vitality issue 2

Inside this issue...TheWaiting Game

Getting to know you ...visits Sicura Systemsin Basingstoke

VincenzoRoberti ManagingDirector

Meeting business challenges

Lawrence Webster Business Development Director

Page 05 Page 06

VitalityVitality

XTEND uncovered P2

Technology at Silverstone P2

Resources in Belfast P3

Capital Gains P4-5

Vital Consulting P6

Health and Safety P7

Star Employees P8

Your Charity News P8

Vital SerViceS GrouP NewSletter - 2013 - iSSue 2

Vitality

with Alex Renton

Senior Systems

Engineer

Vital Technology

we are at the end of the full trading year for 2012, and we have achieved our financial goals.

one business which performed exceptionally well throughout 2012 was Vital technology, which involved ematics successfully winning the Dartford tunnel project and Sicura working on prestigious projects at both Silverstone and austin, texas for Formula 1. the other highlight has been Vital Skills training, as it expanded its number of training centres across the uK.

Despite challenging market conditions, the rail and resources businesses outperformed many of their peers. we are seeing some extremely positive signs for 2013, especially with Vital rail’s involvement with key industry projects such as crossrail, and Vital resources’ penetration of the renewables market.

we are also beginning to pick up several key projects through our australian rail business, which is a positive step forward.

looking back on our marketing activities over the past year, i am delighted to report on the success of Vital at the infrarail and iFSec trade shows at the Nec in Birmingham. we took the decision to promote the Group and our brands more heavily this year across relevant industries, and this has been extremely well-received by our existing and prospective customers.

at both of the events, supporting dinners and awards ceremonies, we fielded teams from every part of the Group. this was especially apparent at infrarail, where we had strong representation from rail, technology, Skills training, Solutions, consulting and Vital rail Security. iFSec also saw the joint promotion of Sicura and Vital technology.

So looking back, we achieved our objectives in getting the brand out there. More importantly, we were out there working as a single integrated team in a highly professional manner. (For full show reports, please see page 6).

Finally, other recent developments have included Vital consulting, formerly known as “external works”, being re-branded to better portray its services, and the opening of a new Group head office to cover the southern region, which now houses rail, resources, technology, Skills training and Solutions under one roof at Kennington in South london.

all of these exciting projects and more are covered in this edition of Vitality. i wish you all a very successful start to 2013.

John Smith

From the top

Vital XTENDS itself

wireless solutions which include the use of 3G and satellite standards. the result is that customers see the benefits of communications which can cover a 3km line of sight. in short, Xtend can be used in the middle of nowhere.”

Xtend turned thousands of heads when it was exhibited at the iFSec trade show in association with Vital technology’s sister company, Sicura Systems, who have contributed their Digilive video analytics software to the project. (Video analytics is the use of artificial intelligence to ‘teach’ a computer to generate an alarm on behaviour of people, vehicles or other objects which is an exception to normal patterns or movements.)

alex continued: “Xtend is hugely flexible according to the user’s requirement. However, a common configuration is four fixed cameras and one pan/tilt/zoom (PtZ) assembly. the PtZ might be a camera for low-light conditions as well as for thermal imaging in order to pick up heat signatures.

“other methods used to detect intruders such as passive infrared sensors - similar to those you have in your home alarm system - don’t allow you to distinguish between the types of threats. Xtend can discriminate between people and vehicles, and sets up virtual tripwires according to precise specifications with filters on direction, pattern of movement and speed.

“experiments by the uS Department of energy indicate that the attention span of even a well-motivated security guard observing a monitor is no more than 20 minutes. However, Xtend removes human error and the need to observe eventless footage. only meaningful data is processed, a development that has additional benefits in optimising use of bandwidth and storage space.”

the product’s potential applications are limitless and immediate interest is being expressed by Network rail, the National Grid and the construction industry.”

page 02

By John Smith CEO

VSG

Vital Services Group is widely known and respected for the services it provides, and its prompt response to market conditions and the needs of its clients. a lesser known fact is that Vital also develops its own industry-leading products. to expand on people’s limited knowledge of this fact, Vitality takes a look behind closed doors at the Mill in Manchester and catches up with the development teams responsible for the realisation of new products.

alex renton, Senior Systems engineer at Vital technology, is part of the Xtend development team. He spoke to Vitality in detail about the product: “Disruption on a rail network as a result of cable theft can cost train operating companies (tocs) up to £8,000 per minute.

“Xtend is a mobile rapid deployment cctV and video analytics system which offers end-users comprehensive site monitoring and intelligent scene analysis at locations that are proving vulnerable to metal theft, trespass and vandalism.

“Purpose-built to cope with difficult terrain and weather conditions, the ruggedised unit is designed on a 360° hydraulic mast and rotation tower (extending to 9 metres), which is housed in a trailer base unit benefiting from low-power requirements.

“clients can opt for a diesel generator or battery-powered version and a range of

Vital Services Group - Innovative engineering solutionsVitality

Get involved… Send news to: [email protected]

leaving the track, race controllers are able to assess the incident through Digilive by viewing video footage from the nearest camera as well as cameras on either side of the track. they can then decide whether the situation requires the dispatch of a medical team and the use of a safety car to prevent any further incidents as well as providing updates to spectators.

Gavin Bryant, integrated Solutions Manager at Sicura, told Vitality: “our Digilive and Digiwall solutions will be used during all events across all classes of motor sport at Silverstone. the venue simply will not stage a race unless the cameras and software are operating. we recently installed the management suite and video wall in the circuit’s national control room and are now working on the international control room which is used for F1, MotoGP and other events.

“the previous installation was based on an analogue solution which had slow reaction times and took up a lot of space at the point of installation, viewed through a bank of crt monitors.

“as a result of the upgrade we have performed, each control room at Silverstone now has 32 screens on its display wall and an iP solution which uses space more efficiently. we installed two ten-terabyte network video recorders (NVrs), and with the cameras using the H.264 standard video compression, we are optimising use of storage space and bandwidth.”

Vital Services Group company, Sicura Systems, has supplied its Digilive intelligent data management software and Digiwall display solution to the British racing Drivers’ club at its Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire which has been the venue for the British Grand Prix since 1987.

the software promotes driver and spectator safety at the track by optimising management views of the venue during race days. Sicura designed and installed a system including 32 high-definition pan/tilt/zoom cctV cameras which were positioned at 50-metre intervals throughout the circuit.

in the event of problems such as a collision, vehicles becoming stranded or

Supporting Sicura Systems throughout this project was Vital technology. Darren eastell, installation Manager at Vital technology commented: “we were responsible for the installation of the high-definition cameras. this was a very challenging project due to the limited operational window available to us. on site we had to manage the installation while not compromising the safety of the track.”

The yellow flag

in addition, Sicura developed a bespoke yellow light system to run in sync with the camera solution which is used primarily for safety communication with drivers throughout races. Previously, a yellow flag was waved during a race to indicate a hazard on the track beyond that point. However, it now only takes an operator from race control to apply one or multiple flashing yellow lights around the circuit to inform the drivers of a hazard.

Silverstone first hosted the British Grand Prix in 1948. Notable races include Sir Jackie Stewart’s victory in 1969 when he lapped the whole field on his way to winning the world championship later in the year. in 1991, Nigel Mansell had a season-long duel with ayrton Senna, beating his rival at Silverstone but allowing the Brazilian, whose car had stopped during the final stages, to sit on his sidepod during a victory lap.

Sicura in pole positionwith Gavin Bryant

Integrated Solutions

Manager

Sicura Systems

Commitment to safety - ‘We make a difference’

page 03

Vitality

Vital attend Forth Bridge Ceremony

Vital partnership with Tfl

We want your thoughts...

Send your comments to: [email protected]

two senior representatives of Vital rail were among a group of special guests at the unveiling of twin memorials to workers who died during the construction of the Forth rail Bridge near edinburgh.

Gary Hardaker, Vital rail’s Managing Director, and Graham Gillan, Business Development Manager, were invited by Network rail and principal contractor, Balfour Beatty regional civil engineering. the event’s guest of honour was the Scottish First Minister, rt Hon alex Salmond MSP.

the ceremony marked the end of a 10-year restoration project on the rail crossing over the Firth of Forth in which Vital rail played a major role.

Gary Hardaker said: “Vital rail is delighted to have played such a significant part in the restoration of the iconic Forth Bridge over the last decade.

“By working in a close relationship with Balfour Beatty regional civil engineering and Network rail, the workforce involved in undertaking this complex programme of restoration has successfully delivered a project requiring safe systems of work to overcome some of the toughest working conditions in Britain.”

twin memorials, unveiled in prominent public locations in North and South Queensferry, pay tribute to the 73 ‘Briggers’ who lost their lives on the bridge, as well as to the thousands of other workers who have contributed to building, maintaining and restoring the structure in the 129 years since construction began.

Both memorials consist of a seven foot upright bronze section built into a stone base, which is engraved with the words: “to the Briggers, past and present, who built, restored and continue to maintain this iconic structure.”

First Minister alex Salmond said: “all of this has been made possible thanks to the Briggers past and present, who have shown incredible bravery, industry and skill in the 129 years since the bridge was built.”

the Forth rail Bridge is located 14km to the west of edinburgh. it is regarded as the crowning achievement of Victorian steel bridge building and its robust cantilever structure was designed to combat the high winds that had caused the failure of the tay Bridge with significant loss of life 11 years earlier in 1879.

the bridge is composed of 54,000 tonnes of open-hearth steel. Daily train movements average between 180 and 200, and the bridge is the principal artery between edinburgh and Fife.

Gary Hardaker, managing director of Vital rail, said: “Young people are the future of the rail industry and we’re delighted to have provided opportunities for such a keen group of young people.

“the ladder for london initiative has provided a focus for apprenticeships and is doing a great job in encouraging more employers to offer opportunities within their business.

“transport for london has been a fantastic partner and we’re so pleased to see our apprentices at the end of their first year. they have gained some valuable knowledge and experience and made some excellent foundations in what can be a long and rewarding career.”

Yasin ali, an apprentice from Newham, added: “i started my apprenticeship with Vital in January and am really enjoying it. i’m learning lots of new things and have made some good friends. it’s been great to develop new skills and put them into practice on an actual railway and i can’t wait to see what else the course has got in store.”

More than one hundred 16 to 18 year olds from across Greater london will have completed an apprenticeship in 2012 thanks to a partnership between Vital rail and transport for london (tfl).

So far, a total of 109 teenagers, including eight former offenders, have been recruited onto an apprenticeship in railway engineering and now, after 12 months’ training and hands-on experience, the first 65 are set to start new careers in the rail industry after completing their qualifications.

the initiative, backed by Boris Johnson, was set up in response to high unemployment in the capital, where one in four young people aged 16 to 24 is out of work.

with responsibility for london’s transport network, tfl has provided valuable work placements for the apprentices, including the popular project to maintain the epping ongar railway heritage line and provide passengers with a connection to the london underground.

a number of apprentices have already completed their qualifications and have moved on to a range of rail business projects with Network rail and london underground.

the all-round grounding in engineering skills gained by the apprentices matches perfectly the ladder for london criteria for offering a “sustainable start” for previously disengaged young people.

with Gary Hardaker

Managing Director

Vital Rail

Offshore wind turbine contract of “Titanic” proportions

Vital is supporting one of the uK’s largest renewable energy projects, located eight miles off the North wales coast in liverpool Bay. Vital resources are partnering with Siemens’ field installation team on the fitting of the substation equipment on the £2bn Gwynt y Môr offshore project. the wind farm, on which construction started last year, is expected to be commissioned in 2014, and will comprise 160 wind turbines. expected to generate around 1,950 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to supply 400,000 households, this form of clean power generation is expected to reduce carbon emissions by some 1.7 million tonnes every year.

the farm is being constructed with funding from rwe innogy, in partnership with Stadtwerke München GmbH, and Siemens aG.

the main contract for Gwynt y Môr was won by Belfast-based Harland and wolff (H&w), a company more closely associated historically with shipbuilding, although it has now successfully diversified into major offshore renewable projects.

Vital resource’s sub-contract was secured following the successful provision of highly skilled operatives on the london array offshore wind farm project, both in Belgium and the uK.

Managing Director craig Sutcliffe said: “with our experienced core personnel, we are now confident of securing future platform builds both in the uK and abroad”.

Belfast’s dockside skyline is still dominated by H&w’s giant twin gantry cranes (Samson and Delilah), built in 1969 and 1974 respectively.

this year H&w has also been at the forefront of commemorations to mark the centenary of its most famous build: the rMS titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage to New York in april 1912.

the city of Belfast has now opened a £97m exhibition centre in the titanic Quarter, which tells the story of the building and fate of the world’s most celebrated passenger ship.

with Craig Sutcliffe

Managing Director

Vital Resources

New appointment

SteveNorris VSG

Vital Services Group has welcomed former conservative Minister of transport, Steve Norris, to its board of directors.

Steve, from liverpool, was a member of parliament for 14 years, serving almost five years in the Department of transport during John Major’s government.

the former executive chairman of Jarvis Plc has extensive industry experience and is currently a commissioner of the independent transport commission.

John Smith, ceo, commented: “we are delighted to have someone of Steve’s calibre joining us as we expand our Group. He brings invaluable industry experience and is respected as one of the few politicians to also have a successful career in industry.”

Steve added: “i am thrilled to be joining John Smith and his excellent management team at Vital Services Group. they are market leaders in the fields of transport, power and communications and have an excellent training division that is helping to improve our national skills base.

“i look forward very much to working with the team to help develop the business further.”

one of H&w’s giant twin gantry cranes Sampson and Delilah,

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Amey Fore Street tunnel ScaDa upgrade

Cardiff County Council cardiff Butetown tunnel sensors replacement

Enterprise Mouchel rotherhithe tunnel fire systems and wayfinder signs

National Roads Authority eire - Dublin Nra data communications

Victoria ConstantineGroup Marketing

Manager

VSG

London Office01

Gary FungOperations Manager

Vital Solutions (Rail)

Paul Crompton Director of Vital Rail

the new london head office is proving very popular with clients since its opening, and having access to the Group’s full capability is making a big difference to the way the Group is perceived. Since the last issue of Vitality, there have been some exciting contract wins, particularly with tube lines who have changed their contracting strategy by awarding works for 12-month periods. current contracts include labour supply and scrap removal. other ongoing projects include points and crossings (P&c) refurbishments, general heavy maintenance and reconditioning works on the london underground.

Vital rail is also busy on the rail network through contracts with amey colas and Balfour Beatty, and is trying to move to a position in which developing our skilled and experienced workforce is complemented by the introduction of our apprentices as they move through Vital’s training schemes.

Paul adds: “our clients recognise that there is a limited pool of young, skilled labour in the south east of england, and are very receptive to our approach. crossrail will be a big drain on that pool over the next few years, so it’s a good time to introduce new blood into the industry.”

Lawrence Dobie Education and Training Director Vital Skills Training

the division’s move into its new purpose-built office in Kennington sees a five-strong training team and two new classrooms added to its existing four at epping in essex. the new facilities avoid the need for a 45 minute journey out of london, and are already proving popular with staff, trainees and clients alike.

Services offered include a range of Network rail-accredited programmes, including courses on personal track safety, track induction, and engineering.

this year has seen a continuing expansion for Skills training, and lawrence told Vitality: “london will be a huge area of expansion for us, and the plan is not just to focus on rail, but also to move into the power and technology sectors, the latter by working in partnership with Vital technology.”

Gary Fung, Operations Manager Vital Solutions (Rail)

Vital Solutions specialises in both blue and white-collar recruitment, principally for the rail sector, and is already benefiting from the move to Kennington.

Gary said: “the type of work we do, and the clients we work with, means there are obvious crossovers for other parts of the Group.

“the division’s focus is on clients such as Balfour Beatty, Kier, Ferrovial and BaM Nuttall, but my background in engineering, rolling stock and project management means other sources of new business are coming into play.

“My own field of expertise is with major rolling stock and equipment suppliers such as Hitachi rail, Bombardier and alstom,” Gary added, “i expect this sector to take off in a big way.

“there is quite a buoyant outlook now the dust has settled following the olympic Games, and the rail side of the business should provide significant areas for growth.”

Arthur O’Donnell, Operations Manager Vital Technology

we first spoke to arthur in the last issue of Vitality. Most of the division’s work is in the transport sector, with london underground being a key client, while work on the £16bn crossrail is growing in importance.

areas of specialisation include mechanical, electrical, fire and communications. the largest current project is at lu’s central line Hainault depot in east london where new water and heating systems are being installed in a contract worth about £700,000. across the capital, the team has also been working on the expansion of Greenford station’s fire safety system. communications is proving to be a strong area for growth and we have recently been commended by lu for our work on new information systems at underground stations at whitechapel and Barking.

Mike Power, Director Vital Resources

the division’s traditional areas of supply in the Mechanical and electrical (M&e) and construction sectors have again been busy in 2012, although the olympic and Paralympic Games provided an unusual challenge. there was an embargo on works on the london underground for about two months during the Games, which meant a quieter time than usual for Mike and his colleagues.

Mike commented: “For us, the olympic period provided us with an opportunity to further develop our non-rail related revenue streams and increase visibility within new areas. “crossrail is an area of growth for us in 2013 as lower-tier contracts are being released, especially in construction, civils and M&e.”

page 04

An ethical approach – ‘We are committed’Vitality


London Calling... Vital now has a head office in the capital for the first time, with the opening of our new Kennington premises.

The 6,000 sq ft building houses several companies within the Group; Rail, Resources, Technology, Skills Training and Solutions.

Group Marketing Manager, Victoria Constantine explains the background to the move:

“there were two main factors behind the decision to have a single office in london.

“Firstly, in all of our businesses and markets, there was a need to position ourselves as a serious player in the capital. “the reason behind this is that all of our national and international clients are headquartered, or have a major presence in london, especially the transport and infrastructure controllers, which represent the majority of our business. “Secondly, our existing london-based businesses - resources, rail, technology and Skills training, were spread all across london, so it wasn’t an efficient or effective way for our component parts to work together. it was decided that we needed to find a single premises, and what we now have in Kennington fits the bill; with over 6,000 sq ft of office and storage space, and all of our businesses under one roof, with room for expansion as we move forward.

“on site we have classrooms for skills training, storage facilities for rail, and proper facilities for clients visiting us, so it’s a much more professional set-up. on the client side, when they visit us now we can introduce them to all of our assets as a combined package, so it’s a very effective way for us and them to do business together.”

Alstom – Longsight 11 track renewals and associated works

Vital Contract Wins

Alstom - Longsight 26 wheel lathe line extension Manchester - emergency works

Network Rail Supply of possession support labour lNe route

Vital Rail

BBRPL - North West Electrification Program labour resource only

Alstom - Oxley 21 rd Nr 5 - re-sleeper and gauging

Spie WHS Preferred supplier status from april 2012 - april 2014 for the supply of all engineering resources

SSE Limited PSl – 12 months - supply of M&e operatives uK wide

Alstom - Longsight 28 S&c repairs to S3 lead

Alstom - Longsight 23 rd 22 & 24 - lift and pack, change rails and associated track works

Mike PowerDirector

Vital Resources

Alstom - Oxley 17 rd 16 & 18 - repairs to track outside doorway into main shed

Vital Technology

Laing O’Rourke and Crown House Technologies extended period to National labour Framework agreement

Vital Resources

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Sicura Systems (part of Vital technology) has three permanent staff in its Basingstoke office (management, sales/marketing and administration), as well as eight staff in research and Development (r&D) and four in technical and service support, all in Salford.

the company, which became part of the Group two years ago and is now a key component of Vital, is a software and hardware technology house.

it specialises in the development and supply of software products to the security, media and broadcast sectors, and also provides a range of supporting hardware.

Sicura takes an unusual approach to product development and customer support; the company has mainstream products such as Digilive and Digiwall (both of which are used in video surveillance applications), but has always devoted resources to clients who need an individually-tailored approach to support their specific software needs. this sets Sicura apart from most of its competitors, who often

take a rigid ‘off the shelf’ attitude to product development.

in addition, Sicura is taking on more short-term projects, such as single applications in the transport sector, which have fixed start and finish dates, and thus do not need lengthy product redevelopment upgrades.

Sicura has recently formed a significant strategic alliance to supply software to a global distributor (in a practice known as original equipment Manufacturer, or oeM, under which the partner sells its products that are driven by Sicura’s software). this has already led to a 400% rise in sales activity in 2012.

initial development on a major new NVr (Network Video recorder) project with the same distributor is due to be announced shortly.

Sicura’s sales division has recently been boosted by the arrival of Geoff Bowers as Sales Director. He is a well-known figure in the security industry with more than 20 years’ experience in the sector.

Vincenzo RobertiManaging Director

Sicura Systems

Basingstoke OfficeDivision: Sicura Systems

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page 05

Sustained partnering – ‘We keep our promises’ Vitality


Send your comments to: [email protected]

Vitality takes a road trip around the UK to visit Vital offices

Getting to know you...

London and the South East



Contract Wins

Capita Symonds Dartford tunnel euD incident detection system design and build

Drax Power station control systems engineering

Welsh Water, Dwr Cymru Design and Network rail approvals for llandarcy 43” water main replacement

Blackwall Tunnel control system enhancement and integration projects

Vital Technology

Vital Consulting

Welsh Water, Dwr Cymru Pipe bridge structural surveys and condition reports

Morgan Sindall Gloucester pipeline for Severn trent water

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering teign crossing cycle bridge track Geometry Monitoring

Scottish Power consultation contract for Skywrap ® Fibre-optic cable operations

White Young Green 3D railway tunnel profiling - Merseyrail

Got contracts wins you want to share? e-mail: [email protected]

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Bridgewater - road over rail bridgetrack Geometry Monitoring

Network Railtelecoms cable installations through Severn tunnel


Depth of expertise – ‘We go the extra mile’ Vitality

Name change for ‘External Works’

Question Time

Some of you may have noticed a change in the name of Vital’s former external works Division to ‘Vital consulting’.

initially the idea of forming the external works Division was to mirror Network rail’s North west territory, providing experienced staff to assist outside parties wishing to undertake work on or near the operational railway infrastructure.

at the time, such work mainly involved the construction of sewers, gas and water mains, and telecommunication cables, utilising micro-bore, directional drilling, augering and open-cut excavation.

However, at about this time there was a major shift within the railway industry to retain such facilities in house. Vital’s original idea to co-ordinate and extend the Group’s skills into a ‘one stop shop’ for both Network rail and various statutory bodies had to be completely rethought.

Fortunately, efforts in building an alternative list of ‘blue-chip’ clients paid early dividends; we were awarded a major contract by transco to assist the delivery of a £450m pipeline to supply high pressure gas across South wales to Gloucester via 11 tunnelled or open-cut railway crossings.

with our reputation established, other work quickly followed. today, over 30 utility companies regularly use our services to obtain Network rail approvals and facilitate high competency track monitoring.

the reason we changed our name is simply that as the scope of work widened, the calibre of enquiry increased too. this led to Vital consulting, a more appropriate title which is designed to cover not only the provision of assistance to the construction industry, but also the scope through which the team is now providing specialist rail advice to well-established civil engineering consultants. this covers a range of tasks from overhead re-stringing of cables and structural examination of pipe bridges, to complex tunnel profiling.

and it doesn’t end there: sophisticated laser-based surveying techniques have recently been introduced. these produce hyper-accurate readings which are otherwise impossible to obtain.

Vital consulting’s acceptance as an affiliated Member of the Survey association is another indication of the sector’s continuing success. the association works closely with both the royal institute of chartered Surveyors, and chartered institute of civil engineering Surveyors, with membership covering professional bodies such as the ordnance Survey, the environmental agency and land registry.

the idea was originally put forward by Matt Smith, contracts Director, to heighten recognition of Vital consulting’s specialist knowledge of safety critical track monitoring, together with their highly accurate 3D bridge and tunnel profiles.

the association’s website attracts more than 9,000 enquiries a month and so there are certainly plenty of future business opportunities waiting to be explored.

Vitality: what is business development all about? lw: it is about identifying new business opportunities. although this may sound quite straightforward, to be truly successful at business development requires a lot of effort and diligence.

Vitality: what is your approach? lw: to project a positive image of myself and the company at all times. as a business development professional within Vital Services Group, i need to always be thinking innovatively, so that i can identify possible ways to add value and improve sales. this means looking at new markets for potential clients, selling related products and services, and most importantly, building rapport, understanding and strong, long-lasting relationships with contacts.

Vitality: How do you ensure success? lw: First of all, i need to stay abreast of everything that’s happening in the industry, including what the competition are doing in terms of products and service offerings, pricing, and strategies etc. Secondly, it requires an in-depth understanding of what Vital is doing on an on-going basis, how this compares to our competitors, and how we are perceived in the marketplace.

Vitality: is business development a crucial function to an organisation? lw: Business development has been defined as the creation of long-term value for an organisation’s customers, markets and relationships. these expertise are required to grow an idea into a viable business venture and support an existing business change. in essence, business development is crucial to the survival of a company.

it’s no simple decision to diversify into new markets; it takes time, analysis and good industry knowledge to develop new business opportunities. one of the men responsible for delivering new business is lawrence webster, Group Business Development Director.

By

Jeff Maitland Director Vital Consulting

with

Lawrence WebsterBusiness Development Director

VSG

Vincenzo roberti, Managing Director of Sicura Systems, reflects on iFSec, the security industry’s largest exhibition which was held at the Nec.

“as usual, iFSec represented the whole of the marketplace in miniature. the pure it specialists could speak of nothing but the ‘cloud’ while those of us who focus on developing products that really solve problems for end-users saw their offerings as ‘fog’.

“Sicura’s expenditure on r&D is second to none. we are one of only a few video analytics providers to create our own algorithms in-house and provide bespoke development to clients with specific needs. rooted as we are in this practical way of working, my staff and i could not have agreed more with Peter webster, chairman of the cctV user Group, when we heard him say that certain sections of the industry need only come up with a new acronym and they can sell the concept.

“But if the presentations in the lecture theatres at iFSec struck us as the emperor’s New clothes, our stand had a steady stream of installers, consultants and end-users who realise that leading video

analytics companies such as ours can now protect infrastructure and the public by using artificial intelligence to create alarms on increasingly subtle combinations of behaviour. Managers no longer have to ask security guards to look at hours of eventless footage with the probability being that the crucial incident will be missed.

“a few exhibitors still had budgets that allowed them to indulge in stunts. one distributor even resorted to bringing a full-size military tank onto the show floor and held meetings in it.

“By contrast, Sicura presented a library of topical video clips. Footage of our installation at a rail track near reading produced enquiries from train operating companies who are fighting metal theft and were interested in our trackside sterile zones analytics and abilities with both conventional and thermal imaging cameras. iFSec has always been a showcase for truly intelligent practical solutions, and i’m confident that Sicura typified everything that is good about what is still the most important security trade fair in the world.”

Vital took its position amongst its peers once again at the prestigious infrarail exhibition. Visiting the uK every two years, infrarail is held at the Nec, Birmingham, and is the rail industry’s flagship event for exhibiting technology, tools, plant and services.

Vital rail’s Managing Director, Gary Hardaker, explained to Vitality what a show of this calibre provides, and talks about its overall success.

“unless you are a train operating company (toc), it’s quite rare in the rail sector for customers to actually visit your business, so infrarail provided us with the ideal opportunity to meet potential new customers and existing clients in one place.

“Vital rail’s stand was supported this year by other parts of the Group, including Vital Skills training, Vital rail Security, Vital technology, Vital consulting and Vital Solutions. this is the first time we’ve exhibited at infrarail in this way, and our multi-disciplinary approach on the stand really paid dividends.

“For the last 18 months, we’ve been pushing out the message that we are now far more than a labour supply company, and have diverse talents across many different sectors.

this message is now starting to filter through to the right ears, and there was ample evidence of that at infrarail.

“it won’t come as a great surprise to anyone that technology continues to be an area of great interest and business potential for the rail industry, and our colleagues at Vital technology are playing an active role in its success. XteND (see cover and full feature on page 2) was a big hit on the stand, attracting a lot of positive interest.

“we were delighted to welcome the former Minister of State for transport, the rt Hon theresa Villiers, to our stand shortly after she had officially opened the show. She was interested in how Vital supports the transport sector and especially interested in the work Vital is doing in Skills training through our apprenticeship programme.

“we received a substantial number of positive leads from the show, which provided us with a great return on our investment. additionally, we received a number of very promising follow-up calls since the show from companies that wanted to work with us. overall, infrarail has provided us with a very solid platform moving forward, and our attendance confirmed that this is a very efficient way to do business.”

INFRARAIL 2012

IFSEC 2012

Fleet Branding During September, Vital’s fleet took to the roads sporting the Group’s new livery. replacing the old branding, icons have been introduced to visually inform other road users and pedestrians of Vital’s services, while the new colour schemes are helping to differentiate Vital companies.


page 07Send your comments to: [email protected]

Innovation – ‘We work smarter’

By

Victoria Constantine and Philip German Marketing Team

VSG

Vitality

My Working Week

With

Francesca Latorre Sales Administrator

Sicura Systems

As a multi-disciplined contractor working in various high-risk industries, from rail to oil and gas, and across continents, including Europe to Asia, Vital faces a plethora of constantly changing health and safety challenges.

One challenge remains constant though: developing a strong, positive health and safety culture.

Many industrial accidents have not solely been down to the failure of policies, procedures, rules and checklists, but neglect in behaviour and attitude. Effective health and safety does require strong processes, but they are worthless without commitment, and the right attitude from all individuals throughout a business.

So how do we encourage safety within our own business? Many elements influence Vitals’ safety, starting with directors and senior managers setting a positive safety tone, ensuring safety is always top of the agenda, and a consistent message to all stakeholders.

Engagement of frontline staff in the decision making process is not only essential in understanding the key risks involved in

what they do, but is crucial in creating a strong safety culture, assuring staff that they have a voice and their input is highly valued.

When it comes to safety management, often those undertaking the task on a day-to-day basis are experts in their field, and as such are a valuable resource.

The provision of effective staff training and the development of clear communication paths are both essential as we firmly believe that the more you enable your staff to do, the more they will do for you, making them feel more empowered and more likely to buy into company ethics.

So, what are we doing to strengthen our safety culture? In recent years, Vital has put a lot of time and effort into promoting a positive culture, establishing monthly board level safety performance review meetings, developing a formal plan of Director and Manager site safety visits, creating newsletters, and introducing reporting and advice lines.

It’s now the time to gauge how effective our actions have been by undertaking a safety climate survey.

Completed by all employees, its objective is to establish how our safety culture is perceived and what areas may require improvement if any.

This will lead to the introduction of a programme of ‘Human Performance’ training for all staff covering personal fallibility, how attitudes affect behaviour, and how we understand mistakes and safety violations. We’ll be keeping you up-to-date on the results from the survey, so look out for them, along with induction videos, the new style Vitality - Safety Matters Newsletters, up-to-date legislation feeds and senior management promises.

Got a safety concern you want to share? e-mail: [email protected]

By

Ben Kershaw Safety Manager VSG

The Importance of a SafetyCulture

Building the Brand

It’s been an exceptionally busy time for the marketing department since the last issue of Vitality, especially with the Infrarail and IFSEC trade shows both taking place in early 2012.

With two events to organise, we still managed to develop all the group brochures and promotional material, and these are now being used throughout the business.

We’ve begun strengthening Vital’s brand positioning within its market sectors and introduced corporate colours and styling guides to enhance and keep consistency across the Group.

Internally, we pushed ahead with redeveloping the intranet, re-named “Vitality Online Edition” following a very successful internal survey.

We have taken all your comments and thoughts on board, to create a richer and smoother experience which we hope meets the needs of the business.

Our PR coverage over 2012 was exceptional, especially in the build-up to the two shows.

Theresa Villiers, the former Transport Minister, met Gary Hardaker at Infrarail and local MP, the Rt Hon Hazel Blears paid John Smith and the apprentices another visit in May, and was extremely impressed by how far they had come. We also featured on BBC North East and on North West tonight along with various radio stations and in local and national press following the opening of new Vital Skills Training academies in York, Leicester and Kidderminster. Marketing is more than developing new strategies and looking for new ways to market the company. Our role is to help and listen, so please feel free to share any new ideas that you may have with us. We have received some great feedback on the first issue of the Vitality newsletter and we hope you enjoy issue number two just as much. Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this a success.

Do you want to be the next “Working Week” contributor? e-mail: [email protected]

• MonDay I arrive at Sicura’s office in

Basingstoke at 8am to start my day

following a well-deserved weekend

rest. I spent almost all of last week out

of the office with the boys at IFSEC,

the security industry’s international

trade show at the NEC, Birmingham,

so today is all about catching up!

The coffee machine is on, ready to

make Vincenzo Roberti’s espresso

when he arrives, and the PC’s warmed

up, ready for a week of unopened

e-mails.

After three hours of opening and

answering them, I’ve finally prioritised

everything and I’m now ready to start

the real work.

We currently have a lot of projects

on the go, including Westminster

and Tyne Tunnel, which involve

integrating our DigiLive and DigiWall

software products. Sicura is also a

recommended security reseller, so I’m

ordering the equipment from Bosch

and other CCTV camera, encoder and

server manufacturers for Gavin Bryant

and the team in Manchester, and our

other customers.

With IFSEC starting last week on a

Monday and finishing on Thursday,

and the build up of the stand itself

over the previous weekend, you

can imagine the number of expense

receipts I have to go through for

myself and the team.

I worked through my lunch break

today as I needed to get these cleared.

Checked calendars to make sure there

is nothing Vincenzo needs me to book

for the rest of the week.

• TuesDay Early start today; coffee machine on

- check! Kettle on - check! E-mails

again. I finished off the expenses

and made sure all receipts are being

reimbursed, I wonder if that’s by

cheque? I’m updating the sales tracker

today; everything I order for a project

is entered into a spreadsheet so that

Vincenzo can review it regularly.

Sicura is hosting a training session for

a client in the coming weeks on how to

use the Digi software, so I’m booking

some accommodation and transport

for them.

Regular phone update with Gavin to

make sure I’m aware of any purchases

so I can update the tracker and make

sure everything is up-to-date with

him. Last minute orders to be placed

for a very urgent project brought me to

the end of the day - phew! Trip to the

post office to send expenses off.

• WeDnesDayMost of my day today is about credit

card reconciling (boring!) so it’s time

to get them started and sorted ASAP.

Following IFSEC we have many leads

and contacts to follow up, so I’m going

through all the business cards and

making sure there is no duplicate data

from the electronic name and data

scanners we used during the event.

• ThursDayBack to the lovely world of credit card

reconciling; I wonder, if I have three

espressos, will it be completed three

times quicker? Finally booked client

rooms, lunch and drinks for the training

course next week and updated the sales

tracking system again. Called Gavin to

get more updates from him.

• FriDayFriday is my catch up day for chasing

outstanding invoices and purchase

orders, plus processing any that have

not yet been raised. Made sure the

calendar is checked and updated for the

following week. Did I mention coffee?

There’s just time for one last cheeky

round before the weekend.

Vital Skills Training celebrated the opening of a new academy at the end of August, which was officially opened by Leicester’s Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby. Located within a new complex at The Greenacres Centre, Mowmacre Hill, Vital is working in partnership with the Great Central Railway and Leicester City Council to help the young unemployed within the East Midlands area. Beginning with the training of 32 new rail apprentices, there are also plans to increase the range of courses on offer in future, starting with technology Apprenticeships.

Leicester Academy

Vital Services Group - Innovative engineering solutions

We want you to get involved… Send news to: [email protected]

Vitality

languishing in retirement after a busy show career are three mature ladies of a distinctly fluffy nature: Honeysuckle, Peony and Daffodil. Deceptively docile by day, these crepuscular rodents really get going at twilight. their range of party tricks includes chewing the skirting boards, munching raisins and teasing unsuspecting rabbits.

chinchillas originate from the high andes of South america. originally domesticated for the fur trade, they were widely introduced into Britain during the 1950s. No longer bred for their fur, the pet owners of today still marvel at their soft, thick coats, among the most luxuriant of any creature in the world.

By

DavidJackson Management accountant Vital Services Group

ChinchillasMy

Question Onein which uK city has Vital opened its new office?

Question Threewhich iconic vessel was built at Belfast’s dockside?

what is ‘external works’ now called?

Question Five

Question Twowhat is the preferred drink for Sicura in Basingstoke?

what former MP did Gary Hardaker meet at infrarail 2012?

Question Four

where do chinchillas originate from?

Question Six

10 years of service with Vital

Matthew Williams Business Development Manager Vital resources

Keith Jessiman Senior consultant resources Scotland

Lorraine Reece Group Hr Manager VSG

Lili Milicevic office Manager Vital rail (london)

Lili?All about

Q: when did you join Vital? a: 1st December 2004.

Q: what is the best thing about living in london? a: it offers diversity, opportunity and anonymity when you need them. Q: if you could live in any building in london, which would it be? a: the British library for the books, Harvey Nichols for the food and girly stuff, and one canada Square [a.k.a. the canary wharf tower] for the views.

Q: Do you support any charities? a: the london whitechapel Mission. Q: Did you watch the olympics? a: this summer was like no other here in london. i followed all i could on tV. the synchronised swimming was fascinating.

Q: Describe your perfect day? a: Visiting a new city, i love an adventure.

Q: People you admire the most? a: My parents, and my adopted family.

Q: Name one of your guilty pleasures. a: i have over 300 cookery books and this number is growing all the time.

Vitality tracks down Vital Rail’s London Office Manager Lili Milicevic and persuades her to reveal almost everything…

Star Employees

Submitted by: Mike Power Director, Vital resources I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Simon for his commitment and hard work following four London office moves in the last three years. Not only has he ensured the seamless transfer of people and materials, but he has used his DIY skills (often with his own tools!) to great effect.

Submitted by: Paul Crompton Business improvement Director, Vital rail Arthur O’Donnell operations Manager, Vital technology

James deserves recognition for the recent work he has been doing on tenders for new business. He has really improved the way we have presented ourselves, and is always extremely helpful. His work is appreciated across different divisions as well as at Group level.

James Bellenie Design engineer Vital technology

Simon Fisher Branch Manager Vital resources (london)

Submitted by: Caroline Dickinson operational Quality and compliance Manager, VSG Ben’s dedication and passion always comes across as he continuously strives to drive best Health and Safety practices for the Group, clients and regulatory bodies. He is the support function that never stops. He identifies ways in which we could work better, as well as finding solutions when things do go wrong.

Ben Kershaw Safety Manager VSG

Would you like to nominate a colleague who has made an outstanding recent contribution? Let us know... [email protected]

Great ‘Man’ Runi was raising money for Action For M.E. which is a cause very close to my heart.

i’ve had the condition for four years, and i can wholeheartedly say that it has made my life extremely difficult. when i describe tiredness, it is not merely the feeling that everyone gets after a long week in the office, it’s heavy and painful. every single day you wake up exhausted, can’t think, and struggle to move. if you attempt any form of physical or mental exertion, whether it is getting dressed, having a shower or even a conversation, then the tiredness hits home even more than before. i can’t actually remember the last time i didn’t feel like this.

it was always my intention to take part in the Great Manchester run and raise money for action For M.e. but i was told that if i wanted to get better in the long-term then i couldn’t put myself through the physical exhaustion that the training would bring. i was devastated, but a great man stepped in. My boyfriend Dan did it for me, completing the race in 43:01. we raised £257, and i am so proud of him.

a big thank you to everyone who sponsored me.

By

Jessica Bates consultant Vital Solutions

credits

Editors Philip German Victoria constantine Words Vital Marketing Meridian Media

www.meridianmedia.co.uk

Design and Layout concept - Philip German Design - Meridian Media Photography Meridian Media cath Birch

credits

Vital appointed the Prince’s trust as its latest charity partnership for 2012-2013.

as a member of the charity’s North west leadership Group, Vital will be assisting the trust in raising funds to help disadvantaged young people within our local area get into work, training or education through a number of personal development and employment programmes.

this is part of our ongoing commitment to invest in the communities that we operate in, and we are aiming to capitalise on every opportunity to raise these much needed funds for the charity.

Various events and fundraising activities will be taking place, so look out for more updates and get involved!

Quiz TimeDo you have all the answers?Complete this quiz and send your answers to: [email protected]

All entries will go into a prize draw

vitality issue 2

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