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Kansas City Southern July 14 launched Management Control System (MCS), an operating platform designed to provide customers more accurate and timely information. The railroad's marketing department, too, recently rolled out a software tool aimed at providing better information — to the department's employees as well as customers.


Business Objects, created by KCS' marketing and information technology staff, is designed to enable marketing employees to identify business opportunities and better sell KCS' service attributes. The software tool also would customize data to a customer's needs, identifying the best route, best price and other shipment data to help a customer make transportation decisions.


"Business Objects will allow KCS to become proactive in developing customer solutions with a higher probability of success, because of the business intelligence available at our fingertips," said Michael Smith, KCS vice president marketing, automotive and intermodal, in a prepared statement.


KCS currently is training marketing staff on how to use Business Objects, which would enable employees to compile a sales presentation at the click of a button and quickly access information for customers during routine sales calls.


Meanwhile in another data-enhancing move, KCS July 13 launched its redesigned Web site, www.kcsi.com.


The site enables users to access KCS' "Online Transactions" feature one click from the home page, and more quickly obtain service-related information in the customer section of "Doing Business with KCS."


KCS also added information at the bottom left corner of its home page and a direct link to MCS, and enhanced the site's railroad heritage and employee sections.