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.” 

 


ITS solutions that help keep UK Highways safe

Over the last 9 years we have been serving the UK’s national highway system with our solar powered ITS safety solutions. During this time, we have built up a reputation in the industry for delivering platinum service.

But it’s not just service that we shine on – MVIS are well known for bringing the innovative solutions from sister companies Bartco UK and Bartco AU to the UK market. As Highways schemes begin to pick up again after the devastation of the COVID pandemic, we wanted to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on the products that have helped us build this reputation in the industry and has helped to keep the UK’s Highways safe for nearly a decade.


VMS-A

The VMS-A is ideal for urban and inner-city environments of speeds of up to 50mph, however it is commonly used as part of highways projects. As one of our most popular units for traffic management applications, the unit’s smaller footprint provides a tidy option in limited space environments, which can often be very helpful for customers. It can also be used to inform drivers on urban roads that lead to highways about works that may affect them, encouraging them to take a different route or proceed with caution. 

With over 180 VMS-A units in our fleet, the product has become an incredibly reliable ‘go to’ option for a range of projects over the years.

VMS-C

Purpose build for the high-speed network, we also offer the VMS-C, the perfect solution for roads with a speed limit higher than 50mph.

Bigger than the VMS-A, the VMS-C is often a preferred option for highways projects due to it’s larger screen size, making it ideal to communicate with drivers travelling at high speeds, as the larger the screen, the further the viewing distance, which is very important for highspeed roads.

As a result, the VMS-C is a regular sight on the UK’s Highways network, with little wonder due to the 228 units in our fleet, giving us the largest fleet of portable VMS in Europe.

Despite the key difference in these signs being size, they both boast a range of valuable shared features that makes them so effective in high speed applications.

5 Colour Display

Using LED screens allows for a low power solution with maximum brightness for both the VMS-A and VMS-C displays. This helps to ensure that visibility is of the highest priority whilst simultaneously managing power output.

With the ability to show up to 5 different colours, the display allows for red, green, blue and white as well as the highways standard – amber, making our signs perfect for not only messaging but also pictograms or speed roundels.

VMS-A on high speed road for traffic management

Solar charging system

Specifically designed for the UK environment, both VMS-A and VMS-C are fitted with solar power units – removing the need for external power.

This more environmentally friendly feature showcases our commitment when it comes to going greener in accordance with our ISO 14001 Environmental Management accreditation.

 

Tilting Solar Panels

Both portable VMS units are designed to make the most out of the available light, allowing for the solar panels to be adjusted so they face the light.

On a technical level, the solar charging system is optimised for the UK by using the most suitable solar panels and solar regulators for our climate.

Units are built with a solar charger per solar panel rather than per unit, so optimal charging capacity is present at all times. This feature allows for maximum battery life efficiency and extended run times.

 

Radar Integration

All our VMS units have an integrated data collection radar that allows for them to display vital messages, speed alerts and responsive information, triggered by driver’s speed, using tried and tested traffic control solutions to positively influence driver behaviour.

The units discreetly house the radar that can also collect information on speed, time and date, making this solution a low cost alternative to many data collection solutions on the market and is ideal to be used as a data source for the analysis of traffic trends, enabling greater intelligence for planning projects of all kinds.

It may also help with highways construction site safety, allowing users to identify traffic trends with risk, such as speed or volume of traffic, and therefore take steps to combat it.

 

Environmental Sensor

The ITS Integrated Environmental Sensor can be combined with any of our ITS solutions to offer clients the ability to monitor the external environment, producing 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 allow clients to cover more space, quickly and cost effectively. This is important for high speed construction applications as levels of pollution are often a concern for major projects, as is budget. 

 


NTIS DATEX II Portable Journey Time Variable Message Sign Solution

Created in partnership with Highways England (HE), the NTIS DATEX II Portable Journey Time Solution generates real-time journey time information for road users using data from the National Traffic Information Service (NTIS).

The system was the first such solution on the market to enable real-time journey time information from the NTIS to be displayed on a portable VMS.

The NTIS DATEX II Portable Journey Time displays Highways England compliant journey time information, which is refreshed every five minutes, on any number of VMS C’s along major project schemes that are over four kilometres in length. This helps to keep road users informed of the travel time to the end of the road works. Congestion or delays are identified within tens of metres of their vicinity ensuring the messages displayed are relevant to the area affected.


Works Egress Safety Solution

The VMS-C also plays a crucial part in our Works Egress Safety Solution, which offers increased safety for not just the general public but also works traffic that merges from a works egress onto a high-speed road. The role of the VMS C in this solution is to inform upcoming drivers that works traffic will be merging, giving them plenty of warning, and so helping to minimise the risk.

works egress safety solution

The VMS-A can also do this on a high speed road if there is limited space on-site or the speed limit has been lowered to 50 due to the works.


Solar IP

The Solar IP is a highly versatile and functional unit that offers users the ability to mount and power their own technology, bringing portability to technology that is usually fixed due to power constraints.

The unit brings a lot to safety, security and site management applications, allowing for the integration of technologies such as CCTV and IVD data collection radars to name but a few, making these technologies portable and bringing benefit to highways applications.

The crowing feature of this product however is its solar credentials. A trailer based power bank is an attractive solution on its own, but when considering the environmentally friendly power output, it may even be a preferred solution to fixed power, if the long term environmental impact of the installation is a consideration for the client, for example.

solar powered cctv camera


For more information about how our products can support highways works, please contact us via our contact form.

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

 


Keeping your workforce safe when working outdoors

Roads are known to have a mixture of positive and negative effects on the environment and the people who use them. Offering infrastructure benefits in terms of ease of mobility and other transport advantages, we use roads to get us – and our goods – to destinations safely. However, the very same roads take up valuable land, creating barriers for wildlife and can permanently change a landscape into something unrecognisable from what it once was.

One of the most damaging effects of roads, however, are that they invite traffic, which brings with it air pollution. This pollution can cause serious issues to surrounding areas and even jeopardise the health of nearby residents. It can also cause issues for those who are required to work outside, such as road or utility construction workers, who also have the added complication of dealing with potentially high levels of dust too.

But how are workers supposed to know when levels of air quality drop to a dangerous level?

This is where we come in.

Two recent solutions developed by MVIS’ sister company, Bartco UK and intelligent tracking solutions specialists, Iknaia help to provide workers with live data that can report on levels of air quality for a wide range of pollutants. With this data, site managers and workers can monitor in real time the air quality around them, allowing them to minimise the long-term damage that may be caused by implementing safety measures such as distributing PPE when required.

One of these solutions, the Compact Environmental Sensor, serves as a passive air quality monitoring station with a small footprint, meaning it doesn’t take up much valuable space on-site. Being solar powered by our ‘Compact’ base, this unit requires no external power supply and offers a very low-cost alternative to static Air Quality monitoring stations, allowing clients to cover more space in a cost-effective way.

The ITS Integrated Environmental Sensor offers many of the same benefits, however, what makes this product special is its capability to integrate with any of our solar powered ITS solutions, creating a multifunctional unit that can perfectly compliment most road construction projects.

A good example of this is when the Environmental Sensor is integrated with our range of portable VMS. In deploying this solution, site managers can increase safety even more, by using the VMS to raise awareness of the construction project that is underway.

Moreover, the same solution can be deployed in the lead up to any scheduled works, giving roads users plenty of warning that there will be disruption, as well as collecting air quality data beforehand, allowing site managers to implement risk mitigation strategies prior to the works being carried out, helping to keep their workers safe.


For more information about our Environmental Sensor or if you would like to know more about how you can use our products to help with parking, please contact us via our contact form.

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


The MVIS Platinum Service Promise

Over the years, MVIS have built a solid reputation in the industry for providing excellent service to all customers on all projects, no matter the size or customer, we consistently offer our clients the very best service possible.

In recent months, we have been looking for ways that we can underscore this commitment to our customers and offer them an assurance on us as a company, for our service and for our products.

Our Platinum Service Promise is this –

“Platinum Level Service for Bronze Level Prices”

Our Quality & Service document serves to outline what we consider to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights just how special our services are. 

We have always had a good relationship with our clients and we regularly receive positive feedback and comments that often credit us for one of the aspects listed in our Quality & Service Document.

Each time a customer comes to us with enthusiastic comments about our service, we see this not just as an opportunity to celebrate our collective achievement, but also to reinforce this standard of service within our team. Reinforcing these standards offers us the chance to make it very clear to our team what level of service we strive towards. It also helps our staff feel appreciated, giving them job satisfaction and rewarding their hard work.

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director comments “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 continues, “However, 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.”


Accreditations Foster Trust and Safety

Over the years, MVIS and Bartco UK have built a reputation for safety within the industry. Doing this has not been easy; we hold ourselves to very high standards that not only help to keep our staff safe, but also our customers and the general public too. In order to rise to the level that we have, we have worked to stringent safety frameworks through accreditations and memberships with organisations that help guide us along the right path, ensuring that we are maintaining as well as pushing our limits when it comes to matters of safety.

Such frameworks offer so much by way of support and guidance and by working to these, we have one of the best trained workforces in the industry. The accreditations and memberships we hold are a true testament to our commitment to safety and serve as a stamp of approval from these bodies that we work with safety in mind in everything that we do.

Amongst the most important of these frameworks are our ISO accreditations in the standards of quality (9001:2015)environmental management (14001:2015) and health & safety (45001:2018). Issued by global certification body NQA, ISO accreditations enforce the practise of and adherence to respected business standards that help organisations perform better in a wide range of aspects. Together, the ISO accreditations furnish us with a full IMS (integrated management system), bringing our systems and processes into one complete framework, making adherence to these core aspects highly important for us.

Subject to an annual audit by NQA, we are tested into order to ensure that we are making full use of the IMS, applying our accreditation skills to all levels of our business, and it is with great pride that we can announce that we have passed our audit for 2022 with flying colours.


One of the other frameworks that we work to is Gold Status in the Constructionline programme. Constructionline offers a platform for thousands of buyers in the construction industry, enforcing 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 range of projects in the industry by providing them with a pool of high-quality suppliers that they can engage with confidently.

Achieving Gold status on this platform requires further validation checks using an enhanced prequalification questionnaire that goes beyond those involved in silver. Our credentials were assessed for environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence and anti-bribery and corruption policies.


We have also achieved Gold status in the Supply Chain Sustainability School, a platform that offers businesses extensive training into topics such as sustainability, offsite safety, procurement and management relevant to the business environment.

With a focus on CPD through training workshops, networking events and e-learning modules, achieving Gold status is done through completing or using a number of these tools across the company to ensure that the skills taught within the programmes are taken on by companies as well as filtered throughout the business.


We have also re-certified with Achilles BuildingConfidence, having been registered for 3 years now. 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.

Achilles BuildingConfidence helps us to accentuate our commitment to these essential aspects of our business.


Another accreditation we hold is the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), which an accreditation scheme for fleet operators that aims to raise the level of quality within fleet operations, and to demonstrate which operators are achieving exemplary levels of best practice in safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.

In joining this collection of businesses, we have benchmarked the standard of excellence in our operations, achieving the FORS Bronze accreditation. Holding Bronze accreditation confirms that we employ good practice and comply with the requirements laid out by the FORS Standard, focusing on a dedication to driver and vehicle safety.


Safety doesn’t just encompass physical safety, however. Last year, we signed up to the Prompt Payment Code. The Prompt Payment Code is a voluntary code of practice for businesses, administered by the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (SBC) on behalf of BEIS and sets standards for payment practices between organisations of any size and their suppliers.

Signatories to the code have undertaken to always pay suppliers on time, within agreed terms, to give clear guidance to suppliers on terms, dispute resolution and prompt notification of late payment, and well as to support good practice throughout their supply chain by encouraging adoption of the Code.

By promoting and sticking to these practices, we are serving as a good example for the code which may help to inspire other companies to sign up, enforcing best business practices all along our supply chain to help organisations conduct business safely.


We also prioritise digital safety too. Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective,Government backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks.

Cyber attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. They’re the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it’s unlocked. Cyber Essentials is designed to prevent these attacks.

Certification gives us peace of mind that our defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

Cyber Essentials shows us how to address those basics and prevent the most common attacks.

It also gives our customers piece of mind that their data is handled according to best practices against common cyber attacks, meaning they can hire with us confidently.


Graeme Lee, Sales Director for MVIS and Bartco UK commented, “The frameworks we work to have been carefully considered and are absolutely essential to ensure the safety of our team, so we do not take it lightly. Everyone within our group has had training that goes beyond the basic requirements for their job role. Clients come to us knowing that we do not compromise when it comes to our standards, giving us a loyal customer base and separating us from other portable VMS suppliers.”  

The further we invest in strong accreditations and memberships, the more we change the way we operate and how we approach challenges. In an ever-evolving world, staying up to date on matters of safety has never been more important.


Meet the Experts

No organisation can run on its own and a business is only as good as its people. MVIS takes a huge amount of pride in our team members and strongly encourage all team members to take every opportunity for training and development. As a result, and in conjunction with our recruitment practices, we boast one of the best trained and highest skilled workforces in the industry.

Today, we are going to shine a spotlight on the experts in our organisation, taking a look at the foundations of what makes us the most trusted ITS supplier in the industry. 


Tom Hooton – Research & Development Manager – Bartco UK

As manager of Research & Development for Bartco UK, in many ways, Tom is where it all starts. MVIS and Bartco UK are known for bringing new products and solutions to market that can go on to change the whole industry. Working as Technical Supervisor until 2021, Tom has had a hand in helping to develop most of these solutions, including developing a few of his own already during his time in the role.

New products to us such as the CCTV VMS integration and the Compact Portable CCTV owe their development to Tom, as well as many other products that are currently being worked on – the Bartco UK R&D department has never been more productive.

The scope that the products Tom has worked on and is currently working on is limitless. Often tasked with bringing requested solutions to life for high profile clients, Tom has a keen ability to deploy the best technology in the best way to deliver the customer’s vision.

Now working alongside newly appointed Research & Development Assistant, Mizzy Watson, Tom will be training Mizzy as well as taking on new perspectives from her as someone who previously worked with customers in the Customer Relations department.


Mark Ashbee – London Depot Manager – MVIS

Mark has worked with us since 2015, proving himself on countless occasions to uphold and embody the values of service and quality that MVIS prioritise. Mark’s fantastic attitude exemplifies the approach we take with our customers, making his promotion to London Depot Manager in 2021 a logical appointment.

His role as London Depot Manager entails ensuring the smooth running of one of our key depots in the south of the UK, and with Delivery Technician, Jay Bailey, they together service works based down south, allowing us to deploy units quickly for important projects especially in the London area.

Mark is often required to manage ‘out of the ordinary’ deliveries that drivers based in other locations in the UK may not face so regularly. Servicing the London area usually requires a different approach to the rest of the UK, having to work around the heavy traffic, public transport, lack of parking, congestion charges, cyclists and other large city challenges that London is well known for. In order to work effectively on London roads, Mark and Jay must frequently conduct unit maintenance and other duties in the early hours of the morning, requiring expert knowledge regarding what the right roads to take are and when to minimise the infamous city centre difficulties.


Jon Larkins – North Delivery Supervisor – MVIS

Joining the group in 2017, Jon has progressed within the company to North Delivery Supervisor, working alongside Delivery Technician, Liam Griffiths servicing the Midlands and the North of the UK.

Jon has impeccable leadership and customer service skills, often receiving positive customer comments and being liked amongst colleagues as well – Jon has received Employee of the Month countless times in recent years for going above and beyond what is expected of him.

Highly trained in his role, Jon has continued to develop during his time at MVIS, recently qualifying as the group’s 3rd Mental Health First Aider, supporting every member of the team.

Jon is a dependable and highly skilled team player with great product knowledge and a passion for customer service.


Rebecca Prince – Purchasing & Stock Control Supervisor – Bartco UK

Bec started working with the company in 2015 as an apprentice and ever since has worked her way up to a supervisor role.

Seizing every opportunity for development possible, Bec is a prime example of how well the MVIS / Bartco UK apprenticeship programme can work, equipping her with not just the skills to do her role, but also skills and experience that contributes to a well-rounded employee.

In her role as Purchasing and Stock Control Supervisor, Bec has a keen understanding of the products and their components. With her strong communication skills, Bec works with the Bartco UK workshop team to ensure that we have the necessary tools and components stocked for all products so that the team can do their jobs for unit manufacture and maintenance.

Working alongside and training up Pip Wood, who herself also started as an apprentice, Bec has a wide scope of responsibility that is vital to the everyday running of the group.


Tim Hill – Workshop Supervisor – Bartco UK

Tim started with the group back in 2015 as a member of our delivery and maintenance team, progressing to Workshop Supervisor in 2019, where he oversees our Technical Support Team and Technical apprentices. We identified Tim’s ability for inspiring new talent early on, seeing him as a senior member of the team due to his experience fairly quickly.

Through his guidance and supervision, Tim is helping the entire workshop team develop their knowledge and skills, guiding not just our apprentice Jacob Spencer, but also some of the more experienced team members, Cain Gregory and George Sheldon, who always have something to learn from someone with as many years of experience as Tim does.

Technically minded with a keen eye for detail, Tim’s always on hand to make sure units are built on time and to the highest standard and his hands-on approach is valued highly by both customers and colleagues.


Chris Steel – Accounts Officer – MVIS

As our Accounts Officer, Chris is a highly skilled and experienced accountant, with a strong attention to detail.

Managing the company’s accounts, ensuring things are paid and working with Tom Berry in Credit Control, Chris is a vital component in the group’s financial success.

With extensive experience in Sage and offering support to other departments such as Sales or Purchasing & Stock Control, he is always ready to help members of the team from any level of the company who need assistance.

Being Accounts Officer requires Chris to be diligent and organised, not letting things go unpaid. This is a highly important job within the group as many systems we use require payment, which, if left unpaid, will result in bottlenecks in many staff member’s workflows and may even result in work being lost.


Sean Brown – Marketing Manager – MVIS

Sean has been with the company since 2019 and was taken on to manage the transition from agency marketing to in-house marketing. This task was a huge undertaking, having to build new systems for us to use and build a whole new infrastructure that suited an in-house marketing department.

Working alongside Alex Handley as Marketing Assistant and Ben Ashman as Data Assistant, Sean also oversees the group’s lead generation activities, assisting Juliette Wright in sales to reach out to new customers in new industries.

Sean is also charged with the development of his team, focusing on training Alex and Ben to enhance their skillset, raising the bar internally.

After working in marketing management for over 8 years, there isn’t much in the field that Sean hasn’t seen, equipping him with a wide range of skills that are perfect for an infrastructure build of this scale. However, since being with MVIS, Sean has continued to develop, recently obtaining his IOSH Managing Safely V5.0 qualification, as well as a Diversity and Equality in Workplace Diploma Level 3, earning him the title of Diversity Officer for the group.


Graeme Lee – Sales Director – MVIS

Graeme has worked with the group since 2012, helping to build our customer base and enforcing the high standards we set for ourselves through leading by example.

Highly skilled in sales, networking and maintaining relationships, Graeme is well respected within the industry and has amassed a number of career achievements during his time with us.

Graeme oversees the sales department, working with Sales & Customer Relations Administrator Juliette Wright to ensure that enquiries and projects of all sizes are managed properly. With years of experience in producing high value tender submissions and working with high profile customers from many different industries, Graeme is an incredibly valued member of the team.

Working by the principals of honesty, integrity and trust, Graeme’s reputation precedes him within the industry, being close friends with colleagues and customers alike after so many years of hard work and excellent service.


Anne Ashman – UK Group Commercial and Operations Director – MVIS

Anne is the central nexus of the MVIS and Bartco UK machine, leading the whole team through whatever is thrown our way.

During her 10 years with the group companies, Anne has gained 3 ISO standards across MVIS and Bartco UK, as well as countless accreditations that all support the Sales and Marketing teams to do their jobs, as well as laying a foundational framework for everyone to work to, keeping us safe and making sure our work is of the highest standard.

Anne strongly believes in the personal development of herself and her team, often mentoring apprentices and ensuring all new starters get the right training they need.  She has completed an OU Business Management degree, gained a level 5 HR qualification, IOSH Managing Safely, Directors Development Program and last year, earning the PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner qualifications whilst running the group companies.

Anne’s guidance is a critical component to the smooth running of the group, with a lot of the success we’ve seen over the last 10 years happening under her supervision.


Committing to Sustainability as Newest Member of Greener Highways

MVIS has showcased its commitment to sustainability by becoming a member of Greener Highways, joining the collaborative charge towards net zero.

Greener Highways is a membership organisation set up to unite a sector in the battle against the ongoing climate crisis. It aims to aid with the education and implementation of sustainable initiatives, products, services and operations across the highways sector.

In order to achieve this, Greener Highways will showcase the contributions of its members towards a cleaner, greener future. Greener Highways aims to tackle the climate emergency together by looking at areas such as energy, transport, wildlife and waste, with further aim to build best practice relationships between businesses to encourage faster changes towards long-term sustainability.

As part of a huge highways community, Greener Highways sees the environmental impact of the sectors business activities and realise that companies need to address increasingly serious environmental problems such as climate change, resource depletion, carbon footprints, and pollution.

MVIS

MVIS has opted for Greener Highways membership as it shares the mission and aims of the organisation. The business believes in a cleaner, greener future in an industry that can make a monumental difference with its carbon reduction.

MVIS is a leader in the field of in the delivery of temporary Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) products and integrated solutions for hire across the UK.

Matters that concern the environment have always been important to MVIS. As the company navigates its way through the forever evolving Highways and Traffic Management industries, it has never been more important to be thinking and acting in ways that promote sustainability, carbon footprint management and general care for the environment.

The commitments spelled out in the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy go further than that just what is expected by its ISO in environmental management (14001:2015). MVIS has been on a journey towards being carbon-friendly for 10 years now, starting with its products.

The product range is by its very nature environmentally friendly, being solar powered and offering an alternative to fixed solutions that draw power from the grid straight away helps the environment in this regard, which is an effect that is only increased by time.

Couple this with some applications that MVIS products can be used for. For example, the variable message signs can be used to spread messages that can make an impact on people’s behaviour, such as reminding drivers not to leave their engine running idle, or even to help remind people not to litter.

MVIS also provides a range of data collection solutions that can help Local Authorities, National Highways and site managers determine levels of traffic and their speed, which can then be used to make decisions that can affect the environment, such as issues regarding levels of pollution.

Anne Ashman, UK group Commercial and Operations Director told us:

“We don’t just embody environmental matters in our products, but in our actions too.

“In recent years we have taken a number of steps towards our goal for carbon neutrality and have carried these through every level of our business.

“We undergo continual improvement when it comes to our manufacturing. Over the last 10 years, we have improved our unit’s batteries and solar panels in line with the latest innovations in these technologies.”

To become a member of Greener Highways, please visit www.greenerhighways.co.uk/become-a-member


Importance of Accreditations and Working Within Frameworks

MVIS Have always been dedicated to the principles of safety, quality and best practice. Underscored by our focus on training, our team are consistently training and looking for ways to improve on areas of skills levels and qualifications.

In the face of the global pandemic, we have been working hard in the background to ensure that we have the right accreditations to guide this dedication and focus, helping us to maintain our industry leading reputation in the rental supply of solar powered intelligent transport systems.

One of the motivations behind this is the understanding of the importance of accreditations to MVIS. Not only does it help us on our unending mission to improve, but holding the right accreditations are required to work with some of our biggest clients.


One of the most important of these is our ISO accreditations. MVIS hold ISO accreditations in quality (9001:2015), environmental management (14001:2015), and health & safety (45001:2018), issued by global certification body NQA and subject to annual audits. 

ISO accreditations enforce the practise of and adherence to respected business standards that help organisations perform better in a wide range of aspects. Together, the ISO accreditations furnish us with a full IMS (integrated management system), bringing our systems and processes into one complete framework.

For MVIS and Bartco UK, the standards of quality (9001:2015)environmental management (14001:2015) and health & safety (45001:2018) are of vital importance to our business, making adherence to this framework a must.

One of the other accreditations we have earned recently is Gold Status with Constructionline, which offers a platform for thousands of buyers in the construction industry to quickly find suppliers amongst a pool of high quality members that they can engage with confidently.

Constructionline creates an ethos of trust and quality amongst its community by validating all members and achieving Gold status isn’t easy. Gold membership requires further validation checks using an enhanced prequalification questionnaire that goes beyond those involved in silver.

Our credentials were assessed for a wide range of aspects, including environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence and anti-bribery and corruption policies.

Working to the requirements Constructionline Gold Status demands ensures that we are working to the best standards possible in these areas, giving our customers confidence as well as helping to keep our team and the general public safe.

We have also achieved Gold status in the Supply Chain Sustainability School, a platform that offers businesses extensive and accredited training around various sustainability, offsite, digital, procurement, lean and management topics relevant to the business environment.

Achieving Gold status is done through completing or using a number of training workshops, networking events and e-learning modules across the company to ensure that the skills taught within the programmes are taken on by companies and filtered throughout the business.

The policies and systems affected by the work we have done with the Supply Chain Sustainability School will, in turn, affect the whole organisation by helping us towards our goal of a more sustainability focussed business, with the added benefits of cost savings, reinforcing our reputation and increased safety for our team, our customers and the general public.

This year, we have also re-certified again with Achilles BuildingConfidence registration, having been certified for over 2 years now.

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.

Achilles BuildingConfidence helps us to accentuate our commitment to these essential aspects of our business.

 As a responsible business operating in a modern world, our focus of attention also extends to digital. Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective, Government backed framework that helps us protect our organisation against a whole range of the most common cyber-attacks.

Working to this framework gives us peace of mind that our defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber-attacks because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

It also gives our customers confidence that their data is handled according to best practices against common cyber-attacks, meaning they can hire with us without concern.

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director commented, “Accreditations change the way we operate at an organisational level that affects how we approach things, both as a company and as individuals. The frameworks we work to underpin a lot of what we do here at MVIS and Bartco UK and ensures that we are doing our best when it comes to aspects of safety, service and quality.”

Anne continues, “It assures our customers too. Earning the accreditations we have is testament to our commitment to our customers. Clients come to us knowing that we do not compromise on safety, quality or customer care and that we can adapt in an ever-changing world.”