Project Implementation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Lokad offers an end-to-end solution combining AI-driven technology and human expertise. Each client’s subscription includes access to Lokad’s application and online platform and Supply Chain Scientist services. Our Supply Chain Scientists are here to generate and maintain a tailor-made solution for your needs, provide strategic insights and answer your questions. They act as copilots for your supply chain.

As a Software-as-a-Service cloud solution, Lokad runs alongside the client’s ERP, WMS, etc., as an analytical layer. All we need to start implementing are simple extracts and flat files. This reduces the burden on the client’s IT department to a minimum and considerably reduces disruption.

On average, an implementation takes approximately six months, though this can be reduced based on certain factors. It is designed to be straightforward, flexible and non-disruptive, with regular deliverables and feedback loops. Read more to discover the different phases and roles of this collaborative project.

Lokad forecasting and optimization technologies

Request a Discovery Call

Lokad technological generations timeline

From Kick-Off to Go-Live: Timeline & Phases

Kick-Off & Planning (Week 0)

Align on goals, scope and metrics
Introduce teams and establish roles
Define priorities and milestones
Schedule weekly working sessions

Data Integration (Weeks 1–4)

Establish the list of necessary data and priorities
Identify and extract raw data from ERP/WMS
First data uploads and format validation
Initial quality checks and data-health dashboards

Automated Data Pipeline (Weeks 4–8)

Set up recurring data feed (SFTP or equivalent)
Lokad automatically ingests and monitors data
Client's IT can be hands off once pipeline is stable

Solution Design & Dual-Run (Weeks 8–20)

Build and iterate forecasting logic
Generate daily decision suggestions
Compare Lokad vs current practice with dual runs
Align with business teams daily or weekly

Go-Live (Approximately Month 6)

Approve switch once inputs are trusted
Integrate Lokad decisions into workflow
Test as needed and ensure a smooth transition
Presentations and training sessions for end users

Continuous Improvement (Ongoing)

Monitoring of KPIs and data health by our SCS
Tune models and reevaluate as business evolves
Regular reviews and steering committees with Supply Chain Scientists

Collaborative Relationship with Lokad

Dedicated Experts and Genuine Partnership

We take pride not only in the quality of our technology, but also in the expertise of our Supply Chain Scientists (SCS). We assemble for you a dedicated team of SCS who fully immerse themselves in your day-to-day operations, developing a deep understanding of your products, processes, and challenges. Drawing on their knowledge of market best practices, they craft bespoke solutions tailored precisely to your needs. In essence, they operate as a seamless extension of your own team.

This partnership model fosters consistency and personal investment; your SCS celebrates successes with you and help tackle new hurdles as they arise.

This is not just about implementation. The partnership goes on in production. Clients often note that after a year or two, the relationship feels like having an internal expert rather than relying on an external vendor—trust, transparency, and shared goals become the norm.

Frequent Communication & Documentation

Expect ongoing communication throughout the project. We typically set up weekly working calls, meetings and steering committees to go over progress, results, and milestones (FAQ: Information Technology (IT)). You’ll always know where things stand. All working sessions, decisions, and insights are documented in a shared Joint Procedure Manual (JPM), which serves as a comprehensive project log and guide (FAQ: Change Management. This way, both your team and ours have a single source of truth on the project’s status, tasks, and learnings.

Empowering Your Team (Not Replacing It)

Working with Lokad is meant to augment your supply chain team, not replace your expertise. Our Supply Chain Scientists focus on automating the repetitive number-crunching and routine decisions, freeing up your staff to focus on strategic, high-value activities (FAQ: Change Management). We explicitly do not take over the strategic or judgment-based roles of your planners and managers.

Lokad’s technology automates repetitive tasks such as compiling forecasts or generating purchase orders, allowing your team to redirect effort to strategic decision-making (e.g., supplier negotiations or product expansions). This approach not only delivers better results but is also welcomed by most planners and end users – it turns their role from data grunt work to exception handling and continuous improvement.

By adopting a “work side by side” philosophy, we ensure that insights from your team’s experience feed back into the system design, creating a collaborative cycle that refines and strengthens the solution over time.

Roles & Responsibilities

Supply Chain Leader

A senior executive from the client’s team who champions the initiative, aligning it with larger corporate objectives.
They provide strategic direction, secure internal support, and resolve high-level obstacles (e.g., budget issues or departmental conflicts).
Their endorsement underscores the project’s importance, helping it gain traction and maintaining momentum across the organization.

Supply Chain Coordinator

The main leader of the project from the client’s side on a daily basis. They act as the primary operational link between your internal teams and Lokad, ensuring project milestones are met and issues are promptly addressed.
They gather feedback from end users (planners, buyers) and relay important insights or concerns to the SCS, so the solution aligns with actual workflows.
They oversee user adoption, spotting potential resistance early and coordinating any internal process tweaks needed to optimize outcomes.

Data Officer / IT Focal

Typically an IT specialist from the client’s IT department, or an analyst responsible for extracting data and setting up, managing, and monitoring data feeds to Lokad.
They establish the automated pipeline (e.g., nightly export of flat files via SFTP) and ensure data remains accurate and timely, even if internal systems evolve.
Once automation is in place, ongoing maintenance is minimal—monitoring feeds and making small adjustments if system updates occur.

Lead Supply Chain Scientist (Lead SCS)

The senior dedicated expert in Lokad’s team responsible for leading the team of SCS on the project.
They are in charge of designing the architecture of the solution, making sure the solution is aligned with the client’s needs, the deliverables are provided in time, etc.
They are also in charge of ensuring a smooth communication and they are the main point of contact for the Supply Chain Leader and Coordinator.
Post-go-live, they remain actively involved, tracking performance metrics so the solution continues to reflect current market and operational realities.

Supply Chain Scientists (SCS)

The team of dedicated experts who retrieve and clean the data, design and refine the forecasting/optimization “numerical recipes.”
They perform in-depth data analysis, run iterative tests, and collaborate with your team to validate results against real-world conditions.
Post-go-live, they remain actively involved, fine-tuning models and keeping the solution updated to reflect the evolution of your business and making sure you always benefit from a state-of-the-art version of Lokad’s technology with the latest improvements and features.

Change Management & Adoption

Implementing a new supply chain optimization solution can entail changes in processes and day-to-day routines. Lokad places strong emphasis on change management to make this transition smooth and to ensure the project’s success is fully realized in your organization.

Gradual Transition

A dual-run approach is used: your current processes run in parallel with Lokad’s recommendations for several weeks or more.
This overlap allows your team to compare outcomes in a low-risk environment, building trust and minimizing disruption before fully switching over.
Once the system produces consistently sensible outputs ("0% nonsense"), you decide when to adopt it live—either in full or phased by region/product line.

Training & Process Integration

Lokad provides tailored training sessions, workshops and how-to guides, ensuring planners and managers understand how to interpret automated recommendations.
By providing KPIs and data visualization (“whiteboxing”) on top of our main deliverables (e.g. suggestions of purchase, dispatch, etc.), we do our best to clearly illustrate the solution’s benefits (e.g., fewer stockouts, better use of planners’ time) and we encourage rapid acceptance.
We also suggest relevant process improvements—helping your team streamline related tasks, such as reorder routines or demand review meetings, to fully leverage automation gains.

Open Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

Regular project updates and steering committees keep everyone aligned on achievements, timelines, and potential bottlenecks.
The Joint Procedure Manual (JPM) serves as a centralized repository for meeting notes, KPI trends, and decision records, fostering transparency across teams and management levels. It also provides comprehensive documentation of the project—covering the data analyzed, core heuristics, business logic and processes, and detailed deliverables. This makes the JPM a critical reference point for preserving solution knowledge and streamlining the onboarding of new team members.
We strive to fully leverage your team’s business expertise. By encouraging planners, supervisors, and other end-users to provide frequent, early-stage feedback, we can address small issues before they escalate into significant obstacles.

Building Internal Champions

Early adopters within your team often become advocates who showcase real success stories—e.g., how they used Lokad’s forecasts to optimize ordering and save time.
These champions help colleagues understand the system’s value, easing apprehension about new processes or technology.
As routine tasks shift to automation, planners have more bandwidth for strategic analysis—reinforcing positive perceptions of the change.

Continuous Improvement Culture

After go-live, Lokad regularly reviews performance metrics (e.g., service levels, inventory turns), ensuring the system remains aligned with your evolving supply chain.
Ongoing collaboration means suggestions or changing business scenarios are quickly integrated into the model.
This cycle of analysis, feedback, and enhancements fosters a data-driven, proactive mindset within your supply chain team—turning continuous refinement into a core operating principle.