team to have a good grasp of the dangers our delivery technicians are exposed to. With this, the operations team are better equipped with knowledge and experience to manage certain situations. 

Back in February 2022, Sean Gardner, who oversees the Customer Relations department, went out on deliveries with our North Delivery Supervisor, Jon Larkins so that he could get a better understanding of the work and risks involved in deploying our units, putting this approach in action. 


Efficiency

Efficiency is a very important factor in how we operate as a company, which is one of the reasons that we’re the UK’s most trusted supplier of VMS and have the industry’s best-trained workforce. We don’t just focus on efficiency in terms of our fuel and energy usage, we want all of our team members to be working together as efficiently as possible, helped by cross-departmental training. 

For example, our Marketing Assistant, Alex Handley, spent a day alongside our Sales and Customer Relations Administrator, Juliette Wright. Juliette has a very important role within the sales team, which makes her a perfect member of staff for Alex to learn about this side of the business from. 

The relationship between sales and marketing is critical, both supporting each other in shared goals. If the marketing team better understands the processes that drive the sales team, it allows them to be more proactive in their support, increasing efficiency. 


Staff Morale

Whilst it’s great to see safety and efficiency advantages from cross-departmental training, one of the biggest aspects that it improves is staff morale. When other team members understand the challenges involved in a role or a task, it is highly likely to encourage everyone be more empathetic, patient and helpful.  

It also helps staff understand the business better, potentially improving job satisfaction and their understanding of how their role fits into wider business operations. 

To continue Alex’s cross-departmental training, in late March 2022, he also took a journey out with Jon to deliver some of our signs. In doing this, Alex has been able to see parts of the business that he wouldn’t necessarily be exposed to much from his role in the marketing office, giving him insight into what his hard work is contributing towards. 

In the same way, such training can also improve social well-being at work too. In spending this time with Jon, Alex was able to get to know him and other members of the delivery team, which he wouldn’t have had much chance to do otherwise due to the difference in job roles. 


Alex commented, “I learned a lot from my time working with Juliette and Jon. Both training sessions not only helped me build a rapport with colleagues in a different department, but it was also good to see how the work I do impacts them. Understanding the difficulties they face in their roles equips me better to be able to support them and it also helps me appreciate their level of expertise. It was really impressive seeing what our team can achieve.” 

Alex continued, “It has also been great to see our products in action. Working in the marketing department, I am required to have an excellent product knowledge. Training in other departments has been a great way to learn about our technology so I can help market it to the right audience.”

Anne Ashman,  UK Group Commercial and Operations Director added, “We have been committed to cross-departmental training for a number of years now and it only becomes more apparent how helpful it is as time goes on. Both MVIS and Bartco UK have always been strongly in favour of training and continuous development, so cross-departmental training is a natural progression for us as we strive to offer our customers the best service in the industry.”