Concept
Workflow vs agent
A workflow runs fixed steps in a fixed order — predictable and easy to check. An agent decides its own next steps toward a goal — flexible, but harder to verify.
When it applies
Choose a workflow when the job is well-defined and repeatable (receipts to categories, enquiry to draft quote). Consider agent behaviour only after workflows with review are running well.
When it does not
Do not start with autonomous agents on customer-facing or money-moving tasks. Research shows people over-trust AI outside its capability; autonomy widens exactly that gap.
A business example
Quote drafting as a workflow: read enquiry → list gaps → draft from price list → human approves. The same job “as an agent” would also choose whom to email and when — a decision a small business should keep human at first.
One next action
Describe your task as numbered steps. If you cannot, it is not ready for automation of either kind.
Sources
- Navigating the jagged technological frontier (field study with BCG consultants) — Harvard Business School