What to check before adding an AI agent to a business workflow

An AI agent is useful only when the work, tools and authority boundaries are clear. A safe first version often assists the human operator: drafting, gathering context, preparing actions and escalating exceptions.

Practical readiness checks

• Define what the agent may suggest, draft or execute.
• Separate low-risk automation from actions needing approval.
• Log decisions, inputs and tool calls for review.
• Test against realistic failure cases before release.

The right goal is not maximum autonomy. The right goal is a workflow that becomes faster, clearer and safer under agreed governance.