Transportation

Norfolk Southern

As a leading transportation provider, Norfolk Southern operates 19,500 route miles in 22 states and D.C. , supports international trade with service to every major Eastern seaboard, and operates the most extensive intermodal network in the Eastern U.S.

Norfolk Southern operates a vast network that connects major industrial and commercial hubs across the eastern United States. With a long-standing commitment to safety, reliability, and innovation, Norfolk Southern plays a critical role in keeping goods, and the economy, moving.

Rail remains a vital logistics channel for manufacturing and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries, offering a cost-effective and dependable mode of transportation. Timely and predictable rail service helps companies manage inventory, reduce shipping costs, and maintain supply chain stability in a highly competitive market.

CASE STUDY

Customer Portal Experience Optimization

The Challenge

To modernize its digital client experience, the company set out to overhaul a legacy portal tied to outdated infrastructure. Over 18 months, internal stakeholders were interviewed to identify usage patterns and improvement opportunities. The redesign aimed to simplify user actions and enhance visual appeal, supported by a strong marketing campaign to drive adoption.

Despite these efforts, customer feedback after launch was unexpectedly negative. Survey results revealed low satisfaction scores, exposing a gap between internal expectations and actual user needs—underscoring the importance of ongoing customer validation. Norfolk Southern turned to Macquarium to quickly address these gaps, leveraging input from Voice of the Customer, UX/design, and IT teams.

A collaborative effort helped surface pain points and guide targeted improvements.

The Approach

Streamlined the customer portal by addressing usability issues, improving navigation, and fostering collaboration among teams.

Used journey behavior analytics and customer insights (customer interviews, surveys, usability testing) to identify and resolve key pain points, errors, and inefficiencies.
Implemented a CX Vision, governance framework, and agile processes to align teams and ensure continuous improvement.
Redesigned navigation, reduced load times, and created purposeful user flows for a more intuitive experience.

Working collaboratively with multiple stakeholder groups within the organization (CX, Marketing, IT, Operations, Field Services, etc.) to collectively focus on what customers' want and expect was a relatively new approach to address improvements and product development priorities.