Timera Inc. To Provide Workforce Management Solutions To The Terminal Railroad Association, Marking Entry Into Shortline and Regional Carrier Market.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 2001

Timera Inc., a leader in workforce management solutions for commercial railroads and retailers, is entering the shortline and regional carrier market by implementing its System for Crew Assignment and Tracking (SCAT) for the Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) to manage train, engine and non-operating crews.

The Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) will use Timera's SCAT as the foundation for its employee workforce management system. For more than 110 years, the railroad has provided transfer services for the carriers that interchange in St. Louis, Mo., and East St. Louis, Ill.

Timera, formerly known as PS Technology, has tailored its SCAT solution to accommodate shortline and regional carriers. Prior to this enhancement, the SCAT solution was only available to Class I rail carriers. Based on past Class I experience and architecture, Timera's SCAT for shortline and regional carriers migrates to an architecture that is tailored and available to most operations in an affordable format.

Timera introduced SCAT for general availability in 1988. More than a dozen major transportation companies currently use Timera's SCAT to automate crew management, dispatching and timekeeping processes in real time -- thus minimizing the time required to schedule and fill personnel for work shifts.

"Timera's new capability in serving shortline carriers by adapting its SCAT for us was firmly grounded in the company's extensive industry experience," said Dennis Spencer, chief executive officer of TRRA. "Timera's system helps solve our challenges associated with the diversity of labor agreements and skill sets. The system also enables us to rapidly address ever-changing day-to-day crew scheduling needs while improving safety and reducing costs in the process."

The new SCAT system for shortline and regional carriers, through its knowledge-based components, enables users to track crew availability and work history, and to dynamically react to scheduling changes by contacting, re-scheduling and placing alternate crew members in the necessary positions. Timera achieves this through a menu-driven graphical user interface and interactive voice response system.

"This exciting new version of SCAT is a result of 17 years of development focused on railroad crew management systems," said Wayne Tatro, vice president of business development for Timera. "Timera's years of implementation experience has allowed us to provide shortline carriers with a powerful workforce management solution that is tailored to their needs."

Major features of SCAT for shortline and regional carriers include:

-- Automated selection and placement of qualified crewmembers on the proper
jobs

-- Automated application of company policies, labor agreements and Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) requirements

-- Auto generation of standard time claims

-- Seamless integration with dispatching, human resources, timekeeping, and
payroll systems

-- Management tools for job advertising / award, vacation planning, and
absenteeism management

-- Web-based access, with firewall protection, from home or company terminal

-- Crew dispatch and timekeeping portals: for day-to-day crew operations

-- Supervisor portal: enabling access to functions relevant to first line
supervision

-- Train and engine personnel portal: for employee access to select functions

About Timera Inc.

Timera has led the Workforce Management solutions industry for more than a decade. The company develops and manages fast, intelligent workforce management solutions that simplify labor-intensive tasks such as forecasting, scheduling and tracking employees and jobs. These solutions cut costs and save time, directly impacting the client's bottom line.

Timera systems are used in a variety of markets including rail, retail, restaurants, transit, convention centers and event venues. Timera currently serves clients across North America including SuperValu, Union Pacific Railroad, Cub Foods, Norfolk Southern Railway, H.E. Butt Grocery Company, CSX Transportation, Golub Corporation (Price Chopper), Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, Canadian Pacific Railway and Metro North Railroad.

For more information, visit www.timerasolutions.com.