Review of Arkieva, supply chain planning software vendor

By Léon Levinas-Ménard
Last updated: October, 2025

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Arkieva is a Wilmington, Delaware-based software editor (founded 1993, rebranded from Supply Chain Consultants in 2011) focused on demand planning, inventory planning (including multi-echelon), supply planning (RCCP, MPS), and S&OP process management. Its suite is anchored by “Orbit,” an in-memory planning platform delivered on-prem or in the cloud, with collaboration tooling (“Beacon”) layered for S&OP governance. Arkieva positions itself as modular and “AI-driven,” while practical signals of the stack point to a Microsoft/.NET lineage with SQL databases and a modern web front-end; recent hiring and job specs indicate Kubernetes/Helm/Terraform/Ansible and Azure DevOps for delivery pipelines. In April 2025 Arkieva announced a strategic growth investment from Banneker Partners, and in September 2025 appointed a new CEO, signaling an acceleration agenda oriented toward cloud delivery and product modernization.

Arkieva overview

Arkieva supplies integrated planning modules for demand, inventory (including a multi-echelon optimizer), supply/capacity (RCCP, MPS), and S&OP process management, delivered via its Orbit in-memory platform and optionally the Beacon S&OP workbench.123456 Deployments are on-premise or cloud, with the vendor also advertising a cloud page that states “nearly 50%” of customers use cloud-based deployment.17 Arkieva publishes customer case studies (e.g., McBride implementing S&OP + RCCP), and marketing copy emphasizes “AI-driven” and “digital twin technology” for supply planning.8910

Corporate timeline and finance. The company rebranded from Supply Chain Consultants to Arkieva in Oct 2011; in Apr 2025 it announced a strategic growth investment from Banneker Partners (cross-validated with Arkieva, Banneker, PR Newswire, and BGL).11121314315 In Sept 2025 Arkieva named Anand Iyer CEO (press + trade coverage).1617 No acquisitions (as buyer or seller) were found in public records during this review.

Stack signals. Public materials and job posts indicate a .NET/C# back-end, React/Angular front-end, SQL databases, RabbitMQ, plus Kubernetes/Helm/Terraform/Ansible and Azure DevOps Server for CI/CD; one DevOps spec lists PostgreSQL as a plus.18192021 Product collateral references Azure Data Factory / SSIS for integration, in line with a Microsoft-centric lineage.22

Arkieva vs Lokad

Scope & delivery model. Arkieva offers a modular APS suite (demand, inventory incl. MEIO, supply/RCCP, S&OP governance) operating atop its Orbit in-memory layer and Beacon workflow UI.1245 Lokad delivers a programmable SaaS platform centered on Envision, a domain-specific language for predictive optimization, rather than fixed modules.2324

Forecasting approach. Arkieva’s public pages describe classical demand planning and life-cycle management; technical depth about probabilistic modeling is limited in vendor docs. Marketing pages recently introduce “AI-driven” language without method detail.25510 Lokad documents a decade-long progression from quantile forecasts (2012) to probabilistic forecasting (2016+), with evidence in the M5 competition (6th overall; #1 at SKU level).26272829

Optimization mechanics. Arkieva cites MEIO for safety-stock targets and publishes RCCP/MPS content; careers pages reference LP/MIP models—suggesting conventional mathematical programming is used for some subproblems.21220 Lokad emphasizes decision-centric stochastic optimization implemented inside Envision, and differentiable programming to tie forecasting and optimization end-to-end.2330

Transparency & extensibility. Arkieva exposes configuration, scenarios and collaboration, but not a public programming model; integration relies on connectors and data pipelines.1224 Lokad exposes the language and reference docs used to build client-specific optimization apps; its AFI case study details prioritized investment/divestment decisions and constraints modeling.2331

Cloud/ops posture. Arkieva advertises flexible on-prem or cloud (“~50% cloud” claim) and current DevOps ads indicate Kubernetes-based delivery.1719 Lokad is multi-tenant SaaS by design and avoids external ML stacks by embedding algorithms in Envision (per docs and tech pages).2324

Bottom line. Arkieva aligns with a modernized APS paradigm (module-driven, scenario/collaboration-first) with progressive cloud/DevOps signals; Lokad positions as a programmable decision engine with published technical artifacts and third-party evidence around probabilistic/differentiable methods.232627283130

History & milestones (corroborated)

  • 1993: Company foundation (then Supply Chain Consultants) in Wilmington, DE.225
  • Oct 2011: Renamed to Arkieva (vendor PR + independent trade coverage).1112
  • 2015: McBride implementation (S&OP + RCCP) announced; later case study summarizes standardized S&OP and 18-month RCCP improvements.98
  • Apr 29, 2025: Strategic growth investment from Banneker Partners (vendor + investor + PR wires + adviser confirmations).1314315
  • Sept 15–16, 2025: CEO change to Anand Iyer (press + trade).1617

No acquisitions detected (as acquirer or acquired). Searches across investor, wire, and trade publishers surfaced financing but no M&A announcements.

What Arkieva’s software does (technical scope)

Demand planning. Classical demand planning with configurable forecasting methods and life-cycle/new product modeling.2532

Inventory planning. MEIO calculates safety stocks across echelons considering demand and lead-time variability; inventory analysis UI supports excess/stockout diagnostics.212

Supply planning & capacity. RCCP (12–18 months) and supply planning for synchronization of material/capacity with production and purchasing; scenario analysis and what-ifs are emphasized.123

S&OP management. Beacon provides S&OP workflow/tasking and meeting governance.56

Platform. Orbit is described as an in-memory integrated planning platform; deployments can be on-prem or cloud; cloud page claims ~50% customers cloud-deployed.17

How it works (mechanisms & architecture — evidence-based)

Data & integration. Vendor services materials cite Azure Data Factory and SSIS for pipelines; historically Arkieva content references DBMSs such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 for centralized planning databases.2221

Computation & modeling. Public pages indicate MEIO for safety stock computation and constraint-based supply plans; careers pages request experience with LP/MIP modeling—consistent with linear/mixed-integer formulations for capacity/material balance.2920

Application/UX. The suite surfaces scenario modeling, dashboards, and prioritized lists (e.g., RCCP capacity views, S&OP action items) rather than code-level control.12458

Ops & delivery signals. Hiring posts and careers text point to .NET/C# back-end, React/Angular front-end, RabbitMQ, SQL, and Kubernetes/Helm/Terraform/Ansible with Azure DevOps Server; one ad lists PostgreSQL as a plus—indicating multi-DB familiarity and containerized delivery.181920

Deployment & roll-out methodology (documented)

Arkieva documents S&OP program setup and implementation steps through whitepapers/blogs; the McBride materials describe a phased rollout leading to a standardized S&OP process and 18-month RCCP plan.48209 Orbit/Beacon pages emphasize scenario runs and collaboration; cloud/on-prem options allow varied IT postures.15

AI/ML/optimization claims — scrutiny

  • Claims found. “AI-driven,” “autonomous orchestration,” and “digital twin technology” are asserted on supply-planning pages.10
  • Evidence located. Concrete method disclosures are sparse; the most explicit technical signals are MEIO explanations, RCCP/MPS content, and LP/MIP skills in careers.21220
  • Assessment. Absent public algorithm notes, code artifacts, or benchmarking, Arkieva’s AI claims should be treated as unsubstantiated marketing until supported by technical documentation or reproducible demonstrations. Optimization appears consistent with conventional OR (LP/MIP) plus heuristic/what-if tooling, which can be effective, but differs from end-to-end probabilistic/differentiable pipelines documented by peers like Lokad.23262730

Technology stack & engineering signals (from public artifacts)

  • Languages/frameworks. C#/.NET, React/Angular, RabbitMQ.18
  • Data. SQL databases noted historically; PostgreSQL mentioned as a plus in DevOps ad.2119
  • DevOps. Kubernetes, Helm, Terraform, Ansible, Azure DevOps Server highlighted in DevOps openings.1920
  • Integration. Azure Data Factory / SSIS referenced for ETL.22

These signals are coherent with a Microsoft-centric stack modernized with container orchestration for deployments.

Discrepancies & gaps observed

  • “Orbit” page slug is misspelled (“/akieva-orbit/”) though the product is “Arkieva Orbit.” Minor site QA issue.1
  • Cloud claim (“nearly 50% cloud-based”) is undated and should be treated as indicative, not audited.7
  • AI language appears on recent product pages without method detail or references; no public benchmarks or papers from Arkieva were found to corroborate AI performance claims.10
  • DB heterogeneity: historic content stresses SQL Server/Oracle/DB2, while a DevOps ad lists PostgreSQL—likely reflecting environment diversity, not a contradiction.2119

Conclusion

Arkieva delivers a modernized APS suite—demand, inventory (MEIO), supply/RCCP, and S&OP governance—on an in-memory platform with cloud/on-prem flexibility and an operationally credible .NET + web + Kubernetes stack. The optimization elements explicitly evidenced are MEIO and LP/MIP-style planning; AI references remain marketing-level absent public method disclosures. Practitioners can reasonably expect a module-driven system with scenarios and collaboration and should request technical deep-dives (objective functions, constraint sets, solver classes, stochastic treatment) during diligence. Compared with Lokad’s programmable decision engine (documented probabilistic forecasting, differentiable programming, and published competition/case-study evidence), Arkieva fits buyers preferring configurable modules and S&OP workflow tooling over a code-first environment. The 2025 growth investment and new CEO suggest renewed product velocity; proof points to watch are concrete AI/optimization disclosures, cloud adoption metrics, and reference implementations demonstrating measurable inventory/service outcomes.

Sources

  1. Arkieva Orbit platform — in-memory planning, on-prem or cloud (access from any device) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Arkieva Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimizer (MEIO) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. PR Newswire — Arkieva Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Banneker Partners — Apr 29, 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Arkieva S&OP Management (solution page) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Arkieva Beacon — S&OP Process Management ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Arkieva News — Beacon release (collaboration for S&OP) — 2021 ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. Arkieva Cloud page — “nearly 50% of our customers employ a cloud-based deployment” ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Arkieva Case Study — McBride strengthens S&OP & capacity (RCCP) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. Arkieva Press — McBride selects Arkieva (S&OP + RCCP) — Apr 14, 2015 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. Arkieva Supply Planning — marketing claims: AI-driven, autonomous orchestration, digital twin — 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. Supply Chain Consultants changes name to Arkieva (vendor PR) — Oct 17, 2011 ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. Supply & Demand Chain Executive — “Supply Chain Consultants Changes Name to Arkieva” — Oct 20, 2011 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  13. Arkieva Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Banneker Partners — Apr 29, 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. Arkieva — Strategic Growth Investment (vendor page) — Apr 29, 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎

  15. BGL Press Release — Arkieva receives investment from Banneker Partners — Apr 29, 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎

  16. Newswire — “Arkieva announces Anand Iyer as CEO” — Sept 15, 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎

  17. DC Velocity — “Supply chain SaaS firm Arkieva names new CEO” — Sept 16, 2025 ↩︎ ↩︎

  18. JOBS.BG — Arkieva OOD Senior Back-End Developer (C# .NET, SQL, React, Angular, RabbitMQ) — 2024 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  19. Glassdoor — Arkieva DevOps Engineer (Kubernetes, Helm, Terraform, Ansible; Azure DevOps Server; PostgreSQL plus) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  20. Arkieva Careers — roles referencing LP/MIP modeling (current page) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  21. Arkieva Blog — “Outgrowing Excel? Centralized Demand Planning… DBMS examples: SQL Server, Oracle, DB2” ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  22. Arkieva Services — Data Integration (Azure Data Factory, SSIS) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  23. Lokad Technical Docs — Envision Language (DSL for supply chain optimization) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  24. Lokad Docs — Big Picture / platform philosophy ↩︎ ↩︎

  25. Arkieva Demand Planning — Forecasting Techniques ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  26. Lokad — Quantile Forecasting technology (2012) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  27. Lokad — Probabilistic Forecasting (2016+) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  28. Lokad Blog — Ranked 6th out of 909 teams in M5; vendor-led team — Jul 2, 2020 ↩︎ ↩︎

  29. Lokad Lecture — “#1 at SKU level in M5” (video & transcript) — Jan 5, 2022 ↩︎

  30. Lokad — Differentiable Programming overview ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  31. Lokad Case Study — Air France Industries (PDF) — Mar 2017 ↩︎ ↩︎

  32. Arkieva Demand Planning — Life-Cycle Management ↩︎