When does a business process justify an agentic workflow?
What an agentic workflow is — and when not to use one
An agentic workflow is useful when a bounded task needs context, approved tools, explicit rules, and human review — not when a simple deterministic automation will do.
Give the system a bounded job
The workflow should have a clear trigger, a specific outcome, known information sources, allowed actions, and a defined point at which the system must escalate. This is more useful than asking for general autonomy.
Prefer the simplest reliable approach
If a rule, form, integration, or conventional automation solves the task, use it. Agentic behaviour is most valuable where context must be interpreted, several approved steps must be coordinated, and exceptions genuinely benefit from reasoning.
Design the hand-off before the automation
Human review is part of the workflow, not an afterthought. Decide who sees uncertain outputs, who approves consequential actions, what gets logged, and how the organisation learns from exceptions.
Sources and further reading
Agentic workflow design — Kumash Shah About Kumash Shah