What We Do

Capabilities

CCALS solves logistics problems for business and government.

Partner universities bring extensive expertise to the table. Industry and government bring real-world experience.

Collaboratively, they explore the technology systems and human interactions that power logistics. The result: breakthrough solutions that optimize the efficiency, ROI and reliability of logistics systems.

CCALS’ industry-led, university-implemented applied research capability accelerates the transition of technologies from fundamental developments through proof of concept and on to commercialization.

CCALS also uses favorable intellectual property policies and multiple perspectives to ensure that promising discoveries become effective business solutions faster than ever.

Partner areas of expertise include:

  • Large-scale logistics systems
  • Supply chain system dependability, reliability, security and trust
  • Human factors in logistics (demographics, workforce, behaviors and processes)
  • Supply chain and risk management
  • Logistics system modeling and simulation
  • Large-scale data management, integration and analytics
  • Enterprise systems integration, application and customization

Workforce Development

CCALS powers the future of logistics-dependent organizations by providing members unique access to highly qualified, skilled and in-demand workers.

Partner universities connect top students to CCALS’ industry partners, and CCALS’ central Virginia location is home to an expanding logistics industry that includes major business and government logistics operations.

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CCALS offers its partners a unique economic and workforce advantage: A world class university ecosystem of advanced logistics innovation and excellence.

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Capabilities Portfolio

Digital always-on supply chain

These supply chains provide better efficiency, visibility, and customer service across a variety of industries. This new model of supply chain is more connected and intelligent than previous models, and is driven by increasing consumer demands for always-on options and services.

Energy mobility

Transportation consumes about one-third of global energy and is growing fast, so there is tremendous potential to move our energy system toward renewable, sustainable new models, including wind energy and sustainable aviation fuels.

Enterprise information systems

These large, complex software systems and tools allow organizations to integrate and coordinate their business processes on a robust foundation in conjunction with customer relationship management and supply chain management.

Data analytics

This interdisciplinary field of scientific methods, processes, and systems allows business to ask the right questions and make the right inferences to extract knowledge and insights from data in various forms. Data analytics is a key component of successful logistics planning and of business success.

Systems operations

Systems Operations focuses on problem-solving, critical thinking, and the use of disruptive technology. These skills are needed to deal with a variety of decisions that encompass strategic long-range planning (such as product, service and process design, facility location, and capacity growth), as well as operational decisions (such as project management, operations planning and scheduling, quality assurance, purchasing, and inventory).

Cyber-physical systems

CPSs continue to play a huge rule in logistics by integrating computation, networking, and physical processes using embedded computers and networks to monitor and control processes and feedback loops to increase efficiency.

Augmented intelligence

Augmented intelligence is an alternative conceptualization of artificial intelligence that focuses on AI’s assistive role, emphasizing the fact that it is designed to supplement human intelligence rather than replace it. The significance of augmented intelligence is that these systems use historical data to help guide predictions, but the human user always has the decision-making power.

Security & trust

There is an increasingly urgent challenge for industry: How to ensure that electronic devices and systems of connected devices are designed to protect the interests of consumers and communities that rely on them. By working with industry and government partners to understand what the real issues are and to ask the right questions, we are addressing the priorities for security and trust across integrated systems.

Maritime/coastal logistics

At the center of maritime and coastal logistics is the concept of systems integration, be it physical (intermodal or multimodal), economic/strategic (vertical integration, governance structure) or organizational (relational, people and process integration across organizations) as an ongoing effort to create greater value for stakeholders.

Modeling & simulation

Factors such as high consumer expectations and short product life cycles have made fast-working, predictive logistics tools vitally important. Using modeling and simulation to design, analyze and manage logistics systems is an integral part of every successful business strategy.

Supply chain risk management & resilience

Resilience is at the core of supply chain management. The ability to resist and recover from a wide variety of disruptions is the key to effective supply chain management.

Internet of things & blockchain

Both IoT and blockchain have the potential to transform how information is gathered, shared, and used throughout the supply chain. While both technologies offer exciting potential, we believe blockchain can greatly improve IoT features, cost efficiency, and data security while supporting processes.

Pharmacy on demand (point of use manufacturing)

This alternative to traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing can be rapidly deployed and tailored to specific situations, and can be used for customized formulations – a radical shift in how drugs are produced.

Transitioning Veterans

Everyone in the military deals with logistics firsthand on several levels, and for many the depth of knowledge and experience is impressive. This makes transitioning veterans an especially rich resource for companies looking for experience, dedication and discipline, along with an eagerness to learn.

Workforce talent

Virginia continues to graduate leaders in the logistics field, both in graduate and undergraduate positions. These graduates are eager to bring their education and talent to real life challenges; CCALS can make the introductions.

Skilled STEM-H workforce

Virginia’s ability to help existing science, technology, engineering, math, and healthcare (STEM-H) businesses grow, and to attract new companies in these sectors, relies on a robust, well-educated human talent pipeline.

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