Guide
How AI Agents Work in a Business System
An AI agent becomes useful when a task requires several steps and the next step depends on what the system discovers. The agent can choose among approved tools, observe the result and continue until the task is complete or needs a person.
How this guide is meant to be used
- Method
Baseline: Measure what is true today before changing anything.
The Basic Agent Loop
Goal
A defined task enters the system.
Context
The agent retrieves the information it needs.
Tool selection
It chooses among a limited set of allowed actions.
Action
It calls the tool or system.
Observation
It evaluates what happened.
Next step
It continues, completes or escalates.
Permissions Are the Architecture
A well-designed agent receives the smallest useful toolset. Reading a CRM record does not imply permission to delete it. Preparing an email does not imply permission to send it.
Human Approval Gates
Publishing, spending, deleting, sending external communications or modifying important customer data may deserve explicit human approval.
Automation and Agents Are Not the Same
Traditional automation follows a predetermined path. An agent can choose between permitted next steps based on what it discovers. Many reliable business systems combine both.
Failure Handling
• Required data is missing
• A tool or API is unavailable
• Sources conflict
• No permitted next action exists
• The task exceeds its step/time limit
• The request falls outside scope
Example: Lead Intake Agent
A lead-intake agent could receive an inquiry, classify the service, check the service area, find or create a CRM record, route the lead and prepare follow-up. It should stop when the request falls outside the business rules or a consequential action requires approval.
Can an AI agent act completely on its own?
It can complete defined work within its allowed scope. High-consequence actions should have approval, limits and logs appropriate to the risk.
How is an agent different from an assistant?
An assistant primarily helps a user understand or prepare. An agent is given a task and can use approved tools to take steps toward completing it.
From Guide to Implementation
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