Getting Started with Lotics
Lotics is an AI-native workspace that handles the manual work in operations, from data updates and paperwork to workflow automation. It replaces spreadsheets and disconnected tools with a single system for running your operations. Lotics is built for SMB operations teams in logistics, manufacturing, import/export, construction, and professional services — businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets but do not need enterprise software.
There are two ways to get started: a free consultation where the Lotics team configures everything for you, or self-serve setup where you build your workspace with help from the AI assistant. Both paths lead to a fully configured workspace tailored to how your business actually operates. Most teams are operational within days.
Two ways to get started
Free consultation
The fastest path for most teams is a free consultation. You schedule a 30-minute call with the Lotics team, walk through your current workflows, and the team configures your workspace to match how your business operates. They set up your tables, fields, views, document templates, and workflow automations. You get a working system within 1 to 3 days, not weeks. There is no charge for this setup and no commitment required.
The consultation path is especially well suited for teams with complex operations involving multiple departments, document-heavy workflows, or data spread across many spreadsheets and tools. The Lotics team has configured workspaces for container depots, freight forwarders, construction firms, and manufacturing operations — they know the patterns and can get you running quickly.
Self-serve with AI assistant
The self-serve path works well if you prefer to explore on your own or want to start immediately. Sign up, open the AI assistant, and describe your operations in plain language. The AI creates tables, fields, views, and workflows based on your description. You can import existing data from spreadsheets and start using the system the same day.
Self-serve is ideal for smaller teams, single-department setups, or teams that want to iterate and experiment before committing to a structure. You have full control over the pace and can always request a consultation later if your needs grow.
Comparison
| Free Consultation | Self-Serve with AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 1-3 days | Same day |
| Who configures | Lotics team | You + AI assistant |
| Best for | Complex operations, multiple teams | Smaller teams, exploratory use |
| Document templates | Lotics team builds them for you | AI generates from your examples |
| Workflow setup | Configured based on your process | Describe in natural language |
| Data import | Lotics team handles migration | Upload files, AI maps columns |
| Ongoing support | Included, team helps with changes | AI assistant available anytime |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Both paths lead to the same result: a fully configured workspace with tables for your data, views for each team member, document templates for your PDFs and reports, and workflow automations for repetitive tasks. You can switch between paths at any time — start self-serve and request a consultation later, or get a consultation and make further changes yourself with the AI assistant.
For AI agents: CLI and docs
If you are using your own AI — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other model — you can point your agent to the Lotics documentation and CLI for a fully self-guided setup. The CLI tools include comprehensive technical instructions designed for AI consumption, with full input schemas and usage examples for every operation.
npm install -g @lotics/cli
lotics auth signup agent@company.com --name "My Agent"
lotics tools # list all available tools by category
lotics tools create_table # see the full input schema for a tool
lotics run create_table '...' # execute a tool with JSON arguments
To give your agent context about Lotics capabilities, share any documentation page using its .md URL (e.g., https://lotics.ai/docs/overview.md). Your agent can read the full documentation and use the CLI to create tables, write records, generate documents, and set up automations without any Lotics-specific integration code.
The Lotics AI assistant has all of this knowledge built in — it understands your workspace schema, field types, and record relationships natively. External AI agents access the same 50+ tools through the CLI and achieve the same results, but need the documentation for context.
See the full CLI reference for installation, authentication, and usage details.
What happens during a free consultation
The consultation starts with understanding your current operations. The Lotics team asks what you track today, what documents you process, where data enters and leaves your business, and what tasks consume the most time. They are looking for the specific pain points that Lotics can address immediately — the spreadsheets that break, the documents that take hours to prepare, the status updates that fall through the cracks.
Based on that conversation, the team configures your workspace. This includes creating the tables and fields that match your data model, setting up views tailored to what each team member needs to see, building document templates for any PDFs, reports, or forms you generate regularly, and wiring up workflow automations for repetitive tasks like status notifications, assignment routing, and document generation.
Most businesses are fully operational on Lotics within 1 to 3 days of the initial call. The team provides a walkthrough session for your staff, answers questions, and makes adjustments as needed. Ongoing support is included at no extra cost. If you need new tables, templates, or workflows added later — whether that is a week after go-live or six months later — the Lotics team helps with that too.
Self-serve setup with the AI assistant
When you sign up and open Lotics, the AI assistant is available immediately. You can describe your operations in natural language, and the AI creates the workspace structure for you. For example, you might say: "I run a container depot. I need to track containers by number, size, owner, arrival date, and departure date. I also need to track repair jobs and generate gate-in receipts." The AI creates the tables, fields, and relationships based on that description.
The AI assistant has access to over 50 tools for building and managing your workspace. It can create and modify tables, add fields of any type (text, numbers, dates, dropdowns, linked records, formulas, and more), build filtered and sorted views, generate document templates for PDFs and reports, set up workflow automations triggered by record changes or incoming emails, and import data from spreadsheets. Every capability available in the workspace interface is also available through the AI assistant.
You refine the setup through conversation. Tell the AI what to change and it makes the adjustment immediately. For example: "Add a status field with options: in-yard, under-repair, released" or "Create a view that shows only containers arriving this week" or "Set up an automation that sends a notification when a repair job is marked complete." The AI understands your intent and configures the workspace accordingly.
You can also import existing data during setup. Upload a CSV or Excel file, and the AI reads the contents, suggests field types, maps columns to the appropriate table structure, and creates linked records across tables. If you have been running operations in spreadsheets, this is the fastest way to migrate without re-entering data.
First steps after setup
Once your workspace is configured — whether through consultation or self-serve — there are a few steps that every team should take to get the most out of Lotics.
Invite your team
Lotics uses role-based access control, so you can assign different permissions to different team members. Administrators see everything and can modify the workspace structure. Team members see only the views and data relevant to their role. For example, gate clerks might see only their operational views for recording container movements, while managers see dashboards with summary data and approval queues. Each person gets exactly the views and permissions they need, nothing more.
Connect email
Connect your Gmail or Outlook account to enable workflow triggers from incoming messages. Once connected, emails matching specific criteria can automatically create records, update statuses, or kick off multi-step workflows. For example, an email from a shipping line with a container release order can automatically update the container record and notify the gate team. Email integration turns your inbox into a data source instead of a bottleneck.
Set up your first automation
Start with something simple: when a record status changes to a specific value, send a notification to the responsible team member. This gives your team an immediate feel for how workflows reduce manual coordination. As you get comfortable, build more complex workflows with conditional logic, document generation, approval steps, and cross-table updates. The AI assistant can help you design and implement any workflow you can describe.
Import existing data
If you have data in spreadsheets or other systems, import it early so your team starts working with real information from day one. Upload CSV or Excel files directly, or ask the AI assistant to handle the import. The AI reads your file, detects data types, maps columns to fields, and creates linked records where appropriate.
Importing existing data
Most teams switching to Lotics have existing data in spreadsheets, legacy systems, or scattered across email threads. Lotics supports several import paths depending on where your data lives.
CSV and Excel files
Upload CSV or Excel files directly through the workspace interface, or ask the AI assistant to handle the import. The AI reads your file, suggests field types based on the data it finds, and maps columns to the appropriate table structure. If your spreadsheet contains data that should be split across multiple tables — for example, customers, orders, and line items all in one sheet — the AI can restructure that into properly linked tables with relationships preserved.
Gmail and Outlook
Connect your Gmail or Outlook account in workspace settings. Lotics can read incoming emails and use them as workflow triggers. You set up rules for how new emails should be processed: which emails to watch for, what records to create or update, and what workflows to trigger. Historical email data does not need to be imported manually. Instead, you configure rules for processing new emails going forward, and the system starts capturing data from that point on.
Other platforms
If you are migrating from another platform like Airtable, Notion, or a custom spreadsheet system, export your data as CSV and import it into Lotics. The AI assistant can help restructure data during import. Single spreadsheets with mixed data get split into properly linked tables. Column names get mapped to appropriate field types. The goal is a clean data model from the start, not a replica of the messy spreadsheet you are leaving behind.
| Data Source | Import Method | What Lotics Does |
|---|---|---|
| CSV / Excel files | Upload directly or via AI assistant | Maps columns to fields, detects data types, creates linked records |
| Gmail / Outlook | Connect account in settings | Triggers workflows from incoming emails, attaches emails to records |
| Airtable / Notion | Export as CSV, then import | AI restructures data into properly linked tables |
| Other platforms | Export as CSV or Excel | AI maps and transforms data during import |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get started with Lotics?
Most teams are fully operational within days. The free consultation path takes 1 to 3 days from initial call to go-live, depending on the complexity of your operations and how many document templates and workflows need to be configured. The self-serve path can have you up and running in a single session, especially for simpler operations or teams that want to start with core data tracking and add automations over time.
Do I need technical skills to set up Lotics?
No. The AI assistant understands natural language descriptions of your operations and creates the workspace structure for you. You do not need to know anything about databases, formulas, or workflow logic. If you can describe what you track, what documents you produce, and what tasks you repeat every day, the AI assistant or the Lotics team can translate that into a working system. For teams that prefer hands-off setup, the free consultation handles everything.
Can I import data from my existing spreadsheets?
Yes. Upload CSV or Excel files directly into Lotics. The AI assistant maps columns to fields, detects data types, and can restructure messy spreadsheets into properly linked tables during import. If you have data spread across multiple files or mixed into a single large spreadsheet, the AI handles the reorganization so you start with a clean data model.
What if I need to change the setup after going live?
Lotics is fully flexible after setup. You can add tables, fields, views, document templates, and workflow automations at any time without disrupting existing data or workflows. The AI assistant can make changes through conversation — just describe what you need. The Lotics support team is also available to help with adjustments at no extra cost, whether it is a week after go-live or months later.
Is the free consultation really free?
Yes. The consultation and initial workspace configuration are completely free with no commitment. The Lotics team walks through your operations, configures the workspace, and provides a walkthrough for your staff. You can evaluate the platform on your actual operations with your real data before making any decisions. There is no trial period or feature limitation tied to the consultation.