This work’s long-term objective is to assess the continuity of material deformation at the grain- and mesoscopic scale from processing to subsequent mechanical loading using crystal plasticity strain gradient models. To that end, advanced experimental characterization techniques are deployed on different pre-deformed microstructures of an Inconel 718. They include advanced digital image correlation (HR-DIC) and high angular resolution orientation (HAR-EBSD) imaging, in order to provide lattice rotations, dislocation substructures and slip events necessary to instantiate simulation volumes. A numerical non-local crystal plasticity model has been developed, and implemented using FFT spectral method, to take into account initial deformation gradients and to describe their evolution under different loading conditions. Advanced experiment/simulation dialogue is expected to prove the ability of the model to predict both localisation of plastic strain and overall material behavior, as well as to predict the influence of pre-deformation history on subsequent microstructure evolution.