學術研究
蔡教授的研究主要集中在工業與系統工程、最最佳化、供應鏈與物流管理等領域。他已於國際學術刊物、專著、及會議發表論文200多篇，其中包括主流學術刊物（如Management Science、Operations Research、Naval Research Logistics、Production and Operations Management、IIE Transactions、IEEE Transactions等）論文100多篇。
社會任職
蔡小強教授曾擔任多個學術刊物編委，包括IIE Transactions on Scheduling and Logistics、Journal of Scheduling、Fuzzy Optimization and Decision Making等。另獲邀擔任多個學術刊物客座主編/編委，如Annals of Operations Research，Journal of Global Optimization， European Journal of Operational Research。
曾擔任第五屆國際最最佳化技術及套用會議大會主席，第一屆最最佳化及高新技術套用國際研討會主席，第十屆服務系統及服務管理國際會議主席；並於多個學術會議擔任國際顧問委員會委員、程式委員會委員和組織委員會委員。他是國家傑出青年科學基金（海外類）獲得者，及國家“千人計畫”入選專家。
學術著作
1. X. Cai and X. Zhou, “Optimal policies for perishable products when transportation to export market is disrupted”, Production and Operations Management, forthcoming.
2. X. Cai, J. Chen, Y.B. Xiao, X.L. Xu, and G. Yu, “Fresh-product supply chain management with logistics outsourcing”, Omega, 41, pp. 752-765, 2013.
3. X. Cai, and G.L. Vairaktarakis, “Coordination of outsourced operations at a third-party facility subject to booking, overtime, and tardiness costs”, Operations Research, 60, pp. 1436-1450, 2012.
4. X. Cai, J. Chen, Y.B. Xiao, and X.L. Xu, “Optimization and Coordination of Fresh Product Supply Chains with Freshness-Keeping Effort”, Production and Operations Management, 19(3), 261-278, 2010.
5. X. Cai, X.Y. Wu, and X. Zhou, “Stochastic scheduling subject to preemptive-repeat breakdowns with incomplete information”, Operations Research, 57(5), 1236-1249, 2009.
6. X. Cai, X.Y. Wu, and X. Zhou, “Single-machine scheduling with general costs under compound-type distributions”. Journal of Scheduling 10(1), 77-84, 2007.
7. X. Cai, X.Y. Wu and X. Zhou, “Dynamically Optimal Policies for Stochastic Scheduling Subject to Preemptive-Repeat Machine Breakdowns”. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 2 (2),158-172, 2005.
8. X. Cai, X.Q. Sun, and X. Zhou, “Stochastic Scheduling Subject to Machine Breakdowns: The Preemptive-Repeat Model with Discounted Reward and Other Criteria”, Naval Research Logistics, 51, 800-817, 2004.
9. X. Cai, K.L. Teo, X.Q. Yang, and X.Y. Zhou, “Portfolio Optimization under a Minimax Rule”, Management Science, 46, 957-972, 2000.
10. X. Cai, C.-Y. Lee, and T.L. Wong, “Multi-Processor Task Scheduling to Minimize the Maximum Tardiness and the Total Completion Time”. IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 16, 824-830, 2000.
11. X. Cai and S. Zhou, “Stochastic Scheduling on Parallel Machines Subject to Random Breakdowns to Minimize Expected Costs for Earliness and Tardy Jobs”, Operations Research, 47, 422-437, 1999.
