Why Choose MVIS? Archives

MVIS / Bartco UK receives a record number of Award Submissions

Posted on 18th September 2020 at 12:38 pm.

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

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

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

Bartco UK – Innovation in Manufacturing Award

MVIS / Bartco UK – Commitment to People Development Award

MVIS – Environmental Impact Award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not MVIS, however.

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

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

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

MVIS Succeed with Achilles Audit

Posted on 10th September 2020 at 11:15 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Last year, we were proud to announce that we had been awarded with Achilles BuildingConfidence registration. Achilles Building Confidence is a UK construction industry accreditation and risk management scheme that aims to help organisations identify, assess, qualify, and monitor suppliers throughout the supply chain, reducing operating costs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Ben Kettell

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

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

In-House Teamwork and Training makes the Dream Work

Posted on 5th June 2020 at 3:36 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

Here at MVIS and Bartco UK we believe that quality starts with staff and our staff retention is something that we take pride in. With 5 staff members continuing after a completed apprenticeship, two currently undertaking apprenticeships and a further 1 to become a manager after joining us at only 18, when we say that we take pride in our staff and the team that we have built, it’s not an understatement.

One of Bartco UK’s apprentices, Pip Wood in purchasing for example, has almost finished her first-year apprenticeship and works under the support of Rebecca Prince, our Purchasing & Stock Control Supervisor. Pip has already been awarded Employee of the Month this year and together, her and Rebecca ensure that we have the correct supply of stock in order for the workshop team to be able to complete works and refurbish units at a fast and efficient rate.

The last year has brought in some major staff changes for our organisation. Towards the end of 2020, we brought out marketing department in-house, promoting Tillie Woolliscroft from Operations to Marketing Assistant as well as hiring Sean Brown as marketing manager. This has allowed us to progress in-house and develop a more modern approach to marketing.

After all, who better to promote the business then the business itself?

Likewise, our operations team saw changes too. Our operations manager, Dom Bridge has been with us for over 5 years and is now passing his knowledge to Mizzy Watson who joined the team last year. With this, Mizzy has also joined our delivery team during on-site maintenance checks, deliveries and battery changes in safe, inner city areas.

Ensuring our staff all understand the workings of both the industry and in-house operations is a large factor in our staff training, this is so all of our staff can have a greater appreciation of the business and offer a positive experience to our customers. As demonstrated with Sean / Tillie, Dom / Mizzy and Bec / Pip, we maintain a strong company ethos of passing training down from management to every corner of the business. This ensures that the level of training is of the highest quality for each member of staff.

With all of our in-house departments supporting one another, it is crucial to understand how each role contributes to the other. For example, our Operations team are on hand day and night to help with any customer needs or advice. Because of this, it is vital that they have the correct knowledge so that they can be as much help as possible.

Not only do we encourage our team to contribute to other departments, we also hold staff training at least once a month when possible in order to maintain a positive relationship and renew aspects of training. Being divided between 3 depots that provide coverage to the whole UK can take its toll if not managed correctly.

These training sessions regularly cover important aspects such as safety, mental heath, production and development. Training meetings don’t only improve our staff’s knowledge within the business, but also encourage everyone to join in with new ideas or potential development which is not only beneficial to staff morale but also encourages team building. These meetings are how we can constantly improve our services both externally and internally.

Since bringing our marketing in-house, we have noticed an astonishing improvement in our nation-wide coverage as well as being able to be more interactive with our customers and followers. We feel that this has strengthened our external relationships as we have been able to work directly with partners and engage with followers on a daily basis.

Bringing marketing in-house also allows us to transcend traditional role divisions and work more efficiently as a team towards shared goals. Having a daily update on new contracts, potential customers or new solutions allows the company respond to changes quickly. There is more depth to a business than its departments and we believe that our staff understand that, which is why we can proudly promote award winning customer service from every corner of our company.

Our in-house teams have never worked better together, striving to make our customer’s lives easier by hiring with us.

MVIS/Bartco UK is an organisation that can tackle any challenge thrown our way, which we have proven time and time again both with our customers and our staff, proving our reliability.

We are only as good as our staff, and we are more than proud of the team that we have built and strengthened over the years.

MVIS Proudly Collect ISO Accreditations

Posted on 6th March 2020 at 8:28 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Last month, we announced that the MVIS / Bartco UK group has been recertified with our ISO accreditations in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018).

This week, General Manager of the ITS group, Anne Ashman officially collected the new certificates at a celebration event marking our achievement, along with Dom Bridge, Assistant Operations Manager at MVIS who was also instrumental in helping the company obtain these accreditations. Presented by Christopher Moores, the Operations Director at NQA, Anne and Dom proudly received the certificates at the event, giving the MVIS and Bartco UK team the recognition we deserve for this accomplishment.

Christopher Moores, Anne Ashman, Dom Bridge

These accreditations signify a wider commitment from MVIS and Bartco UK to corporate social responsibility, demonstrating landmark achievements for us in the areas of industry and workplace safety, environmental responsibility and quality, making us the ideal choice as an ITS supplier for key schemes undertaken on highspeed roads and highways throughout the UK.

Representative of our commitment to these highly important aspects of our business, the ISO accreditations together furnish us with a full IMS (integrated management system), integrating our systems and processes into one complete framework.

Anne Ashman, Group General Manager, commented, “Collecting these certificates marks a huge achievement for the whole team at MVIS and Bartco UK. Understanding the importance of being re-certified in all 3 standards was a value shared by all our staff, who have seen the impact it can have on the company, our growth and our future. Over the 3 years since we obtained our first ISO certification, we have continuously improved our systems, providing higher service levels than ever before. Our team continue to offer customers quality service, safety compliance and environmentally responsible business practices. Both Dom and I were very proud to represent everyone at MVIS and Bartco UK when collecting this highly important and coveted achievement.”

If you would like to know more about our ISO accreditations – MVIS and Bartco UK recertify ISO accreditations

For more information about MVIS, please call us on 01629 580 570 to speak to one of our friendly team.

MVIS and Bartco UK recertify ISO accreditations

Posted on 3rd February 2020 at 1:09 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

MVIS and Bartco UK are proud to announce the recertification of our ISO accreditations in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018).

Issued and audited by global certification body NQA, ISO accreditations enforce the practise of and adherence to well-known and respected business standards that help organisations perform better in a wide range of aspects. For MVIS and Bartco UK, the standards of quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015) and health & safety (45001:2018) are of critical importance to our business, making recognition of these facets in our business operations a highly aspirational goal for us and furnishing us with a full IMS (integrated management system), integrating our systems and processes into one complete framework.

Our quality certification (9001:2015), assures clients that our products and services meet industry requirements. As a very important factor when it comes to equipment such as ours that promotes safety, clients look to MVIS and Bartco UK for reliable and effective products that not only tick all the boxes in their offering, but also have the ISO accreditation in quality behind them.

As an ITS solutions group, we work closely with the Highways and Traffic Management industries to deliver our solutions and products across the whole of the UK. Having such close ties to these industries, our environmental impact is of great importance to our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.. By working with a company that has obtained this accreditation, clients can rest assured that the company their required ITS solution came from is improving their sustainability through increasingly efficient use of resources and reduction of waste.

The health & safety accreditation, (45001:2018), completes our IMS in an area that doesn’t just demonstrate our commitment to our customers, but also to our staff. With its focus on employee safety and the safety of working environments, this standard is perhaps one of our most important, helping us conform to safety standards that keep our staff safe. Due to the nature of work undertaken by many of our team across highways, vehicle management, crowd safety and construction, the safety of our staff and others is paramount in transporting and deploying our units. Staff, customers and even pedestrians can all be safe in the knowledge that our products have been manufactured and deployed with safety in mind.

Having already earned these ISO accreditations over the past few years, MVIS and Bartco UK are subject to audits by NQA that sees us reviewed on these aspects annually and fully reviewed every 3 years to ensure that we are in keeping with standards as time goes on. It is with immense pride that both MVIS and Bartco UK can say they have had their ISO accreditations renewed, demonstrating our commitment to procedure, safety and compliance yet again.

Anne Ashman, Group General Manager, commented, “This is a “pat on the back” for everyone who works at MVIS & Bartco UK. The whole team understand the importance of re-certification of all 3 standards and the impact it has on both company’s future and continual growth. Since first gaining ISO certification 3 years ago the companies have continually improved systems and aimed even higher on service levels to ensure our customers get a quality service from MVIS and Bartco UK”.

For more information about MVIS, please call us on 01629 580 570 to speak to one of our friendly team.

What makes a market leader?

Posted on 19th December 2019 at 11:54 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

What makes a market leader? Well, a number of factors come into play.

Market share is in play, as well as a ubiquitous brand presence, being a pioneer, ongoing marketing efforts, wider contributions beyond market share and the ability to shape the future of a sector are just a few more factors to consider.

In the highways industry, and specifically, the mobile variable message signs sector, MVIS sits proudly as a market leader. So, let’s analyse in more detail what exactly that means within this particular pocket of the highways world…

Company Longevity and accreditations

Founded in 2012, MVIS has developed a reputation of excellent service and today sits as one of the UK’s leading and most trusted suppliers of portable variable message signs. MVIS holds the following quality, and health and safety accreditations as a rubber stamp of quality:

• BS EN ISO 14001: 2015
• BS EN ISO 9001: 2015
• BS EN ISO 45001: 2018

National coverage

We have depots strategically placed nationwide to allow for more efficient regional delivery. Units are housed around the UK to support rapid delivery to localised areas when needed, without the inevitable delay of delivery from a single location.

Project design

With a long history of supplying units to major projects across the UK, we are now working with clients in the planning stages of major schemes, being called upon as consultants. Delivery has evolved to become design as our expertise is further utilised.

Fleet size

There are 550+ units in the MVIS fleet for hire, a growth of over 200% over the last 7 years.

Currently, we are required to build 100 units per year to keep up with demand, and are currently getting ahead of the curve for 2020 in terms of unit builds.

Award winning customer service & 24/7 support

24/7, 365 days a year. The MVIS support service line never stops.

Staff experience & knowledge

Over 60% of the team have spent their entire career here at MVIS, and the company has a reputation for investing in people and a high staff retention rate. As a result, MVIS staff are engrossed in the company values, and their experience and knowledge results in a world class service for customers.

Superiority of products, product range & solutions

Our product range has been continually improved since 2012. We developed the first 5 colour VMS sign, and we have developed and upgraded our products to meet changing legislation and market requirements. Major changes to units have included tilting solar panels, upgraded security features and battery life improvements, reducing the need for battery changes.

MVIS was the first company to develop the Solar IP unit, a solar powered multiple function platform for CCTV, HD Radars, Bluetooth and more. Being the pioneer of this technology comes with knowledge and expertise of it, and we have a fully trained workshop team capable of building the Solar IP units to meet bespoke requirements.

Carry/transport capacity

Our delivery model sets out to deliver multiple units at a time where possible. Pioneering efficiency, and working to reduce carbon footprint, we can offload up to 3 x VMS A units in one delivery, up to 2 x VMS C units, or up to 2 x Solar IP units.

In house repair

In 2017 we took the step of revamping our repairs process in order to be able to provide a greater service for clients.

We set up an in-house repairs workshop, saving on average 30 days per repair, as well as boosting environmental considerations by removing transportation of units in need of repair.

The future…

As the company moves into 2020, we are already preparing for further growth to support the ever-increasing demands for our products, service and expertise. Seven new members of staff are in place, new apprentices are on board, and the company has promoted from within to evolve for optimal performance.

General Manager Anne Ashman comments:

“The growth of the company year on year is phenomenal, this year alone there have been 7 new staff from managers to apprentices across our depots nationwide, and this is due to increase again early in the new year to keep up with demand.

“Becoming a market leader doesn’t happen without our staff and the quality service they give. A major part of this is our R&D department, that has recently doubled in personnel in order to keep up with demand for new products and modifications.

“We are working on a series of new products…but I can’t yet let the ‘cat out of the bag’ in terms of any specifics- but they will be introduced over the next 2 years.

“Our R&D team also answer customers’ requests for modifications and bespoke units. Matt Felce is one of the industry’s leading ITS technicians, working in the industry for over 10 years. Matt holds a wealth of knowledge and a relationship with all the key suppliers needed to make the MVIS/Bartco products the best.

“Being leader in the field means that when a customer comes knocking with a request, we find them the best solution for their specific requirements using our vast knowledge of the industry.”

For more information about MVIS, please call us on 01629 580 570 to speak to one of our friendly team.

Vast hire fleet supports major schemes nationwide

Posted on 30th October 2019 at 1:31 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

In 2012 following the London Olympics, VMS hire specialist MVIS had a fleet of 180 units. Their role at London 2012 was a landmark, being involved in one of the most prestigious events the UK has ever held.

Now, 7 years on, the hire fleet is gargantuan, with over 550 hire units – showcasing a 7-year growth that sees an increase of over 200% in fleet size.

General Manager of MVIS, Anne Ashman comments:

“Year on year we are having to increase the hire fleet by 100 units minimum just to keep up with the demand for hire from MVIS.

“Our reputation goes before us and our focus on service and quality is seeing consistent, fruitful growth.”

Anne continues:

“Over the years, we’ve developed a reputation for quality, and our capabilities have led to being trusted with the planning and implementation of major schemes.

“The way we work with a client is very simple; you give us your plan, and we’ll make it work for you.

“We’ll consult, plan how many units are needed and where they ought to be deployed via a site visit and evaluation, then we deploy and deliver the required number of units on time for the scheme to commence.”

Recently, MVIS has opened a new depot in the north east to further increase efficiency in servicing the north of England as well as Scotland. This additional space means more units can be housed for the hire fleet, as well as placing an increased demand for units with the capability to service more contracts.

As a result, MVIS has recently added another 40 Solar IP units which Bartco UK built, plus almost 70 VMS of various sizes.

Additionally, MVIS are looking to add another 40 HD compact units to the fleet over the next few months, as well as 40 new Solar IP units and 30 new VMS-C units.

MVIS can build 150 units in 5 months for large schemes and have them on the Highway, as they did with corridor orange on the M1.

Currently, the MVIS fleet contains over 500 units, with a breakdown consisting of 181 VMS-A, 192 VMS-C, 81 x Solar IPS and 43 x HD Compact amongst other refurbished units.

With the aim of 110 new units in the next few months, the fleet could now see a 20% boost in size by the new year.

Anne commented on the upscaling:

“Simply put, we need a larger hire fleet due to demand, as well as our increased presence in the North East.

“With our build capability and emphasis on servicing our clients, we’re striving to make these fleet additions in the near future as we continue to keep Britain moving.”

First published on HighwaysIndustry.com

For more information on how our solutions can help you, please get in touch with the team at MVIS on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk

Zero Incidents in 8 years as the industry buys into ‘Aim For Zero’

Posted on 25th September 2019 at 10:15 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

The Highways England ‘Aiming for Zero’ programme targets those working on the Highways England network who are directly at risk from road users.

Companies within the industry have aligned with Highways England on this, as the aim for zero incidents via a focus on worker safety has come to the fore.

Roadworker safety: Highways England’s Aiming For Zero programme

The Aiming for Zero programme:

Sets a clear goal for the Agency’s health and safety performance
Confirms Highways England’s leadership role in the industry
Brings together health and safety work across the whole business

MVIS and Bartco UK are dedicated to ‘Aim for Zero’ to fall in line with both Highways England and Tier 1 contractors across the network.

The companies place safety at the heart of their operations, with in-house, on-site and off-site training, holding regular briefings and safety workshops as well as attending site instruction meetings.

MVIS and Bartco UK are proud to be able to state that they are both zero-incident companies. This exemplary safety record goes right back to day 1 of the businesses meaning zero incidents is an ‘ever’ statement and not a ‘this year’ statement.

Anne Ashman, General Manager of MVIS and Bartco UK spoke to us about the prized ‘0’ as well as the approach to safety that keeps it intact:

“We invest heavily in our safety ethos to do all we can to remain on zero incidents. Safety is at the centre of the 2 companies, with our ethos ‘Safe Mind, Work Safe, Work Well’ leading the way internally.

“We make sure we support our workforce with site safety workshops, courses and briefings as it’s paramount everyone that goes out on the roads for MVIS or Bartco UK gets home safely at the end of the shift.

“In September, I’ll be starting my NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) to carry on working on continual improvement of our safety practices and protocols.”

MVIS achieves Achilles registration as the latest addition to a long line of accreditations

Posted on 13th August 2019 at 4:51 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

MVIS are proud to announce that they have been registered with Achilles after passing the accreditation.

Achilles Building Confidence is a UK construction industry accreditation and risk management scheme.

MVIS are now proud recipients of Achilles registration

What is Achilles certification all about?

Achilles was founded in Norway in 1990 with the goal of helping organisations to identify, assess, qualify, and monitor suppliers throughout the supply chain with the aim of reducing operating costs.

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

MVIS – Yet another mark of quality

For MVIS, Achilles registration cements their commitment to both quality and safety. The company has 20% of its entire team IOSH trained to ensure ALL departments have top quality H&S standards in place and upheld. 75% of staff are first aid trained, and 90% of staff have health and safety CSCS.

Impressively, the company has been awarded ISO 45001:2018 for safer systems of working, measurability and continual improvement, in addition to holding ISO 14001:2015 for environmental standards and ISO 9001:2015 for quality.

General Manager of MVIS Anne Ashman told us:

“We have done this audit process and registered as it shows customers and potential customers even further that we work in a Quality, H&S and Environmental manner. It is our further alignment as a SME with large contractors within the industry.

“We’re really proud to achieve registration with Achilles, and add it to our other accreditations to cement the fact we practice what we preach when it comes to standards, service and quality.”