Chaser
Follow up on what’s missing.
Track unanswered requests and prepare or send routine reminders within agreed rules.
Human handoff
Sensitive replies and unusual requests go to a person.
Agents / A role in the workflow
A small system. A specific job.
An agent is software given a task, information to work with and permission to take certain steps. Its place in a business workflow should be just as clear.
The jobHandle the repeated preparation.
The boundaryWork within agreed rules.
The handoffBring decisions to a person.
Capability concepts
Six roles for the routine work.
These roles describe what a workflow could do. Each needs a defined scope, permissions and a review point. No public agent products are available yet.
Checker
Find the gaps before they travel.
Compare information, spot missing details and flag inconsistencies before the next step.
Human handoff
A person resolves conflicting or uncertain information.
Sorter
Give incoming work a place.
Group emails, documents and messages into a clear queue with the context attached.
Human handoff
Unclear priorities and unfamiliar cases are flagged for review.
Prepper
Make the case ready to review.
Bring the relevant details, supporting documents and open questions together in one brief.
Human handoff
A person checks the evidence and decides what happens next.
Coordinator
Keep the next step in view.
Connect the right information to the right person and keep agreed handoffs moving.
Human handoff
Changes to responsibilities or commitments need human judgement.
Watcher
Notice when something changes.
Track deadlines, document status and unresolved items, then surface what needs attention.
Human handoff
A person decides how to handle a delay or exception.
Where the system stops
Exceptions need attention,
not a confident guess.
Missing evidence, conflicting information or a step outside the agreed rules should bring the work to a person.
A useful handoff shows what was found, what is uncertain and what decision is needed. The person can approve, correct or stop the next step.
Recognise the pattern
What makes a good AI workflow?
Look for a repeatable task with a clear finish. These are useful signals that a small system may have a place.
It keeps coming back.
The same kind of task happens often enough to recognise a pattern.
The inputs already exist.
Work starts in emails, documents, forms, messages or photos.
Someone keeps checking or chasing.
A person repeatedly looks for gaps, asks for details or prepares a handoff.
Routine cases have clear rules.
Most cases follow a familiar path, with exceptions that can be recognised.
The decision belongs to a person.
Someone can review the prepared work and approve the important next step.
Illustrative workflow ideas
Where the pattern might fit.
Examples to help spot a similar task in your own business.
Prepare a job file.
A workflow could collect required documents and flag gaps before a person reviews the job.
Check a shipment pack.
A workflow could compare incoming paperwork and bring missing or inconsistent details to an operator.
Organise a maintenance request.
A workflow could group messages and photos into a brief for a person to prioritise.