Lucas Systems and Carnegie Mellon University Partner To Advance Algorithmic Planning

WEXFORD, Pa., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Warehousing and distribution center software technology provider, Lucas Systems, announced today its latest partnership with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) on new research with potential commercial impact for the logistics industry.

The research is focused on developing new and innovative ways to assist warehouse supervisors with the ability to use the power of data analysis to make more accurate and productive workforce decisions. The contribution could have significant commercial impact for thousands of companies in the logistics industry.

Despite an overabundance of warehouse data, operators still lack the tools necessary to fully utilize data insights to manage labor and tasks efficiently. Lucas Systems says the landscape is so complex and requires such constant observation that it becomes impossible to rely on human decision making. Modern problems require a more sophisticated approach that only smart technologies can provide.

As part of the project, master's level students in the Spring 2026 cohort of CMU's Master of Science in Applied Data Science provided prediction models after studying hundreds of data attributes related to warehouse users and behaviors.

"They collaborated with us on the very complicated math," said Lucas Systems Director of R&D  André Lessa. "As a result, we have a strong foundation to realize our vision."

Lucas Systems data scientists and software engineers say using these state-of-the-art perspectives could be a game-changing leap forward in an industry still overly reliant on guesswork and tribal knowledge when it comes to planning.

"Warehouse managers are drowning in data but starving for insight. They're making million-dollar decisions based on experience and gut feel because the data they have isn't organized in a way that tells them what to do next," says Lucas Systems VP of Software Engineering and Customer Success Kent Szalla. "What excites me about this research is that it points toward a future where the system surfaces the right signal for planning at the right moment. Supervisors aren't guessing, they're deciding."

The joint project was just one of a number of ongoing collaborations between Lucas Systems and world-renowned CMU.

"The partnership with Lucas Systems is extremely valuable to us," says Nynke Niezink, Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at CMU. "Our master's students are trained to tackle challenging problems, but doing so in a real-world context, translating very large data into practical solutions, is something they can only practice in collaboration with industry partners. In our capstone projects with Lucas Systems, we harness the power of data to understand and improve warehouse productivity."

About Lucas Systems 

Lucas Systems has been creating industry-leading warehousing software for nearly three decades. Each innovation in software is designed to continue advancing distribution centers' ability to compete more effectively under ever-changing market conditions, harness the power of data with AI, Machine Learning and optimization models to provide operational agility and improved distribution center performance.

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