The scope of this tender covers the design and installation of audio visual and video conferencing equipment for our ‘specialist’ rooms and mobile VC equipment, and a 2 year support contract for all implemented equipment.

Background

Midland Heart (MH) is currently delivering its ‘Smart Working Project’, which seeks to implement changes to core offices, policies, and supporting technology to enable colleagues to work flexibly in the office and remotely post Covid 19pandemic. Our offices will be reconfigured over the early summer to enhance meeting facilities, with plans for enhanced audio-visual and conferencing capabilities as well.

Midland Heart has two existing core offices and one new office site in scope of this initiative. These are our existing headquarters at 20 Bath Row, Birmingham, our existing repairs depot at Booth Street, Birmingham, and a new office currently undergoing works in Hinckley, Leicester (referred to as the ‘East Midlands Hub’, or ‘EMH’).

Our approach to Audio Visual revolves around the standardisation of room technologies, enabling colleagues to collaborate effectively, both in person and remotely, bringing teams together more easily. The technology will work in unison with our communication tool of choice Microsoft Teams, tying in with the wider IT principle of ‘Microsoft First’. Some of the desired benefits include:

o Ease of use through standardisation, requiring colleagues to only learn how to use the technology once ;

o Improved colleague uptake of the technology by having an easy to use solution;

o Improved colleague collaboration by increasing collaboration opportunities;

o Fit-for-Future Technology – eliminating the need for cabled hardware, where possible, and utilising the potential of our networks and wi-fi. NOTE: Midland Heart have recently upgraded our network and wi-fi;

o Value for money; procuring technology in bulk which affords us a better overall solution with potential savings to be realised;

o Scalability- ability to easily scale up and introduce similar technologies in other offices as required.

Meeting rooms across our 3 offices are classified as follows:

1. No audio visual requirements

2. Standard rooms: simple audio visual requirements with regards to displays & screensharing – out of scope for this tender

3. Specialist rooms: more complex audio visual needs, including:

– Video conferencing capabilities

– Rooms with specific audio requirements (e.g., speakers/microphones)

– Conferencing rooms/room integration requirements

There are 17 specialist rooms in total – 14 at Bath Row, 1 at Booth Street, and 2 at EMH.

NOTE: technology for our ‘standard’ rooms will be procured and installed by Midland Heart or existing suppliers, in alignment with the technology standards established for the AV specialist rooms.