Teaming up for a user-friendly IT solution

Client: Nichols PLC

Location: Newton-le-Willows

Highstream’s involvement: Teams Room solution for boardroom and meeting room

Project completion: June 2024

Services: Nichols PLC is an international soft drinks business and home of the iconic Vimto brand. With its three key business streams – its cordial, international brand and ‘out of home’ brand – it has its head office in Newton le Willows and numerous offices, warehouses and factories spread across the UK and internationally. With a widespread workforce, increased level of hybrid working and a reliance on remote meetings, the business identified a need to improve its conferencing facilities.

The boardroom and major project room at Nichols’ Newton le Willows head office both originally had a traditional meeting room set-up, with one screen and a single camera. Both rooms suffered with disconnection issues and the internal IT team was regularly pulled on to sort out issues.

As part of a refit and upgrade, Nichols identified a need to address the connectivity and user experience in the room to improve the overall experience and encourage greater engagement from its agile workforce.

In addition, the camera was poor quality, so anyone connecting remotely did not feel part of the meeting. With both rooms catering for approximately 12 people, the microphone sound levels also needed to be improved.

The first thing the Highstream team did, was to meet with Nichols to understand how the two rooms were used, working through the different scenarios for usage.

The main requirements for the rooms, were that they had to work with Teams as the company had an agile working programme, but also be capable for use with alternative meeting platforms (Zoom, Google Meet) on an ad-hoc basis. Meetings also needed to be recorded and were often used for presentations, so a second screen was required.

One of the main challenges of the project was to develop an easy-to-use solution that anyone could use. Installing the Logitech Rally suite of products ensured ease of use, with people just needing to invite ‘the boardroom’ when scheduling their meeting, then at the given time tap ‘join’ at the table to connect the meeting room with the rest of the participants.

The new IT equipment required extensive cabling within the walls, floors and ceilings of the two meeting rooms. As the boardroom had already been fitted out and decorated, it was important that Highstream reinstated the room to its former quality once the work had been completed. The project room was mid-fit-out, so Highstream engineers engaged with the overall room build programme.

Highstream identified a Microsoft Teams Room solution using Logitech hardware with two screens and a central camera, positioned more realistically, so that remote participants felt like they were ‘in the room’. The audio equipment was also improved with high quality speakers and an array of ceiling mounted microphones. Regardless of where in the room participants were, they could talk at a normal level and still be picked up by the microphones. The two rooms were completed in the summer of 2024 and since then have been the two meeting rooms most regularly booked at Nichols’ head office.

As a late addition, Nichols also requested a digital whiteboard. Highstream recommended a Logitech Scribe camera instead, which digitises the contents of a traditional whiteboard, updating in real time, so that even those attending the meeting remotely can see what is developing on the board. The white board and camera are already being well used.

Lee Gibson, service delivery controller at Nichols said: “I am delighted with the outcome of the boardroom and project room refit. The two rooms are constantly in use. They are definitely the favourite meeting rooms for people to book now. The main benefits of these rooms are their ease of use and the fact that the equipment works really well. Also, with two screens, even when there is a demonstration or presentation, the people accessing the meeting remotely still feel like they are in the room. The white board and scribe camera have also been a hit and well worth the investment.

“I was pleased with how quickly and tidily the work was carried out, even though it involved extensive cabling in the walls, floors and ceilings.”