Executive Summary:
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy sought a replacement for their existing digital signage, which was posed operational inefficiencies and safety risks. Vivi’s central management eliminated the need for manual interventions, while Vivi’s power management reduced energy usage. Equally important, Vivi’s ease of use opens the door to more dynamic content updates.
Background
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is a secondary school located northeast of Birmingham in Burton-on-Trent. Enrolling 570 students in Years 7-11 with approximately 40 teachers and staff, Blessed Robert Sutton is one of 25 schools in St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust that spans the Midlands, including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, the High Peak, and the Borough of Stockport.
Jim Wood is the IT Network Manager responsible for 5 schools within the Multi Academy Trust, including Blessed Robert Sutton; he manages a team that includes a Field Technician and an IT Apprentice responsible for all five schools.
Challenge
At Blessed Robert Sutton, the digital signage setup consisted of two TVs connected to aging laptops, a system put together with safety and efficiency as an afterthought. This arrangement was cumbersome, not just in its physical setup—with laptops precariously mounted behind the TVs—but also in its operational inefficiencies and hidden costs. The school’s Business Manager would prepare a PowerPoint presentation for monthly updates, a process that burdened the IT team, particularly the apprentice who was tasked with the precarious job of climbing ladders to manually manage the power for both the TVs and the laptops.
This setup was far from ideal. It was energy-intensive, with laptops running continuously, significantly increasing power consumption. The risk of the laptops overheating or failing, coupled with the potential for TVs being left on over the weekend, added unnecessary costs and concerns. Moreover, the need for frequent manual interventions, especially following Windows updates that rendered the system inoperative, highlighted the inefficiency and unreliability of the existing digital signage solution. Wood recognised the need for a change—a solution that would not only enhance safety and efficiency but also reduce the operational overhead and energy consumption associated with their digital signage.
Solution
The introduction of Vivi to Blessed Robert Sutton’s IT setup marked a significant shift. By replacing the old laptops with Vivi boxes, the school could retain its TV displays while eliminating the inefficiencies of the previous system. Vivi’s solution directly addressed the challenges of energy consumption and operational complexity. With remote power management capabilities, Vivi allows for efficient control over the TVs’ power states, reducing unnecessary energy use and eliminating the need for manual intervention.
This transition to Vivi didn’t just streamline the digital signage process; it also offered a level of professionalism and ease of management that was previously lacking. The IT team, led by Wood, found the initial setup of Vivi to be straightforward, significantly reducing the operational demands on his team. The move to Vivi provided a reliable, low-maintenance solution that delivers content flawlessly, ensuring that the school’s digital signage is both efficient and effective.
Outcome
Blessed Robert Sutton Academy enjoys the following benefits by switching to Vivi to power their digital signage.
Eliminate nuisance tasks and slash energy costs
Once the discreet Vivi boxes were mounted, the need for the ladder diminished with immediate effect. Screens that are left on overnight drain power, but the ability to power the devices on or off remotely saves time, physical effort, as well as energy usage, with the bonus of the Vivi boxes using less power than a laptop. Blessed Robert Sutton is realising efficiencies in their energy usage, as well as the elimination of manual labour from carrying and climbing the ladder through the school regularly.
Evolve to more frequent display updates and alerts
While they are still updating the digital signage monthly, Wood plans to train the Business Manager to use the system for emergency alerts and take advantage of other dynamic messaging opportunities. This would give them the ability to refresh content more frequently than once per month. They also plan to post weekly menus in the Dining Hall to improve communication and connection with the students.
Reliability and ease of use
Wood was pleased with how simple the initial set-up was to integrate with their existing TVs and at the minimal ongoing management for the IT Team. The system works wonderfully with no hiccups and no failures since installation.
Return on investment
Pleased with the rollout but also looking ahead to what’s next with Vivi, Wood notes, “I think we’re merely scraping the surface of Vivi’s capabilities. What really helped as well was its expense. To us, it’s a bargain. I am very pleased with Vivi, it’s worked flawlessly for us since day one, so I can’t ask for any more than that.”
Given the ease of use and cost-effectiveness Vivi offers, Wood plans to investigate using Vivi’s wireless screen mirroring in the trust HQ’s boardroom for easier presentation casting. He is also considering rolling out Vivi to the primary-level schools he manages for hall presentations during assemblies, weekly staff briefings, and “feel-good” Friday presentations to eliminate technical hurdles for casting presentations to the assembled audience.
